Rediscovering Biblical Baptism
Acts 2:36-47
Purpose: To show how biblical baptism is the catalyst for a healthy church living in and living out the Gospel.
- Baptism – Surrendered to Christ (Acts 2:36-40)
It’s all about the Gospel (Luke 24:44-47; 1 Cor 15:1-8)
Baptism is death to self, living a new life in Christ (Rom 6)
- Baptism – Surrendered to Christ’s Body (Acts 2:41-45)
Baptism is church membership (1 Cor 12:13)
Becoming a Mature Man in Christ (Eph 2)
- Baptism – Surrendered to the Great Commission at Home (Acts 2:46-47)
Learning all things Jesus Commanded (Matt 28:18-20)
Worship, Discipleship…
- Baptism – Surrendered to the Great Commission to The Nations (Acts 8-28)
Making Disciples of all nations the same way (Matt 28:18-20)
… and Mission
A healthy church is surrendered to Christ, to His body the Church, and to His Command to go to the nations.
The LORD Jesus Christ, Architect Extraordinaire!
Psalm 127
Speaker: Senior Pastor Cory Gonyo, Preaching Elder Purpose: Depending on the LORD Jesus Christ to build our lives, church, and family for His glory!
- The LORD Builds the House! (Ps 127:1-2)
- The LORD Builds the Family! (Ps 127:3-5)
- The LORD Jesus Christ, Architect Extraordinaire!
– Jesus is the Builder of His Church (Matthew 16:18)
– The Apostle Paul’s Teaching on God’s Household (Ephesians 2:19-22)
– The Apostle Peter’s Teaching on God’s Household (1 Peter 2:4-10)
– The Apostle Paul’s Teaching on Family (Ephesians 3:14-19)
– As the Law cannot impart life, only the Spirit by
faith in Jesus imparts life and brings us into the
– Family of God! (Galatians 3:18-29; John 1:12-13, 3:1-21; 1 John 5:12)
– Jesus Christ is the Author and Perfector of faith (Hebrews 12:2)
The LORD is the Source of all true Church, family, and life. We must depend on the LORD Jesus Christ to build our lives, church, and family for His glory!
All Nations, Praise the LORD Forever!
Psalm 117
Speaker: Dr. Cory Gonyo, Preaching Elder
Purpose: to live a life praising the Lord because His truth is everlasting!
- A Testimony to the LORD’s Life-Long Lovingkindness
- The LORD is Worthy of Praise from All Nations! (Ps 17:1)
The LORD’s Plan to Save All Nations in Jesus Christ!
Romans 15:7-13, esp. v 11 quoting Ps 17:1
Galatians 3:8-16
- Why? Because of the LORD’s Lovingkindness and Everlasting Truth! (Ps 17:2)
The LORD’s “Lovingkindness” refers to His faithful covenant love
The LORD’s Everlasting Truth
Psalm 119:160 – the whole and every part!
Matthew 4:4 – Man shall live by every word from God!
Matthew 24:34-35 – heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus’ Words will not!
John 17:17 – Sanctified by the everlasting truth of God’s Word
1 Peter 1:24-25 & Isaiah 40:6-8 – the Word of the LORD endures forever!
The LORD’s truth cannot and will not fail, forever!!!
Life-long praise flows from knowing the LORD’s great love and everlasting truth!
The LORD’s Great Salvation
Psalm 105
Purpose: to praise the Lord Jesus Christ, the Passover Lamb of our Salvation
- Praise YHWH, Tell Others! (Ps 105:1-6)
6 commands toward YHWH
2 commands toward others
- YHWH Makes His Promise! (Ps 105:7-11)
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
See Genesis 12:1-3; Galatians 3:8-9
- YHWH Protects His Promise (Ps 105:12-15)
- YHWH Inaugurates His Promise (Ps 105:16-23)
Joseph in Egypt
- YHWH Provides His Passover, His Wonders Exalted! (Ps 105:24-36)
The Greatest Salvation Event of the OT
Moses, YHWH’s Plagues, and Passover Remembered!
- YHWH Fulfills His Promise! (Ps 105:37-45b)
- Praise YHWH! (Ps 105:45c)
- Jesus Christ is Our Passover Lamb!
The Greatest Salvation Event of All Time!
