Acts chapter 2, please, this morning. Acts chapter 2. I have seven messages this morning. And I say that tongue-in-cheek because every point that I'm going to give you could be an individual message in itself. But we here at Ambassador desire you to always be what we're training you to be. Now, let me say that again. We here at Ambassador, we desire you to always be what we're training you to be. We do not have one single desire to train you and then you go out and become a new evangelical. We're training you to be a Bible-obeying, independent Baptist. We're training you to have proper positions on many things. We want you to have the proper position on the text issue. We want you to have the proper position when it comes to the version issue. We, as Dr. Comfort says on many occasions, your preaching is king but music is queen and we want you when you leave here to have the proper position on music. We want you to have the proper position on men's and women's dress. We want you to have the proper position on separation to know what you should be separated from and why. And we do have a very strong emphasis here upon the local church. We believe you should have a balance in your ministry. I think without question that that is exactly what the professors here and what this pulpit and chapel is trying to train you to be. And we desire you to be that when you die. Now, I wish I could stand up here and say that all our graduates were doing that. But of course, I cannot. Over the years, many have gone different directions than that which they were trained for. But I can tell you, it's my heart, and I know it's the heart of the men on this platform, I know it's the heart of the faculty and staff in front of me, that you be always what we're training you to be. You know, I was not raised an independent Baptist. I was raised a Southern Baptist. I became an independent Baptist in the winter of 1978. Now, I'm here to tell you that from 1978 to now, there's been many independent Baptists that have changed a great deal. They have become a lot like the Southern Baptist churches I was in as a boy. I mean, they have just totally walked away from the difference that there should be between what a Southern Baptist church is what new evangelical churches are and what an independent Baptist church should be. I asked you this morning, what kind of Christian are you now? What kind of church are you going to be a part of in the future? When you graduate from here and you go to a church staff and maybe become the pastor, what is your church going to be known as? I want to give you seven things this morning that I want you to be known as for the rest of your life. For the rest of your ministry, I would like for these things to be known of you. I can say it this way. This is what I would like to be known as. This is what I would like ambassador. And I know I'm not the one that sets the dream and the vision for ambassador, but I've been a part of this school now beginning in January for 15 years. I've been teaching here. And I praise God for the time that He's put me here. He has truly given me the desires in my heart. And what I see here over these 15 years and the way I see it headed in the future is exactly what I'm preaching this morning. And this is what I want this school to continue to be known as and what I want my My life personally, what I want Maranatha Baptist Church to be known as, and I think it would be exactly what every other pastor in this room would want their church to be known as, and it's what I want your churches to be known as. He said, we'll get to it. Acts chapter 2 verse 41. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day they were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayers Fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together and had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily, such as should be said. Dr. Childs, would you lead us in prayer, please, sir? Father, we have come today to hear from Thee, and I thank You that we can come to this chapel with the assurance that from that pulpit is going to be preached the Word of God. And I ask that this morning You'll empower our dear brother Kent with the power of the Spirit of God. May he know that You're the one who is Providing the message that it's not coming from him or from anyone else. I pray God that you speak to each one of our hearts. Lord, I want to hear from you today. I want my life to be touched by what the Word of God has to say this morning. And I want that for every single one of the individuals that are in this room this morning. I thank you for what you're going to do because we ask it in Christ's name. I want your life and the church that you're going to be a part of, first of all, to be known by its content of preaching. That is exactly what this school was started for, was to prepare preachers to go out and preach. And in the Word of God here, in verse number 41 here, it says that they receive the Word. It says that in verse number 4, chapter number 4, look over there, it says that many which heard the Word, Not only did they receive the Word and heard the Word, but they were known by preaching the whole book of Acts. And I don't have time to look up every single one of these places with you this morning, but the word preaches is used one time. The word preaching is used nine times. The word preached is used eighteen times. The word preach is used seven times. So the forms of the Word that deals with preach is used thirty-five times in the book of Acts. That tells you an emphasis that they had in the book of Acts. They had a content of preaching. Now, that doesn't say drama. That doesn't say skits. That doesn't say plays. Now, I think there's probably a place for all those things, but they do not take the place. They are not a substitute for preaching. I'm not going to have one of those things. that is going to eliminate the opportunity and the necessity for preaching. And by the way, it's not, pardon the way I say this, but this is the way I said it as a boy, it's not, it doesn't say sayings either. I was raised in churches that had sayings. And when we had a saying, we didn't have any preaching. Why? The preacher said, oh, God's done met with