Acts Fellowship Church

Harvard University

In 1636, Clergyman John Harvard contributed his personal library and property for the founding of the first college in America, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Within 16 years of the landing of the Pilgrims, American had a college "to train a literate clergy."  Rules and precepts for the school's charter were formulated on Sept. 26, 1642.  Here is an excerpt [original spelling retained]:

"Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the maine end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternall life, John 17. -3 and therefore to lay Christ in the bottome, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.  And seeing the Lord only giveth wisedome, Let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seeke it of Him."

William and Mary College

William and Mary was founded in 1693 in Williamsburg, Virginia, through the vision of Reverend James Blair. The seminary-college became the home of education for many of the Founding Fathers of America. Men such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, George Wythe, John Tyler, John Marshall, and sixteen members of the Continental Congress studied there. The school's charter, drawn up in 1693, stated the goals and purposes of the college:

"William and Mary, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King and Queen, Defenders of the faith, to all whom these our present Letters shall come, greeting.

'Forasmuch as our well-beloved and trusty subjects, constituting the General Assembly of our Colony of Virginia, have had it in their minds, and have proposed to themselves, to the end that the Church of Virginia may be .furnished with a Seminary of ministers of the Gospel, and that the youth may be piously educated in Good Letters and Manners, and that the Christian Faith may be propagated amongst the Western Indians, to the glory of God'"

Yale University

In 1701 a Collegiate School at Saybrook, Connecticut, was started by ten Congregational ministers. The school was later moved to New Haven, Connecticut, and renamed Yale in honor of Mr. Elihu Yale, an American-born English merchant and governor of the East India Company. Mr. Yale donated books and materials from his fortune, totaling $2,800-a considerable sum for those days. He was instrumental in shaping the college bylaws, which stated the chief aim of education:

"Every student shall consider the main end of his study, to know God in Jesus Christ and answerably to lead a Godly, sober life."

Princeton University

Princeton was originally called "The College of New Jersey" and was located in Princeton, New Jersey. Over the years the name was simplified to Princeton. Like all of America's early colleges, the school was established to train young men in "God's Holy Word and to become a useful ordainment to society." The sentiment of America's educators is seen in this quote by Princeton's first president, Rev. Jonathan Dickinson.

"Cursed be all that learning that is contrary to the cross Of Christ."

 (from http://www2.whidbey.com/jmboyes/warn1.htm)

Somone once asked me, "How do you know if someone is spiritually mature in faith or just a babe in Christ?

My answer:  Only God knows for certain but there are some clues.  Allow me to suggest at least 4...

1.  How does he/she obey what he/she already knows to be true (in the Bible)?  Though it is true that a growing knowledge of the word is vital to spiritual maturity, Bible knowledge (of in itself) does not mean someone is spiritually mature (i.e. Pharisees).  The real question is whether or not he/she is willing to obey God (in a love relationship).  It is easy to obey the easy things of the Bible (especially the things we want to), but what about the difficult commands of God?  Is he/she willing to obey God in faith and in surrender to His will?  (see Jn 14:15)

2.  How much does he/she spend time in word and prayer?  Not as a duty but in a love relationship with God.  It's not a responsibility to check off on a "to-do" list but an intimate communion the LORD (see Jn 15).

3.  How much does he/she reflect the character of Jesus?  (Life of sacrifice, integrity, humility, service, loving others, etc.)  When we mature, we become more and more like Christ Jesus.  We begin to bear fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives which are love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Eph 5:1).

4.  How does he/she spend their resources (time, treasure, and talent)?  Check your checkbook, day planner, and your involvements.  Are you using your finances to glorify God?  Are you utilizing your time to the glory of God?  Are you serving God with your spiritual gifts? 

The above things must be observed over a long period of time to be effective.  Are you mature in Christ?  Know that God wants His children to mature in faith.  God has already given us everything we need in Christ.  We have the Holy Spirit who will empower us to grow.  Praise God for His amazing grace.

Have you ever asked why (after being saved) it is so hard to walk in a manner worthy of God?  Why it is so hard to live a holy life?

There are at least 2 hinderences:

One is ourselves.  Our sinful nature gets in the way of walking faithfully with God.  That is why we need to learn to discipline ourselves best we can in Christ Jesus.  Paul sought to live a disciplined life.  He made his body his slave so that he could devote himself to God.  Freedom in Christ (to him) was not liberty to do whatever he wanted but his subjection to Christ.

1 Cor 9:27
27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.  NASU

Two is Satan.  Our greatest adversary wants to keep us from focusing on God's interests.  That's why we need to draw near to God.  One of the biggest mistakes we can make is to ignore or underestimate our enemy.

1 Peter 5:8-9
8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.  NASU

James 4:7-8
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  NASU

May we all experience victory in Christ Jesus.

Every Fall, we have many who are looking for a church to join.  What should be considered in making this important decision?  I want to mention at least 5 variables to evaluate:

1.  Leadership: Are the pastors and leaders accessible, godly, and loving?

2.  The Word: Do they esteem the Word of God and seek to teach it with humility?

3.  Community:  Is there a community of believers that I can be a part of?

4.  Evangelism:  Does the church care about the lost?

5.  Growth:  Does the church provide opportunities to grow and serve?

People have made Christianity too complex.  They have made the church too confusing.  Some have introduced many distractions to God's purpose and plans.  I believe that we must simultaneously focus on these three primary things:

1.  We must seek to know and understand God (being men and women of the Word).

2.  We must love our brothers and sisters in Christ and share the gospel with those who are lost.

3.  We must follow Christ in obedience striving to please Him in every way. 

Bottom line is... in light of God's love and grace, we must resolve to live in a way where we are making progress in loving God, loving one another, and following Jesus in obedience. 

