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Acts 2:42-47 The Idea of the Church
Acts chapter 2 from verses 42 to 47. Hear the word of the Lord and they devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers and all came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were being done through the Apostles and all who believe were together and had all things in common and they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need and day by day.
Attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes. They received their food with glad and generous hearts. Praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to their number day by day.
Those who are being saved? May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. Well, I think the thing that has surprised me the most over the past Decade plus almost 11 years now in seeking to plant a real Let's call it a New Testament or reformed church.
The thing that surprised me the most in this past decade is not but not the reformed part. It's many people to expect teaching the doctrines of grace God-centered worship what it means to be reformed.
It didn't surprise me the most that that's been resisted. I kind of expected that so I'm not a surprise when there's been when some people just don't Don't want to come here in the first place or don't like it when they do and they hear Reform doctrine and on the plus side.
There's even a niche market for that a Very small niche, but but there is a small there is a segment of people who who want that. And it's not being intentionally interracial either as I expected opposition to that so that didn't surprise me.
I'm a little surprised over the past decade about how asking members to be active has led to a few having problems. With them being active and and leavings leaving us. So really so that they can Stop having to be active.
I Didn't think that that would be in such an issue. In fact, I thought that would be the Least controversial thing but it has been an issue for some but what has surprised me the most. What's been the most resistant what's the most offensive.
I think over the past decade in seeking to plant You know, whatever we call it reformed New Testament healthy church is The church the idea of the church of a body of believers knit together a Church family like Mary Griffin likes to call it rightly What the Bible calls it that idea is now foreign to is so foreign to our culture.
But but I thought that if it could be grabbed to the extent I thought about it at all. Which is not a whole lot before it started but I just kind of assumed that if the idea of the church could be grasped if If you could see it, it would then be attractive to people they would be desirable.
They would want it.
You would want to be part of the church once you got a glimpse of it. I.
Was wrong.
Of course first was getting people to understand. Especially in this culture that that despite going to buildings with the word church In front of them for all their lives. They may never have really been a part of a real church.
Despite having heard the word church over and over again their lifetimes. They've never really Seen the church. I Quote Vince Lombardi before a team of pro football players holding up a football and saying gentlemen, this is a football.
In other words, don't think you know what it is. Just because you've supposedly been around it your whole life. In fact, sometimes the that That you think you've been around your whole life is what keeps you from learning it.
I played an excerpt of pastor Mark Dever about the idea of the church. I think I played it so many times I almost haven't memorized by now. I can I can recite it. I can hear his voice when I install all to get to the quote.
For example churches in modern America have nearly vanished. The idea of the church has Dissolved in the acids of the reigning individualism of today's culture. I Can hear Mark Dever in my head when I say those words.
How many times did I compare the the culture's ideas those of you have been with us for a while. The culture's idea of the.
Church.
What do they think it is? Like to elect out of a restaurant, right? You go for the food you go for the service. Other people happen to be there at the same time. You might be friendly to them, but you're not Any kind of real relationship with them.
Or or maybe they think it's like a theater the church like a theater. You go for the show. With no sense of attachment to others who just happened to coincidentally be there at the same time. I was trying by that to expose our consumer mentality.
That we brought in to the church as preparation for nearly every Lord's Supper except for today I would remind us that we're to be were to discern the body. To think about your relationship with the church.
That's what Paul does in first Corinthians 11. You are you need to discern? In other words think about the body the other believers and in Paul tells them because you haven't done that. You've gone on in there.
Taken the bread of the wine remember the body of Christ. You think it's just you and God. Paul says some of you because of that some of you are sick and some of you have died.
In other words.
God killed some of them because they thought it was just them and God and they didn't have to worry about the church. Well, anyway, I got off on that sorry and we recite the Church Covenant we normally do.
Almost every month for the past decade reminding ourselves to walk together in Christian love and Pray as we as we prayed today to remember that Christ didn't die just just for separate individuals. But for a corporate people for the church for his body.
Sometimes I would intentionally be provocative. Saying that if you were raised in a church where most of the members on the roll didn't attend. Where the head deacon stood in the church door and told a visitor to go elsewhere because he was black.
Where one pastor quit going to church himself when he was no longer paid. Paid to go to church another told everyone else that you can't be a member of a church. You don't attend which is true and then immediately proceeded to demand that he remained a member of that very church.