us and we don't need any preaching tonight. Hogwash on that. The content of preaching should always be in your life and in the churches that you're represented with. If you ever see your church start moving away from the content of preaching, your church is going wrong. And you need to make sure that your church, if you're the pastor, if you're on the staff, you need to encourage it to make sure that the content of preaching stays there. Now, the content of preaching should do a number of things. Number one, it should be personal. It should be personal. The preaching should be made personal, applicable to the people that you're preaching to. Second thing, it should be practical. Practical. Now, there's a lot of things that I could deal with, and you'll see as I comment on these how every one of these points could be a message in itself. I am definitely condensing a lot of stuff to give you to chew on. But thirdly, they should be pointed. In other words, seeking a change. If preaching doesn't seek a change, it's not pointed enough. See, preaching should tell you how to live and how not to live. Then it should be principled. It should be full of the Word of God. The Bible says preach the Word. It doesn't tell you to preach about the Word. It tells you to preach the Word. And I'm sad to say this morning that most churches today that I know of in the area in which I was raised have turned away from preaching the Word. You could go into most of the churches that I was in as a boy, and you could be there, as the old saying is, a month of Sundays, and you wouldn't hear a good gospel presentation. You wouldn't hear any content of preaching. You'd hear a lot of social things and moral type of things and all kind of other type of things, but you wouldn't hear preaching from the Word of God. Our principle of preaching should be Christ-centered. Over and over in the Word of God, In the book of Acts here, when it talks about preaching, and you can get your concordance sometime and look up some of these things that I'm pointing out at you, but there's two things about Christ-centered preaching in the book of Acts. First of all, His resurrection was emphasized. Nineteen times you'll find sections in the book of Acts where His resurrection is dealt with in the preaching. Second thing about Christ-centered preaching is you'll see not only is His resurrection emphasized, but you'll see that their repentance was expected. Their repentance was expected eleven times. Repentance is dealt with in the preaching context of the book of Acts. So, it must be Christ-centered with His resurrection emphasized and their repentance expected. Second thing about principled preaching is it must be content in context. My hermeneutic students know that I've jumped up, down, and hollered, and screamed, and emphasized that all semester. Content in context. Paul said in Acts 20 and 27, for I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God. And the word counsel there means the plan or the purpose or the design of God. And listen, if you've preached that, the purpose or the design or the plan of God, you've done some preaching. I mean, you can't do that in a hit and miss topical sermon here and there. There's a place for topical sermons. I understand that, but it's not a regular diet. It must be a content in context regular diet. And the Bible says that it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that are going to believe. Now what am I saying? I think the reason why so many churches have set aside the content of preaching is you have a man in the pulpit or most people in the pews that preaching is foolishness so they don't want it. Don't ever get to the place where you set aside the content of preaching. I, number one, want you to be known when you graduate from ambassador to go out into the ministry. I want you and your church to be known for its content of preaching. Number two, I want you to be known. Look back at verse number 41. In chapter number 2 it says that they were added unto them about 3,000 souls. Notice verse number 47. It says, Praising God and have in favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily as such should be saved. Notice chapter 3 please in verse number 5. 3 and verse number 5. And he gave heathen to them expecting to receive something of them but Peter said silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I unto thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up. And walk. Notice chapter 4 and verse number 14. Chapter 4 and verse number 14. And behold, in the man which was healed, standing with him, they could say nothing against it. The second thing I want you and your church to be known for is not only the content of preaching, but number two, your compassion for souls. Your compassion for souls. Now you hear a testimony like Sam gave this morning. How in the world can you sit there and not get excited? You should have, when it comes to content of preaching, your preaching should be biblical and bold. I didn't go into the aspects there where they prayed in chapter number 4, and I could have looked at verse 8 and verse 29 and verse 31, and they prayed and they asked for boldness to speak forth the Word of God. Our preaching must be biblical. By the way, if you preach biblically, it will be baptistic. I mean, there's no way you can get around it. So our preaching must be biblical and it must be bold and our compassion for souls must be burdened but not bullying. Not bullying. When I was pastor at Tri-City, and it happened once there, it's happened twice since I've been a pastor at Maranatha, I've had people call me and say, are you pastor so-and-so? I said, yes. And then they would, I mean, just go into a tirade and say, don't you ever send so-and-so back to my door again. I said, why? And they would tell me how the person would come and spend an hour standing at the door bullying them into accepting the gospel. He said, I finally said I'd pray the prayer to get them away from my door. Don't you ever send them. Listen, our compassion for souls must be with a burdened heart, but never should it be bullying and trying to force down someone's throat something that, yes, we know they need it, but we can't force it upon them. It