Another way to put it is to keep the 3 Greats. 

Great Commandment is to love God by knowing Him and obeying Him.

Great Community is to love our brothers and sisters in Christ sharing our joys and struggles together.

Great Commission is to join God in saving the lost (the work of redemption). 

Everything we do as a Christian and as a church must be filtered by (at least) these three things.  May God help us to keep Christianity and church simple. 

Parents often ask, "What must I do for my children?"  Do I need to buy them toys and more toys?  Do I need to sign them up to all kinds of extracurricular activities?  Do I need to take them to various trips and vacations?  Do I need to save up money so that I can send them to the best colleges?  Do I need to give them more money and opportunities?  What must I do?

Although it is good to provide for our children in all the above areas to a certain degree, it is far better to focus on "being" a model of a faithful follower of Jesus Christ.  Someone once said that asking the right questions will lead us to the proper destination.  The question is not so much "What can I do?" but "How should I be?" 

The best gift that parents can give to their children is a legacy of faith that is lived out in front of their eyes.  Therefore, parents must strive to grow and mature in faith.  They must reveal their journey with the LORD.  The goal is not to show perfection, it is to show their progression and their growing love for Jesus Christ.

People in general have at least two fears.

One is loneliness.  Everyone has at one point or another felt alone.  It is something people dread to experience.  Isolation could be considered as one form of torture.  In fear of loneliness, people develop relationships (friendships, marriages, partnerships, etc.) and face the prospect of getting relationally hurt in the process.  To them, nothing is more painful than loneliness.  They are willing to risk the relational hurts as they run to avoid loneliness.

Two is relational hurts.  Everyone has at one point or another experienced this as well.  It occurs when a friend betrays you; when a loved one dies; when someone close to you moves away; when someone you love gets seriously ill; when something terrible happens to your children; when there is a divorce; when  you (yourself) fail others; etc.  In fear of being hurt and hurting others, people choose the road of loneliness while forfeiting the potential blessings that come from interactions with others.  They are willing to endure the pain of being an island to avoid the hurts that come from relationships.

While people try to dodge one or the other (or perhaps both) fears in their lives; eventually, it catches up to them.  If one lives long enough, he or she is guaranteed to experience these emotions.  Is there any hope?  Can we avoid being lonely and being relationally hurt?  Yes, there is hope though we cannot avoid these experiences while on earth. 

The hope comes from Jesus.  In Him, we are never alone, for He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  God has given every believer the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come.  In addition, we also have hope in Heaven, for there will no longer be any pains.  God will wipe away all the tears from wounded hearts.  He will take away all our sorrows.

Only in Christ, can we find hope to endure the challenging times of loneliness and relational hurts.  Jesus can empathize with us.  He hung alone on the cross.  He suffered the pain of abandonment, rejections, misunderstandings,  and betrayal in relationships.  May Christ be our answer to these fears. 

John Hancock was a signer of the Declaration of Independence; President of Congress; Revolutinary General; Governor of Massachusetts.  He called on the State of Massachusetts to pray for the following topics (it would do us well to pray the same for our country):

* that all nations may bow to the scepter of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that the whole earth may be filled with his glory.

* that the spiritual kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be continually increasing until the whole earth shall be filled with His glory.

* to confess their sins and to implore forgiveness of God through the merits of the Savior of the World.

* to cause the benign religion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be known, understood, and practiced among all the inhabitants of the earth.

* to confess their sins before God and implore His forgiveness through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

* that He would finally overrule all events to the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom and the establishment of universal peace and good will among men.

* that the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be established in peace and righteousness among all the nations of the earth.

* that with true contrition of heart we may confess our sins, resolve to forsake them, and impore the Divine forgiveness, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, our Savior. ... And finally to overrule all the commotions in the world to the spreading the true religion of our Lord Jesus Christ in its purity and power among all the people of the earth.

May God bless America!!!

During an interview with 60 Minutes in June 2005 (and updated on Dec. 07), Tom Brady had the following exchange with Steve Kroft...

BRADY: Why do I have three Super Bowl rings, and still think there's something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, "Hey man, this is what is." I reached my goal, my dream, my life.   Me, I think: God, it's gotta be more than this. I mean this can't be what it's all cracked up to be. I mean I've done it. I'm 27. And what else is there for me?

KROFT: What's the answer?

BRADY: I wish I knew. I wish I knew. I mean I think that's part of me trying to go out and experience other things. I love playing football, and I love being a quarterback for this team, but, at the same time, I think there's a lot of other parts about me that I'm trying to find. I know what ultimately makes me happy are family and friends, and positive relationships with great people. I think I get more out of that than anything.

Brady said, "I wish I knew.  I wish I knew."  Brady has a 60 million dollar (10 year) contact with the New England Patriots plus millions in endorsements.  He is on top of his game at only 30 years of age, and yet he is still unfulfilled.  

At the end of that interview, they had this exchange...

KROFT: Anything that really scares you? Anything that intimidates you?

BRADY: The end of my playing career. Big time. ... 

Even with all the success, there is a sense of unfulfillment.  The Bible tells us the answer to "what I am missing"... it is Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of our lives.  May Brady soon understand this incredible truth.