Since when did "church" become a thing?
What is the Christian life really supposed to look like?

How did the gospel ever get to Duluth?

And what should we do with it now that it's here?

The book of Acts has the answer to all these questions and more.

Some Christians are hoping Jesus will give them the ideal life.
They beg and they plead, but it's still not happening. 

Maybe we need to quit waiting around for things God won't give,

and get to the place in life where we can receive the Holy Spirit.

New ministries are launched every day.
With 4,000 churches planted each year in the U.S. alone, believers are pooling resources, renting spaces, and choosing leaders at an unprecedented rate.

But Scripture begs the question: Are they actually ready to do that just yet? 

They say that language differences are a "barrier" to direct communication,
and that linguistic variations are a challenge to the spread of the Gospel.

While that may be true on some level, it isn't always the case.

If and when God decides to make a point, He can easily make it loud & clear.

The strongest churches are built on a foundation of solid rock.

As long as the substructure remains true, the church will survive.

But if Christ isn't central to the preaching, the construction is weak already.

I know of a guy who used to fish. He made a career out of it for a while,

but then He met Jesus. And it wasn't until after he retired from the trade

that he made the biggest catch of his life.

Peter always loved fishing; he just needed a Carpenter to train him how to do it right.

If you could pick the perfect church, what would you look for?
Good parking? Exceptional childcare? Strong coffee?

Sometimes the best church is the one where nobody's picky.

They're just glad to be with one another.

A lot of Christians have never experienced the power of God in their life. Sometimes it's because they're too critical of the church or so enamored with the world.

But most modern Christians aren't walking with Christ simply because they're perfectly content to keep living like beggars.

Some people think a sunny forecast is good news.

Others might prefer clouds.

But whether it's rain or shine,

anybody can change their mind about it.

It's been said that we're all running from something.
If that's true, it begs the question: What are you running toward?

If the answer to that question happens to allude you,

maybe it's because you're running aimlessly.

Seeking to become more attractive to the world,

many Christians have ceased being bold. 

And while surrendering our boldness, we've lost much of our beauty as well.

What does a church look like when it's bold & beautiful at the same time?

We're all familiar with names like Jimmy Stewart, John Belushi, and Marilyn Monroe. They all died a long time ago, yet they're still famous for their acting skills.

But have you ever heard of Ananias & Sapphira? They're dead too.

All because their acting didn't fool anybody.

They didn't kill Jesus for what He did. They killed Him for what He said.

Speaking the truth of Christ is bound to get us all in trouble sooner or later.

If persecution is inevitable, what if we just tried to relax and enjoy it?

Even a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. That's why they make ovens, fireplaces, and furnaces.

If they aren't contained, those glowing embers could burn the whole church down.

It's through the foolishness of preaching that souls get saved.

It's also why the preacher himself sometimes gets killed.

But no matter what happens at the end of the sermon,

the preaching MUST remain foolish from beginning to end.

It's not how a person eventually dies that makes them a martyr.
It's how they've chosen to live.

The way they die simply reveals whether they were ever really a martyr or not.

Research says that over 1 million Americans will leave their church this year.

Will you be one of them? Have you ever left a church?

I can only wonder why...

It's hard to imagine that a believer could get baptized and join the church only to perish in hell.  But the Apostle Peter couldn't be tricked.

Not even by the best of them.

Evangelism is not a spiritual gift, and for that reason, some Christians will dismiss themselves from the work. In doing so, however, they may be leaving entire countries & continents in the dark without even realizing it.

If only they were willing to take the road less traveled.

It's not hard to tell whether a caterpillar has turned into a butterfly. If it has emerged from a cocoon, spread its wings, and flown away, the answer is obvious.

But what about a Christian?

How can you really tell if there's been a true conversion?

Metamorphosis is never the end of the story.

Every new butterfly knows that.

As soon as the old life is over, it's time to start flying.

Acceleration takes effort, which is why it's always so tempting to coast.  But when Christians quit moving forward, the effects are potentially catastrophic.  

The worst thing a Christian could ever do...is nothing.

It's been said that nobody gets to pick their family. Ultimately, God decides it for us whether we like our relatives or not. 