must be persistent, yes, but it better be with patience. Better be with patience. And all through Acts, you see people coming to know the Savior. Why? Because of the way the apostles and the church members went out with a burdened heart for these souls. Yes, they went out in obedience, but they went out with a burdened soul. They had compassion upon these people. Many other places. Look in chapter 5 and verse number 32. It says, And we are His witnesses of these things. These things what? All the things that had had taken place, all the things that had happened to Christ is the specific application here of His death and resurrection and how all people need to receive that message and repent and be saved. That is what they're witnessing. By the way, that's exactly what we're witnesses of. And I want you to be known for your compassion of souls. You know, Christ said, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. If you follow Christ, there's no way that you can go to people without a compassionate heart. Because over and over it points out that He having compassion upon people. You know, Christ, He didn't deal with people in a mean, bullying type of way. Acts chapter 1 and verse number 8 tells us that, you know, when we're filled with the Holy Spirit that we will be witnesses. Where? Everywhere. Wherever we go. We will go forth taking the Word of God. And when you're filled with the Spirit of God, you're going to want to see. You're going to desire to see. You're going to have the burden to see people say. And if your heart is cold and you could care less about it, one thing for sure, the Spirit of God is not controlling you. Two things so far we want to see true of you for the rest of your life when you leave this school, when you get into ministries. First of all, be known by your content of preaching. Number two, by the compassion for souls. And number three, back to chapter four, please. And notice verse number 15. It says, But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these men? For that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us strictly threaten them that they may speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you, more than unto God judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Now, the similar type statement is given over in chapter 5 in verse number 29, there in the context of verse 27 through 32. Turn over, if you will, to verse number 40 of chapter 5. And to him they agreed, and when they had called the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for his name. And daily in the temple and every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." Notice, they were threatened, they were beaten, they were commanded not to, but what did they do? They did anyway. So not only should you be known for your content of preaching, Not only should you be known for your compassion for souls, but you need to be known for your convictions for living. Your convictions for living. Your convictions should be brave, but they need to be balanced. They should be permanent, but they need to be pleasant. They need to be solid, but they need to be sweet. They need again to be brave, but they do not need to be bombastic. Listen, if it's right, it's right to stand there. It's right to live for. It's right to die for if necessary, if it's right. And if it's right, you stand there. If it's right, you stand there no matter how many people are for you or no matter how many people are against you, no matter if it's in fashion, no matter if it's popular, no matter if it's custom, no matter if it's expected or if it's not fashion or if it's not popular or if it's not custom or if it's not expected. If it's right, you stand there. I was talking to a young man just recently that graduated from this school that told me, he said, Pastor Camp, I'm tired of fighting over these issues. And I told him, I said, you don't have to fight. I said, it's not an issue to fight, it's an issue to live. I said, you let everybody else do the fighting, you just live it. He said, well, I just don't see that necessary. And I lovingly told him I disagreed with it. Convictions are something you live and die for. Now, preferences are different, but you know what? When it comes to preferences, I have learned that when people start compromising, they call something that should be a conviction a preference, or they call that which should be a preference a conviction. Now, your preferences and my preferences, I have preferences, and I'm not going to try to drive my preferences down your throat, but one thing that should come with a preference is I need to be sweet with my preferences. Not only that, but I need to be spiritual with my preferences. And what I mean by being spiritual with the preferences, my preference should encourage spirituality, not encourage the flesh. And that's what I see a lot of times. Well, you know, you don't need to be pushing your conviction when I'm not. It's a preference. You don't need to be trying to push your conviction down my throat. I'm not. But my preference should. Don't try to say that to me when all you're doing is pleasing your flesh. My preference, your preference, should always encourage spirituality in other people around us that see us. Not bolstering or building up the flesh. I want you to be known for your convictions of living. Number four, look back at chapter 2 and verse number 47. Chapter 2, verse 47, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily, such as should be saved. Notice, having favor with all the people. Notice chapter 4, again in verse number 21. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them. I want you when you leave here, the rest of your life, to be known for your caring testimony. In verse 47, the word favor means to have a quality or graciousness that invites or encourages a favorable reaction. I want my life to encourage favorable reactions. You know, I don't like to be and I don't desire to be cantankerous just for cantankerous sake. You know, some people, however, are going to take your position that you stand that differs from them as being cantankerous, though. They want to point to you, well, you're just being cantankerous and hard, you know, it's mean. No, I'm just being biblical. I'm trying to live the convictions that I have. But other people want to point fingers at you, let them. But at the same time, you be known for a caring testimony when other people can look at you and you find favor. I'm not talking, the people that's going to, try to jump you the most are the ones usually that are headed in a liberal and evangelical direction. But the common person that you rub arms with out in the community each day that you live, your neighbors and that type of thing, they should know you with having a caring testimony. That testimony should... Well, they're different. I mean, they're not like my neighbors that live on this side over here. They're not like the man I work with over... No. They should see us as having a pure and blameless, as it said there in verse number 47. Not being able to find anything. Or in verse 21, not being able to find anything against them. Finding nothing, it says. Blameless. You know, in 1 Timothy chapter 3, it tells us that the pastor and the deacon are supposed to be blameless. Now, what's wrong with every church member having that quality? I mean, I think, biblically, we could say that we should be and that we're told that we're to be holy, for He is holy. I mean, it seems like holiness would sure lead to a blameless situation. But we need to be known when we leave here, for the rest of our life is having a caring testimony. Number 5. Look at chapter 2 again in verse number 42. It says, And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and prayers. Chapter 4. Verse 23, in the context there, it says, "...and being let go, they went to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said, and when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord." And then, you don't have to turn there, but over in chapter 12 and verse number 5, you know, Peter's in jail, and what was the church doing? They were praying. When you leave here, I want you to be known for your commitment to prayer. Your commitment to prayer. Now, throughout the book of Acts, 17 times the word prayed is used, 6 times the word pray is used, 7 times the word prayer is used, 2 times the word prayers is used, 1 time the word prayeth is used, 2 times the word prayin' is used, for a total of 35 times prayer is mentioned in the book of Acts. The commitment of prayer of the early believers. was tremendous. That's one reason why the testimony against them was they turned the world upside down. I think that's one reason why we're not. We have failed to have the commitment, the prayer that we should have. Every preacher that I've ever talked to about this asked him, what is one thing in your life that you would change if you could? And I stand with the testimony of this answer that every preacher I've ever talked to asked that question. And they have said, and I say to you this morning, my prayer life. The commitment of prayer. I want you to be known as praying people. Praying always, Ephesians 6.18. In everything by prayer, Philippians 4.6. Continuing prayer, Colossians 4.2. Pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5.17. I can guarantee you one thing this morning. The devil will fight you in your prayer life basically more than he will almost any other area in your life. But when you leave this school, when you graduate and go into the ministry, I want you to be known, your church to be known for its content of preaching. I want you to be known for your compassion for souls. I want you to be known for your conviction of living. I want you to be known in your carrying testimony. I want you to be known for your commitment to prayer. Number six, go back to chapter 2 and verse 42. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and prayers. Number six, I want you to be known for your communion of relationships. Your communion of relationship, it should be brotherly in its relationship. I think one thing that a lot of independent Baptist churches, and I think a lot of us are failing at, is communion. Fellowship. From house to house. having people as part of our lives, putting forth the New Testament testimony, as Christ said in other places. John 13, 35, He says, By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. If you love people, you're going to want to have fellowship with those people. You're going to enjoy just sitting down and talking to them about different things. It doesn't always have to be the same thing. You know, there's all kinds of things that make up our lives. And all of those things are conversation pieces. You know, one thing that you husbands are going to have to learn is what I call domestic conversation. I mean, if you go out and marry a wife, you're going to have to learn to talk about domestic things. For wives like to talk about domestic things. What does that mean? Things around the house. You know, things about the house. Things about children. Things about your relationship. I mean, all kinds of things. We need to learn to talk on a whole lot of different areas and different levels, and the more people that we can have fellowship with, all the different levels we mature and grow in. But that communion of relationship, notice chapter 4 and verse number 32. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul, neither said any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things They had all things in communion. And I know that's talking about possessions, but it also would speak to the fact that they spent a lot of time together. Now, there's some people that when I see them coming, I try to hide. And there's sometimes when I see people coming, I try to get, I pick up a pace. Why? Because I desire to talk to them. I desire to see them. I enjoy their company. And I definitely want to be the kind of person that when somebody sees me, they pick up their pace, not try to hide. 1 John 4, 7, The love let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. Loving does not mean, however, that you approve of what everybody else is doing. And a young man that I was talking to just recently, he wanted to throw that card on the table. And I said, don't throw that out there because love doesn't mean that I have to let you do everything you want to do or approve of