Even after he didn't attend it there anymore. If that's your experience of the church. You haven't been part of it of the church. That wasn't meant to insult anyone. But that was to get your attention and in fact it succeeded in getting some people's attention because I remember like one of the Times I said some of that one person just I almost I had a eruption and had to leave.
I think that wasn't I'm getting too personal here. I'm talking about some people who were right here when I. Yeah, anyway, that wasn't meant to insult anyone. That's to get people's attention. Said that you whoever you are.
I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to the hypothetical you. You need to learn What the real church is. I'll try to teach positively a lot of that I think and of course we tried to show by example. Sharing to help members like arranging to get the financial help.
So we're gonna have this building that we can share spending whole days with people in need. Actually mostly Mary did that. I have to Admit, but she certainly did hospital stays. Not just visits. There's been times when she spent whole days in the hospital with people mowing lawns sometimes, you know members are away for a long period of time and then they.
You know, they need their lawn mowed so we go mow it shoveling snow. Enabling members to get a business. Do they have the career they want another to have a family vacation and some of the things they need.
When one of them was sick, we've been we've seen and we've seen others do that for us. We've had food shared with us the first summer that Mary was away to Singapore for three weeks. Mrs. Perry, and I'm sorry Mr. Perry went able to come today, but mrs. Perry made me a nice lemon chicken casserole.
That was good. I still remember it When our house caught fire on Sunday morning when one member gave us a room to stay. Gave Mary and I a room to stay in another. Took in our boys, so we didn't have to you know, go to the days in or whatever.
Whatever that is in Yanceyville. Other members have took look after our boy actually some of the same members, but Looked after our boys. So Mary and I could have a couple of days of vacation together.
We've seen some great examples of members some of you right here being the the church. But still what surprised me the most is how offensive some people find the idea of The church. They like the reform doctrine.
They like reform stuff. They don't like the church. They may want to come to churches now. Don't get me wrong. They may want to be informed about the Bible to a point and if they're reformed they want to hear Calvinist doctrine about from the Bible.
They want to be in maybe inspired to be better people. They want to receive insights for living. They want to expose their kids to positive messages and good company. They want to be entertained by heartfelt music.
They may want to go to a church. They just don't want to be a part of The church that's because in this culture the idea of the church is radically Countercultural. We live in a culture that screams if it doesn't make you happy Right now then ditch it or him or her and go find one that does whether that be a restaurant or a satellite TV provider or a spouse or.
A church.
It's all disposable and.
Consumable I.
Wonder are you offended at the idea of the church? Well here we see the church we recognize it by what it does. It does four things it is devoted to. First the Apostles teaching. Second the fellowship.
Third the breaking of bread and finally the prayers. Easy to come out with four points in this message because they're they're laid out by Luke clear as day even Demarcated with a V of the of the one two, three four points first.
They are but first notice that they are devoted. The actual Greek word there means to persist in something. To be faithful to something or to someone. To hold fast to persevere in some pursuit. It emphasizes a Continual dedication over a long period of time.
After all you can be dedicated something for a short period of time. You know going to jog you can be dedicated. I'm gonna jog a mile and I'm gonna I'm gonna do it for this mile. I'm When the miles over you're not dedicated to it anymore, but it means a long-term thing.
It's not like going jogging for just a mile. It's like making running part of your lifestyle. What of your pursuits you do it through summer heat or through? You know cold outside zero degrees outside you still go because you're dedicated to it.
It's dedication that continues through thick and thin. It's not like just reading a book one day. I'm gonna I'm gonna persist. I'm gonna read this book. It's meaning you're committed to being a habitual reader.
It's part of your lifestyle. A lot of people like to say is they're devoted to God. But their choices show that there's something wrong With their devotion. How can we tell? Well, are they devoted to what God is devoted to.
One could tell if someone is really devoted to something if there's if there's a.
Clash.
When you have to make a choice between two things. You can go to church or you could open your shop to make a few more dollars. There's nothing wrong with making money. I hope you're all here. I hope all of you are are prosperous.
But sometimes you have to choose which is more important to you the Lord and his church or a few more dollars. You can go to the Bible study or you can go to the basketball game, there's nothing wrong with going to a basketball game.
It's not a clash between good and evil. It's a clash between greater good and maybe Lesser good the choice will show which is more important to you what you're dedicated to. I know someone who preached on Acts chapter 2 verse 42 about being dedicated to the Apostles teaching the fellowship the breaking of bread and prayer and on the Wednesday before His sermon he could have gone to a prayer meeting.
