How to have 5 thousand in Church Intro -- God gave teh CHurch great power adn authority -- We have been given the charge to go out and preach the GOSPEL --We are never to STOP PREACHING -- Today we will see something that you may have never considered --this message is NOT the type of message you may have been expecting! -- We will look at how GOD ADDS to the Church but we will see something much greater! -- Today we will see the REASON WHY GOD adds to his church!! TEXT: Acts 2:38-41 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Points 1. The True Work of the CHURCH 2. ARE you involved?? I. The True Work of the CHURCH a) We are about Saving Souls and Teaching them to OBESERVE the ALL THINGS OF GOD -- When Peter Stood on the Roof and preached to the 17 nations assembled HE WAS FULLING PART OF THE COMMISSION -- The Great Fullfilment of Procehcy that the GIFTS of THE SPIRIT --The Church was empower to go forth on that day And She has been going EVER SINCE b) Preaching hte WORD in a Nesscity in this UNTOWARD GENERATION --Untoward = Evil The Devout Jews of every nation "Gladly received the word " 3 Thousand were SAVED and ADDED TO THE CHURCH -- We Still much Preach Jesus and Him Crucified --God will ADD if we do the PREACHING -- GOD is still in the Saving Business **But that is not the Empathes of this message 2. Will 3 thousand be saved and ADD ~ No Is the Church impotent and of no effect ~ No YOu say if we had enough FAITH IT COULD HAPPEN~No Peoples HEarts are hardend to the GOSPEL Their will BE NO GREAT REVIVAL IN THE END People will get COLDER adn more distant to GOD b) Some would say WHAT ABOUT JOEL Prochecy --Most of that was fulfilled at the day of Pentecost Joel 2:28-31 28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. -- How do we know what part; PETER TOLD US Acts 2;14-16 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; -- Ill explain the REST OF the Prochecy Next Sunday AM The Fire adn smoke and sun into darkness and moon into blood --- There will be no GREAT REVIVAL MENS HEART WILL WAX COLD Matt 24;12 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. -- Inquity = Lawlessness = abounds/its everywhere So should we quit??? NO NO NO There just wont be 3 thousand add in one day 2. Why did GOD ADD 3 thousand then and ALL the REST SINCE? Why does HE SAVE US??? 1. He doesnt want any to go to HELL! 2 Peter 3:9 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2. He wants us to COMMUNE WITH HIM!!! Exodus 25:8 8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 3. He is HOLY and we cannot Commune with HIM because of our SIN NATURE!!!! --We were corrupted in with Sin in the GARDEN --So Christ had ot come to be our Propitation- substitute -- So we can only Commune with GOD thur the Holyness of CHRIST 4. God can only commune /Fellowship with HOLY PEOPLE --He wants us to BE HOLY 1 peter 1:15-16 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. -- We must stive to be HOLY in our LIFESTYLE He that saved us is and HE WANT US TO BE That is Why HE SAVED you ~ He wants you to be HOLY| 5. What are we to do here in the 11th hour?? -- We are to Keep preaching We are to Keep be Holy We are to keep watch! 1 Cor 16:13 13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. II. Are we a HOLY PEOPLE a) God church is to be HOLY ~ His Bride will be HOLY ~ God Predisenated Church corporately to be HOLY!! HE Didnot Predestinate us Indivualy to Holyness It is A CHOoice we all must make ~ In the Last Day GOD IS MORE CONSERNED WITH HOLYINESS THAN WITH NUMBERS!!!! There is a LITTLE FLOCK that will be HOLY unto HIM! Luke 12;32 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. -- We still are To Preach ~ Soul will be Saved = even 300 hundred is Small in comparasion to church that boast of 10-15k -- THE LITTLE FLOCK IS TO BE HOLY/ Without Spot or Blemish! Eph 5;27 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. --- If God never add another PERSON HERE ; We will be found PLEASING if We keep Preaching Keep Watching Keep Holy!! b) How to STAY HOLY in the midst of this wicked and persve generation 1. Holyness = Separation from Profane and a clinging to the Sacred! --This is what GOD is EXPECTING OF US HERE in the 11th hour 1 Peter shows us HOW// By the Way this is the REAL TEXT 1 Peter 1:14-19 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: -- Within these verses we see HOW TO BE HOLY!! 1. To be holy ye must be OBEDIENT We must be willing to Do as HE INSTUCTS For He is HOLY and He wants us to be LIKE HIM! Obedient =to listen to and to attend to another When GOD CONVICTS adn REVEALS we are to ACT ; This is Obedinece adn will ensure HOLYINESS 2) We must be Obeninent not as our former self was/the old man col 3:9-10 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: -- Kill off these things in your life and you will be Separating yourself from the FLESH and COMMITTING YOURSELF TO GOD IT is a STEP IN HOLYINESS!!! -- If we will do this we will be called the CHILDREN of OBEDIENCE' ~ True rendering of vs. 14 2. When we Separte from the FLESH and the WORLD we must WATCH This is part of HOLINESS! luke 12:35-37 35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. -- The master went away but the Servants are to be READY for His Imanate return -- vs. 35 = We are to be fully Dressed with our belts tight We are to personally ready with a pure heart and life Robes had to be tied up so MEN COULD MOVE Quickly and work effectively a) Clothed with the new man WHO is CREATED after the only ONE that is HOLY! vs. 36= Our light is to be burning brightly We are to KEEP SERVING and Laboring Faithfully discharing the WORK to which we have been call We are Called to be HOLY!!! vs. 37= We are to Stay Ready because the LORD IS COMING BACK he didnt desert us in this perverse generation we must wait and watch HAVE FAITH in HIS SOON RETURN This will also equate to HOLINESS!! b) If we will be READY AND HOLY Jesus will serve us at the SUPPER -- 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. rev 19:7-9 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. -- You will be HERE because you were HOLY in all manner of CONVERSATION ( lifestyle) you were a Faithful Servant A Watchmen that set the watch and Patienly wait for the Joy to come --God commands us to be HOLY 5. PLAINLY we must DENOUNCE SIN In this me generation SIN IS A REALTIVE TERM To GOD SIN is ABOMNIATION Inquity Darkness adn evil Sickening --To be HOLY Denouce SIN IN YOUR LIFE If we would all work on OUR LIVES instead of others then we ALL WOULD BE HOLY as HE is HOLY! -- LETS START TONIGHT to answer GODS CALL TO HOLYNESS -- Forget about the numbers; GOD WILL ADD as he sees fit Be conserned about HOLYINESS ARE YOU living a holy righteous life without spot of blemish -- Are you daily walking by the SAVIORS side Are you Claiming the Soul cleansing Blood for you backslidings Only The BLOOD can Heal you of your Backslidings -- BE HOLY Get Rid of/Kill OFF every part of you that is preventing holiness!!! Mortify it --be YE holy as HE is HOLY 6. You dont have to be HOLY so I /Church can see Be holy so GOD can see Have no association with the unfruitful works of the FLESH Holyiness is the only way you can be SERVED BY JESUS!! WHAT AN HONOR!!!!!!!!!! He loves His Bride that much!! 7. Be holy TODAY COme out form among them( Be holy) and The GOD of the universe will be your GOD Savior Master King adn Friend --Choose Holyness today You will never be sorry in this life or the life to come callllllllll