The Real Thing

When I was growing up Coca Cola had a commercial saying ... "It's (Coke) the real thing!"  My dad worked for Coca Cola so I pretty much agreed with this.  Later I learned that few things were truly authentic.  And for the Church, it seems that we have lost or forgotten our roots.  Whether it is from our affluent society, our propensity to be comfortable in stasis or our tendency to grab on to every wind of doctrine that affirms our political view, something has been lost.  As Waylon Jennings so well put it ... "Maybe it's time to go back to the basics of love!"

I hear a lot of talk about the early Church.  They were sent out just after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus.  The Church was rag-tag, diverse, humble, repentant and outwardly-focused.  I hear lay preachers, members of my congregation, charismatic instigators, colleagues and internet preachers all extol the virtues of the early Church.  "We need to be like the early church!"  I hear it all the time!  So ... if this is a virtue (and I believe it is) how do we become more like the early Church?

I've been thinking about this and have arrived at several basic practices we should consider restoring if we, in fact, want to reclaim the authenticity of these new believers.  This will be my sermon focus from now till the end of September, and I hope (me included) we can learn some truth that is worth knowing.  My topics will include 1) our view of Bible Study, 2) our view of power, 3) our view of fellowship, 4) our view of money, 5) how we view people (including other Christians), and 6) how we are 'impressed' (what brings a sense of awe?).  Some of these topics will be found in Acts, Chapter 2 (feel free to 'cheat' and read ahead).  Others will be found elsewhere in Acts.  I hope you will want to explore and dialogue with me on these important topics.  And I hope you will join me in the passion for restoring the idea that God can change and mold us into a people that can (by following Christ) become a Church that even the gates of hell cannot prevail against.

This Sunday we will start with the easy stuff ... how do we become those people that hunger and thirst for God's Word?  How can we make the Bible a priority and a true passion?  And how can we allow God to bring us out of our desire to find teachings that fit our lifestyle?  Paul told Timothy (2 Timothy 4:3) that this would happen, and it was happening at the time Paul wrote those harrowing words.  Jesus said (in John 7) "come to me and drink!" So let's have a cool drink of "the real thing" as we study together!  Randy