Where he would have heard a lesson and he knew he would have heard a lesson on that passage. Particularly about whether the the breaking of bread really first of the Lord's Supper which he assumed but he didn't.
He chose instead to go to a Chapel Hill and watch a basketball game Sunday, he preached on being dedicated to the Apostles teaching. Even though he wasn't dedicated enough to come to a Wednesday to hear hear the Apostles teaching To the fellowship even though he didn't share much of anything with the church the breaking of bread which he assumed was the Lord's Supper because he had been challenged on the point and even though he Never really made special efforts to to be with the church when the Lord's Supper was served and the prayers even though he didn't come to the prayer meeting even when he could and.
That's what passes for the church today. Here the real church was not just preaching about these four points, okay, they're not just for lectures four points for a lecture. They were doing them. They were dedicated to them.
They were part of their lifestyle and you can see that dedication and how they lived. I think that this verse verse 42 is a summary kind of a summary in advance of what the church did what they're dedicated to and the following five verses are some illustration of What that looked like?
They were dedicated to the Apostles teaching. Now we had that teaching in case you think well, what is how to apply that we don't have Apostles anymore. Well, we have their teaching right here, right and then particularly in the New Testament.
So we should be dedicated to the New Testament. Now, of course already in the book of Acts in just the first two chapters. We've had some of their teaching and we saw there that it was rooted in the Apostles teaching is rooted in what we call The Old Testament in chapter 1 Peter quotes from two Psalms to show that they need to replace Judas then in his sermon in chapter 2 we looked at last week.
He quotes from Joel Psalm 16 and Psalm 110. Now keep in mind that he wasn't carrying a pocket Old Testament.
You know they get when you know.
These people come flock to him and he could pull that out and looked out look up his references. You know whenever looking trying to figure out what was going on. He could quote from Joel and Psalms and many other passages because he had them committed to memory showed you how much time He had been he had devoted to the Word of God and Then he saw that Christ was the center of it.
But we've already seen that in the way they handle the Old Testament Christ was is the key to interpreting it. So the Apostles show us how to interpret the Old Testament how to see Christ in the Old Testament.
So being dedicated to the Apostles teaching isn't just being getting doesn't just dedication of the Old Testament. All right, excuse me. It isn't just dedication of the New Testament. It is that but also to a Christ centered interpretation of the Old Testament.
So it's the whole Bible in other words. This is why we're doing what we're doing right now. Right while we spend the time we spend every Sunday morning Studying the Word of God. We're dedicating ourselves to the Apostles teaching.
Right. So every week I hope you dedicate this time to learning God's Word. That's what I hope you're here for because you're dedicated to it. As well as you help you give some time of your own every day.
Steadfastly continuing for the for the rest of your life. Pursuing to know God better through his Word. We might now we might sometimes do other things might help each other. We might meet together occasionally to eat like tomorrow night or once a month to eat together at other times.
Maybe do we informally when his occasion comes up? We might emphasize the importance of the Lord's Supper. We might urge you to be involved somehow maybe in our outreaches, but we should never allow those things.
To squeeze out our our dedication to the Word of God. So we just come as a social club. No, we're dedicated first the center of it. All is our dedication to the Word of God. Their dedication to the Apostle teaching and they were teaching the Bible is listed first, I think.
Because from it flow all the other things. The Word of God inspires their sharing their eating and drinking to the glory of God and it pervades guides their prayers. It should do the same for us. Above all our dedication To God shows itself like here and being dedicated to the Word of God.
Notice that that dedication produced in awe in verse 43. The word literally is fear. Just the generic word for fear. It's phobos. You recognize that word right like phobias all the time. They produce a phobia.
Sort of it's all probably the best translation, but but we're dedicated the word and if we are. It's not just like idle curiosity. I want to learn about those ancient times or this great work of literature.
No, it's it's the Word of God. And so we tremble at it that we would get it wrong or that we would be ignorant of it. And so because we're ignorant we Accidentally offend we break it and we we offend the Lord.
We know what scripture says that he our God is a consuming fire. So we're in all of him and if his word.
We're.
You know deep in our heart. We want to make sure we are in obedience to it. So we're in all of it. We shake at the idea that we would live contrary to it and Wonders and signs were done through the Apostles in verse 43.
