Why I love the church of Christ Sunday sermon September 13, 2015 at the Heritage Addition church of Christ in Booneville, AR

1. Why I Love the church of Christ, Part
3 Lesson Text: Acts 2:37-47
Heritage Addition church of Christ
By Jim Bradshaw
Sunday Morning, Sept. 13, 2015
It’s Where the Saved Are

2. It is Not about the
buildingIt is the Body of Christ

3. Golden
Opportunities
Mat 7:12 ESV "So whatever you wish that others would do to
you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Gal 6:9-10 ESV And let us not grow weary of doing good, for
in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (10) So
then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and
especially to those who are of the household of faith.

4. Walmart is not
the only Saving
Place
The Mission of the church must be
the same as its head:
Luke 19:10 ESV For the Son of Man
came to seek and to save the lost."

5. Jesus Died for the
church
Act 20:28 ESV Pay careful
attention to yourselves and to all
the flock, in which the Holy
Spirit has made you overseers, to
care for the church of God, which
he obtained with his own blood.
Mat 26:27-28 ESV And he took a cup, and when he had given
thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, (28)
for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for
many for the forgiveness of sins.

6. Jesus Died for the church
Eph 5:25-33 ESV Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved
the church and gave himself up for her, (26) that he might
sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with
the word, (27) so that he might present the church to himself
in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she
might be holy and without blemish…. (29) For no one ever
hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as
Christ does the church, (30) because we are members of his
body. (31) "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother
and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
(32) This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to
Christ and the church.
Mat 19:6 ESV So they are no longer two but one flesh. What
therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

7. The church is God’s kingdom on Earth
Isa 2:2-3 ESV It shall come to pass in the latter days that the
mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the
highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it, (3) and many peoples shall
come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the
LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us
his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion
shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Dan 2:44 ESV And in the days of those kings the God of
heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed,
nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break
in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it
shall stand forever,

8. The church is God’s kingdom on Earth
Matt 16:18-19 NASB I also say to you that you are Peter, and
upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades
will not overpower it. (19) I will give you the keys of the
kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have
been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall
have been loosed in heaven.”
Mar 9:1 ESV And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there
are some standing here who will not taste death until they see
the kingdom of God after it has come with power."
Act 1:8 ESV But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the
earth."

9. The church is God’s kingdom on Earth
Act 2:1-4 ESV When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were
all together in one place. (2) And suddenly there came from
heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the
entire house where they were sitting. (3) And divided tongues
as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
(4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Act 2:16-18 ESV But this is what was uttered through the
prophet Joel: (17) "'And in the last days it shall be, God
declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your
sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men
shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; (18)
even on my male servants and female servants in those days I
will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

10. The church was part of God’s Eternal
Plan
Eph 3:8-12 ESV To me, though I am the very least of all the
saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ, (9) and to bring to light for
everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in
God who created all things, (10) so that through the church
the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the
rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (11) This was
according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ
Jesus our Lord, (12) in whom we have boldness and access
with confidence through our faith in him.

11. The church was part of God’s Eternal Plan
Act 2:37-41 ESV Now when they heard this they were cut to the
heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what
shall we do?" (38) And Peter said to them, "Repent and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. (39) For the promise is for you and for your children and
for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to
himself." (40) And with many other words he bore witness and
continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this
crooked generation." (41) So those who received his word were
baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Act 2:47 ESV praising God and having favor with all the
people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those
who were being saved.