This is no less true in the spiritual sense. Our Father adopts all kinds, and sometimes that's really hard to accept.

Some walls trap people in. Other walls keep people out.

Still other walls do both at the same time.

The day that a wall like that finally comes down is a day worth talking about.

With an estimated 100,000 churches predicted to close in the next several decades, it stands to reason that many of them are on life-support as we speak. 

Is there any way for the sick ones to recover?
What does a healthy church even look like anymore?

God's glory is everywhere, but sometimes its really hard to see it.

And we were all made to glorify Him, yet sometimes its hard to do it.

How on earth are we supposed to live for God's glory

when we all know we're just going to die? 

Churches come in all shapes & sizes, but what makes ours unique? Is it the way we exercise the spiritual gifts, our style of worship, or our denominational affiliation?

What if we just quit trying to be like everyone else and let God to turn us into the kind of church He wants us to be? How different would things look then?

Some fathers tell their children to "choose their battles". They just want their kids to recognize when they should fight, and when they should walk away.

God in Heaven is one such Father.
He's always taught His children to fight for souls.

Sometimes it feels like you're living in hell.

Even though you believe in Jesus and serve God, it seems like life keeps getting worse. And so, like countless other Christians, you give up and go home.

Only to realize that you didn't escape hell at all. You've only left paradise.

Only those who pay the price to follow Christ will truly understand what a privilege it is to share Jesus with the lost. The Apostle Paul was one of them. 

And by shamelessly preaching the Gospel before men, Paul himself became the fulfillment of certain prophecies as well.

You can be entirely convinced of this or that, only to change your mind in the end. They call it a "one-eighty".

But how long exactly, does it take for that to happen?
Well, it all depends on your turnaround time.

Following Jesus always has it "ups & downs".

Sometimes people want to kill you, other times they try to worship you.

The only way to finish the mission is to just keep pressing on.

The Christian life is like a forge, so don't be surprised when the heat gets turned up.

Some materials can handle it, while others can't, so stay faithful to the very end. Because the ones who don't incinerate, will come forth as gold.

It's easy to assume, after a long missionary journey, that the work is finally finished.

All you want to do now is have a hot shower, eat some local food, & take a long nap.

But that's not always the best thing to do.

Sometimes you first need to sit down and write a scathing letter.

If you were drowning, and lost all consciousness, would you want somebody else to save your life, or would you prefer to try doing it on your own?

And what if, instead of your LIFE that was in jeopardy, it was your SOUL?

With over 47,000 Christian denominations worldwide, the church is no stranger to division. Rather than putting aside our differences to meet in the middle, we split.

Maybe we should try a little harder to love each other in the house of God?

If for no other reason, then for the sake of fellowship.

Saying goodbye is never easy. Especially after you've spent so many years together, traveled the world with one another, and endured so much for the same cause.

Unless of course, you can't stand each other anymore. Then it's not all that hard.

Flat tires, washouts, delays...there are a hundred things that can stop you from going where you want to go. But when it comes to spreading the Gospel, there's nothing in the whole world that could ever get in your way. 

(Except for God Himself).

Successful author and businesswoman Kate Hodges once said, "Behind every great woman is another great woman". Which, in particular cases, may be true.

But sometimes, great women are followed by demon-possessed slave girls.

Such was the case in first-century Philippi.

Prison ministry has been around for a very long time now, and not much has changed. Institutions are still places of violence, abuse, and suicide. But chains are still being broken, doors are still being opened, and souls are still being saved.

Jesus has always done some of His best work behind bars.

Atlas is a mythical god in Greek culture who has to carry the world on his shoulders.

Paul is a humble man in church history who turned the world upside-down.

Either way you look at it, the world could use a little help...

(Especially in our day and age).

With 19 million college students flocking to over 6 thousand universities, paying an average of $30,000 per year you'd think that idolatry would be on the decline.

Yet for all our learning we still can't seem to find God among all the distractions of American life.  Boy...how stupid can we get?

Looking for diamonds isn't an easy job. It's dirty, laborious, & routinely discouraging. 

Finding the saints in a city full of sin is no less difficult.

But it's every bit as rewarding.

This sermon will be delivered next week

and uploaded shortly thereafter.

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