Some pit the gifts of the Spirit, you know miracles and so forth. They put they say well that that's over there the gifts of the Spirit. They put it against the Bible like if you believe in one. If you if you believe that spiritual gifts are ongoing then that will undermine your faith in the Word of God.
That you're by saying Spiritual gifts still exist that that somehow you're implying that the Word of God is not complete or not sufficient but here The church has the Old Testament. They're quoting it all the time.
They have the Apostles Who are teaching all the time? You can ask him questions if you ever have one and Wonders and signs. Were flourishing they were there to attest to the truth of the message. They don't undermine faith in the Bible notice that these signs and wonders weren't a distraction from being dedicated to the Apostles teaching.
Like some people some there are some people today though to them. It is a distraction. They're just they're very zealous they're very eager for to see healings and people falling over and Ecstasy and thrills and that's what they go to church for and they really can't you know.
They'll put a lot of time and money in to go going after those things. But you can't they can't hardly be bothered to sit through a Bible study. Okay, there's something really wrong with that. No, no, but these people here were dedicated to Bible study.
Right, and so God attested to the teaching. With wonders and signs now second they were dedicated to fellowship and the Greek word. There is corn Ania. I kind of wish it was translated to something else because fellowship today We think you know, we're gonna shake hands and you know, the little idle chatter up before and after the service.
You know, but just let's.
Just talk about who's going to win the big game later this afternoon. No, it's Corn India means sharing you perhaps communing would be a better word. It's the idea of the church being a body together.
The church family the family of God. Fellowship is it is a pleasant conversation. As I said, you know, who's gonna win the Super Bowl? There AMS the Patriots. No, it's illustrated for us in verses 44 and 45 illustrates for us.
What is the fellowship? What is this communing? What's this sharing? It says all the believers work together. So they gather not just to be spectators, you know kind of coincidentally. Watching the same show with each other.
You know, we're all just you know, there's other people here watching John preach and so I'm here too. We were just kind of watching the same show. No. They they gathered to be together. Right, and they did not forsake assembling together and they had all things in common.
That is they shared in verse 45 if any had need so wasn't it when it says all things to come it doesn't mean they just kind of pulled their bank account into one big bank account and you know every and they could all.
Get use credit cards or checks and draw from that. Now our you know lived in one big house. No, it illustrates Also here what that means. In says they shared verse 45 if any had need. That's the key. They if any had a need otherwise if you can't afford to buy groceries if they're gonna turn off your electricity because you can't afford to pay the bill or shut off your water and I have extra.
I Have enough to go on a trip to Disney World again. Or buy a brand new.
Car four-wheel drive.
Because you never know when another snowpocalypse is going to hit Danville. Enough to eat it out back every week. You know if I have all that someone else Doesn't have enough for food. Then that what they said here said to each other said to themselves.
I'm gonna cut the trip to Disney World. Yeah, I'll go to a local lake instead. I okay, I mean I need my vacation my downtime sure but I can do it cheaper Than that. I'm gonna give the savings to my brother who's near to running out of food.
Instead of the four-wheel drive. I'll buy the. I'll buy used two-wheel drive and give the difference to my sister is about to lose power. Instead of going to cook out I'm out back. I'll go to cookout or maybe Chinese and.
And.
Send the savings to that family in church. They can't afford their utilities. And Nancy and Joyce and Tina and them old appreciate the business anyway, but they were dedicated to sharing. I can go to Lighthouse and get a good sandwich.
But they were dedicated to sharing instead of just their own luxury are you. Now right at this point I'm supposed to launch into a long commentary about how we don't really believe everyone has to sell everything.
There were not communists that we still believe in private property, etc. Etc. Etc. Insert that commentary here because I want to skip it and all. That's true. But too often it's meant to make us feel satisfied.
That we don't really have to do this. But what is the Apostles teaching. You know, we heard from the Apostle James just last fall. Remember, I'm James the brother. Our sisters dress shabbily. Because that's all they can afford.
You can't even keep warm and cold days nights lacks food. They're hungry. And all we do is wish them. Well, I feel bad for you. Hope things turn around. Bye. See you later without sharing without actually giving them the things they need James says.
Do you even have faith? You've been really a believer. You want to be dedicated the Apostles teaching. Heard from James. What about John? He's one of the Apostles here. They were dedicated to John says 1st John chapter 3 verse 17.