everything that you're doing. Love would mean that I would tell you where you're wrong. And see, that's one thing about being in relationships and communion with people. You can tell, you know, George, I don't agree with that. And this is why. Now, you can tell somebody you disagree And you can tell them why you disagree and you can tell them in a proper way. I mean, when you disagree with somebody, you don't have to holler and scream and rant and rape and spit and slobber and throw things, you know. That's the way some people think apparently, you know. That's the reason why they don't like to disagree with people. A lot of people compromise and do all kind of things so they won't have to disagree with people. No, no, no, no. That goes back to the convictions. Live in your convictions. But I want you to be known for the communion of your relationship with people. One thing that I absolutely love is people that have graduated from here and gone out into the ministry. You can't talk to them all the time. There's too many of them out there, but there's people that I keep up with and people that keep up with me. It was a blessing just a couple of weeks ago when Dennis Gruber came through with our missions conference. I spent a lot of time with that young man years ago. I spent every Tuesday morning with him for a year. And it's a blessing now that he's a friend and that we enjoy spending time together. And it's when you can meet with him and spend time with him, it's just like, you know, it's just like you left off years ago and now you pick it back up and now it's like there's no time in between. You know, what a wonderful thing that is, to be able to have that kind of communion with people that when they were here, they were your students. When they leave now, they're more than students, they're friends for life. That type of communion is what every single faculty member here that I know desires. I mean, we don't ever want to be considered always up here above you. No. We want you, when you leave here, to be with us, with friends where we can communicate and talk and fellowship. But I want you to be known for your communion of relationships. In number 7, in closing this morning. Back to Acts chapter 2, notice verse number 45. It says, and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men, as every man had need. Notice chapter 4, please, in verse 32 again. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul, neither said any of them that all of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common. Notice, please, as you come on down through here, verse 34, neither was there any among them that lacked For as many as were possessors of land and houses sold, and brought the prices of things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need." When you leave here and get out into your churches, I want you and I want your churches to be known for your cheerfulness of giving. That is one thing I greatly appreciate about the school, Dr. Comfort. Dr. Comfort is an example of giving. I mean, he doesn't just preach that and tries to exhibit to you when it comes to take an offering here for the needs of the speaker or whoever. That is a part of his life. And I want it to be a part of my life and I want it to be a part of your life that when you leave here, you go out and you have a cheerfulness about giving, a bountifulness about giving. Acts chapter 15, turn over to Acts 15 and notice something here. Notice verse number 3. It says, "...and being brought on their way by the church." That little phrase there, being brought on their way, is a translation of one Greek word. And this Greek word is used in Romans 15, 24, 2 Corinthians 1, 16, Titus 3, 13, 1 Corinthians 16, 6, 16, 11, 3 John 1, 6. And it simply means to assist with food, with money, with companionship or means of travel. All that's included in this one word right here, in this little phrase. The church, the early church was known, and Christians, and the book of 3 John is written to a person about this aspect. And they were known for their giving. And their cheerfulness in it. I mean, they would sell what they had and take care of the need. 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verse number 7 tells us that God loves a cheerful giver. The word cheerful there means glad or happy or full of cheer. That's what it means. Acts chapter 20 and verse 35, if we turn there, you don't have to, but there you would see this principle that it said that Christ said it's more blessed to give than to receive. May I give you some very strong financial advice this morning? Don't get so in debt that you can't be a blessing with your money. tighten your financial belt, learn how to live on what God's given you, so you can be a blessing to those that need it. The book of Ephesians tells us one reason why we're supposed to work is so we'll have it in order to give to those that have it in a time of need. And so we can give. I mean, that's one reason to work. I mean, forget working for a retirement. That's not why you work. You're to work in order to have. to serve Christ. You reap what you sow. You've read that verse in chapel not too long ago, and that idea is in context about our giving. Philippians chapter 4, Paul said there that fruit was to be put to their account because they had given to his ministry. I want to be a part of people's ministries that are serving and pleasing God. And when you leave here, I want you to be known for the rest of your life for having a cheerfulness when it comes to giving. I want you to have the testimony for the rest of your life of having communion in your relationships. I want you to be known for your commitment to prayer, for your care and testimony, for your convictions for living, for your compassion for souls, and for your content of preaching. Don't change. We always want you to be what we're training you to be. Let's pray. Father, we thank you this morning for the principles that's in your Word. And Lord, we asked you this morning to help us that teach here to always follow these principles. And Lord, I pray that the students, as they graduate and as they go out into the ministry, that they'd always be known for these things. Thank you in Jesus name. Amen.