Jesus, the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 46)
Jesus Christ is the I AM, is YHWH (John 8:24, 58)
We are bought with the Precious Blood of the Lamb (1 Peter 1:17-19)
Jesus Christ, the Heir Who Purchases the Nations with His Blood (Rev 5:6-10)
Praise the Lord Jesus, the Passover Lamb of our Salvation
Everlasting God
Psalm 90
Purpose: to live our lives in the light of eternity
- Everlasting God (90:1-2)
The Lord is the everlasting Creator and Ruler of the Universe
- Temporal Man (90:3-6)
Dust (Genesis 2:7; 3:17-19; Psalm 103:14)
- God’s Pervading Judgment (90:7-9)
- Man’s Fleeting Life (90:10-11)
- The Lesson Learned! (90:12-17)
Teach Us to Number Our Days!
Store Up Treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21)
Trust the Lord’s Salvation, in God’s Time (2 Peter 3:7-10)
Life is a Vapor, Make it Count! (James 4:13-16)
Life is so short and goes by so fast, we must live in light of the eternal God!
Stephen’s Ultimate Testimony
Acts 7:54-8:3
Purpose: to rightly see salvation in Jesus Christ as our greatest treasure, even unto death
- The Reaction (7:54)
- The Final Testimony (7:55-56)
Trinitarian!
The Holy Spirit
Jesus is Alive
At the right hand of God
- The Sentence Carried Out (7:57-58)
- The Ultimate Testimony (7:59-60)
Luke 23:34
Revelation 6:9-11; 12:11
- The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church (8:1-3)
We must expect the Lord to grow His church through all means!
Murderer turned Missionary: We are introduced to Saul/Paul, author of 13 NT books
Nothing will stop God from advancing His gospel of salvation to all the nations!
God’s Promise Kept
Acts 7:17-38
Purpose: not to miss God’s way of salvation through Moses in the past, and in Jesus now!
- From Abraham to Moses, God Kept His Promise (Acts 7:17-29)
God’s promise to Abraham (7:17)
God’s people in need of a Deliverer (7:18-19)
Moses born, lovely in the sight of God (7:20)
Moses arises in Egypt (7:21-22)
Moses kills an Egyptian (7:23-24)
Moses, God’s Deliverer Denied (7:25-28, esp. v. 25’s key theme!)
Moses Flees Because of their Denial (7:26-29)
- God Calls Moses (Acts 7:30-34)
God came down to rescue them! (7:34)
- The Deliverer: Abandoned by Men, Approved by God! (Acts 7:35-38)
Jesus is the Prophet Like Moses (see Acts 3:18-22, Peter’s 2nd Sermon)
Moses Taught You a Deliverer Would Come! (7:38)
In order to be saved, we must receive the Deliverer Jesus Christ, sent by God Himself!
Living In & Living Out the Gospel!
Acts 6:1-15
Purpose: To solve conflict and prioritize biblical teaching, ensuring the church’s continued health and growth
- Defined by Christ, not Conflict (Acts 6:1-6)
Apostles Devoted to God’s Word!
Deacons Designed for Unity!
This is living in the gospel!
- God-Given Growth (Acts 6:7)
The Pattern of God-Given Growth
when the Church is Faithful
(Acts 2:41) 3,000 faithful to repentance and
baptism at Pentecost
(Acts 2:46) adding to their number as they do
church together
(Acts 4:4) number grows to 5,000 due to faithful
gospel preaching in spite of prison
(Acts 5:14) multitudes added after ethical issues
are upheld in the body
(Acts 6:1, 7) great increase
This is living in and living out the gospel!
- Witness to the World (Acts 6:8-15)
Guard the Unity Within
Expect Opposition from Without
This is living out the gospel!
Living in and living out the gospel takes God-given unity, prioritizes God-given teaching, and results in God-given growth.
Integrity for Gospel Advance!
Acts 4:32-5:16
Purpose: to uphold integrity in the church for the sake of gospel advance!
- Unity that Glorifies Jesus (Acts 4:32-37)
- Selfishness that Threatens Ministry (Acts 5:1-10)
- Sin Corrected Restores Integrity, Advancing the Gospel! (Acts 5:11-16)
The church must uphold Christian integrity so that the witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ is unstained, and so that the message of salvation powerfully advances!
Jesus Christ Is Alive!
1 Corinthians 15:1-19; 50-58
Purpose: to believe in the risen Lord Jesus Christ, the foundation of our faith and the hope of our salvation!
- Believe in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ! (1 Cor 15:1-11)
- What if? (1 Cor 15:12-19)
- The Hope of Our Salvation: Death is Swallowed Up in Victory! (1 Cor 15:50-58)
The risen Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith and the hope of our salvation!