If anyone has the world's goods and. Sees his brother in need yet closes his heart against him. How does God's love abide in him here? They actually did it. If someone was in need the others would sell some valuable possession maybe a piece of real estate.
Maybe some jewelry whatever they would they would downsize their lifestyle. They were they were their possessions notice that in verse 45. So it's not as though they didn't believe in private property anymore.
They still have held their things. Everyone still own what they own, but they just held it.
Loosely.
They saw others needs is more important than their luxuries. That was the vision. For a city upon a hill John Winthrop called it The governor who is leading the Puritans to America in 1630. He told them is that as they were on board ship.
Going from England.
To America, he told them we must be willing to abridge ourselves of our superfluities our excesses for the supply of others necessities. That's the idea of the church someone last June said in this.
Jim right here.
That they're giving is just between them and God. The church apparently has no part in it. Except I guess we cash the checks and give tax receipts. I don't know why we even he needs us to do that. The church in modern America has disappeared from the acids of individualism.
But the New Testament Church was dedicated to sharing their giving. Was it somehow just kind of mystically giving to God. He owns it all anyway, you can take it anytime he wants. It was sharing with other members of the body to meet their needs.
This gets to the nub of the issue. I think about why many people in our culture are.
Repelled.
By the idea of.
The church.
Churches they like. Churches are pretty popular and successful but not the church. They like the idea of kind of these stations of inspiration. That they can pull into and get their spiritual gas filled up and and they understand they got to give a little something back.
So they swipe their card or throw a little something offering plate and drive off. They like that. That's fine. But the body of people to be attached to that they should share with that they are accountable to.
That.
Scares them that means It's not all about me.
Right.
They'll say they're committed to God. But they're not committed to what God is committed to which is his own glory and his people and for you. God is committed for you to make you like his son. What was his son committed to?
His son was committed to the church. He died for the church Jesus gave us the Apostles. Shared his life with us so that he could fellowship with us and now he prays he he prays he intercedes for us. Jesus did and still is doing everything here.
The church was devoted to. But today that devotion is surprisingly offensive to many people. Their vision of the Christian life, I think is summed up in that footprints poem, which I often make fun of.
We you know, where's them. And that footprints for me is it's just me and God, right? I saw my life was laid out like these set of footprints in the sand. It was me and Jesus walking together. That was my whole life.
Really all by yourself. That's amazing. Jesus was walking just with you. No one else. Really? You're that important in the whole universe. No troublesome church. Just two sets of footprints in the sand not a gathering of them.
I think that sums it up or maybe that what I think is just a horrendous him in the garden. Where you know the him. I kind of hope not but it just helps helps you refer to it if you do, you know the joy we share.
We'll talk about sharing their sharing. Well, it's just between us and God not me and God not even not us. Not you me and God the joy we share as we tarry there no other. No one else in the church the church doesn't even mentioned no one.
To have to share with the joy we share as we tarry there. None other has ever known. Wow and people like that. But they don't like the idea of the church. After all if we have to be devoted to sharing.
That means have to share with people. Sometimes people with problems. Sometimes maybe they're can't pay their electric bill because they made foolish purchases on credit cards a while back and they you know.
And you know, you don't get bogged down in all that. Maybe you share with people. Let me specific people I have to be committed to them a particular church here. They were devoted to the church a specific church a church where the Lord chooses who was in it.
He added to them who was there? Not just their click. You know their circle of friend they don't get people sometimes will mind being committed devoted to a few people they get to choose. That's that's fine.
That's what you do with a spouse. You get to choose that and so you be devoted that they understand but to be devoted to people. I don't get to choose what in the world is up with that. I don't want that.
That's offensive a trick some people play is by saying Okay, I'm committed to the church by which they mean kind of this universal amorphous a Church at large the institution of the church the idea of having fateful churches from which I get to choose one that I go to but in any given time and if I don't like this what I'm going to the other one.
That's kind of like saying I'm committed to Marriage that is to having a spouse.
Today and.
Maybe a different one tomorrow, you know, if the one now is not, you know, I'm not suiting my needs. They're committed to being married not to a particular wife or husband. What people mean when they say I'm committed to the church not just not a particular church is that I'll go where I'm served best.
It's about.
Me.
Some people are committed to doing church things. That they understand. They like they like preaching. They like the singing like the praying but not. Yeah, they're not committed to the church itself a specific body of people.
To you.
It's kind of like toward marriage being interested being committed to the sex but not to the actual spouse the sharing.
