Path to Victory

The Big Idea

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave his personal mission statement to the Church: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20). In other words, we are called to be mature followers of Jesus who help create other mature followers of Jesus. We are to both grow and go.

The Early Church took Jesus’ mandate to heart. They were devoted to gathering at the Temple and in their homes for worship. They were devoted to meditating on the Scriptures and generously loving those in need as they extended the message to the ends of the earth (Acts 2:42-47). They put Jesus’ mission statement into practice.

In this sermon series, we’ll learn to follow Jesus’ mission statement and the commitments of the Early Church. Here are the five commitments of the Early Church that we would like to examine and put into practice through this sermon series:
● Gather (Committed to weekly worship service)
● Groups (Committed to a “Life Group” for encouragement and accountability)
● Give (Committed to serving God’s kingdom with time, talents, and treasures)
● Grow (Committed to daily meditation on God’s Word)
● Go (Committed to sharing the Gospel with those who don’t know Christ)

Series Breakdown

September 12 & 13, 2020: Gather to Worship

The Early Church was made up of people who were very committed to one another and to Jesus. They met regularly, supported one another by selling property and possessions, and shared meals with one another. Because of this, the group of believers grew in number and in faith. Although it will look different today, the outcome of committing to weekly worshiping with one another is the same: the church will grow, and so will each of us believers.
Sermon Text: Acts 2:42-47

September 19 & 20, 2020: Groups for Encouragement

No one has ever seen God, but the Apostle John says, “When we love one another God lives in us and is made complete in us.” So when we participate in a Life Group and love one another, we get the unique opportunity to experience the loving presence of God among us. We meet in Life Groups to encourage one another and grow closer to God.
Sermon Text: 1 John 4:7-21

September 26 & 27, 2020: Groups for Accountability

Worshiping Jesus in a large group is a huge blessing. But there are some things you can’t do in a large group. We can’t build intimate and trusting relationships. We can’t “spur one another on towards love and good deeds.” That’s why we need to gather in Life Groups. In a Life Group, we experience the powerful blessing of holding each other accountable to the Word of God.
Sermon Text: Hebrews 10:19-25

October 3 & 4, 2020: Give to Support

“Whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” Giving to church isn’t about obligation. We give offerings, use our abilities to serve Jesus, and offer up our time out of love to Jesus and to our church. God blesses the gifts we give cheerfully to His Kingdom. When we commit to serving God’s kingdom with time, talents, and treasures, we will see the benefits of our generosity in our church, community, and in our own hearts.
Sermon Text: 2 Cor. 9:6-15

October 10 & 11, 2020: Grow in Faith

We know that Scripture is “God-breathed” and is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness”. But many of us have difficulty building a habit in reading God’s word regularly because of perceived time constraints or being intimidated by the size or complexity of the Bible. Using tools such as devotion series, reading plans, and videos on Scriptures helps us to be committed to daily meditation on God’s Word.
Sermon Text: 2 Timothy 3:10-17

October 17 & 18, 2020: Go with the Gospel

Victory’s mission is to “reach today’s people with Christ’s victory”. This mission comes directly from Jesus, who commanded his disciples to share the Gospel with the world. As followers of Jesus, we grow in our own faith when we are committed to sharing the Gospel with those who don’t know Christ.
Sermon Text: Acts 1:8