We have a word for that.
It's called immorality that approach to the church. That same mentality to the church. So common is no less immoral. Third they were dedicated to the breaking of bread. Now the question here is whether this refers to simply eating together.
Some people just kind of assume it can't be that because that's just so mundane. Why would be so holy about being committed to eating together? That's just too carnal. I think I think that comes from Western culture the Platonic idea, you know, if it's physical it's bodily.
It's it's not spiritual anyway. But that that's one option is is it simply referring to eating together or is it especially to the Lord's Supper now in my opinion. You're free to believe whichever because even though I think it's probably about eating meals together.
Still the Lord's Supper is important. You should be devoted to that, too. It is what the Lord Jesus gave us to do to remember him when we had it when we used to have it at the end of the service, I Thought it was horrendous when once at least once I know that I remember Member skipped out after the sermon before the Lord's Supper the sermons important, you know, because we're reformed the Lord's Supper not so much I guess it's though we were just a minor optional extra.
It's not Jesus said Do this? Okay, that's called grammar. That's called an imperative. This is a fancy word for a command. All right, it's not a it's not a choice. It's not like this is something you can do for fun.
If you like no, this is do this. So even though I don't agree that I do not agree. I don't believe this is referring to the Lord's Supper here. I kind of wish it was. We should be dedicated to the Lord's Supper.
Some people use this passage to teach that we should take the Lord's Supper and every time we meet because they say first they Assume it's about the Lord's Supper and then it says that they were dedicated to it.
Applying that they had it every time they met. So so they implied that we should have the Lord's Supper every time we meet. Well, so we would have it once a week. I don't think there's any I don't have anything against that.
We'd have to Economize a little bit like I did today, but yeah, it wouldn't be bad to have it once a week. But notice in verse 46 that they were also meeting day by day. That is every day. They were they were meeting.
He had a church service a meeting anyways every day. So if you're gonna if you're going to take their example as a Command that you have to abide by you have to you have to do what they did. Then you'll have to meet every day, too I mean if you're gonna take it for having the Lord's Supper every time you meet.
Then you got to meet every day because if you're gonna be consistent get my point. But their examples I don't their examples aren't always Commands that we have to follow. Understand what is what is Luke writing this for is it to tell us what to do or is he telling us what they did and.
We can.
When we're told commands then we do what we're told to do when Jesus commands. Do this. That's a command and we have to do it. But when he or his Apostles don't tell us how often. Then we're free to use wisdom.
To determine how often. And it seems to be the verse 46 shows us what the breaking of bread refers to. Says breaking a bread in their homes. They receive their food with glad and generous hearts. They enjoyed eating together.
Notice that part about the enjoyment to glad and generous hearts. Not just because you know, mrs. Peter could make a great chicken casserole. The secret she says was in the lemon. But because they had they had glad and generous hearts generous with each other.
Wanting to share their food. Or it could be sincere hearts or simple hearts. Hearts with no hidden agenda, you know. Okay, I'm gonna eat with him or her to get on his good side. So I get favors. I'm expecting favors down the road.
So I'm gonna give him some food in exchange for the favor. No, they ate together with an unaffected. Not not a fake Joy a real.
Joy.
They really enjoyed it. You know, I would probably eat Chinese food more often. If you all would charge us for it. Are they paying attention? I'm not sure but but you have generous hearts and. But I don't want to take advantage of you either.
So so let's make a deal. Can we make a deal right here? You share your food with me if I can share my money with you, how's that. And we'll do it all with glad and generous hearts. Now if one day I'm starving today I'm a near virgin starving to death and I don't have any money at all.
And then you want to share food with me. That'd be great. Then I have meat but until then let me share what I have back. That makes sense and. Finally, they were committed to prayers. The implication is they were devoted to praying together to prayer meetings.
This is why we have a prayer meeting now in some churches the prayer meeting has become just another. Basically just another church service maybe a bit more informal and maybe a bit a little bit more praying time at the end.
But not a whole lot more and I determined though that we needed we need a prayer meeting. And so we'll read a passage and then ask what do we need to pray about it? And then we'll pray and being careful hopefully not to always pray just about health needs.
It's one of my pet peeves of prayer meetings. Don't that gets consumed with everything about you know, I got a cousin who has a friend whose uncle is a sprained toe. Okay. No, I'm gonna do that. And but then we pray maybe we spend spending too much time talking about the passage.
We need to pray more I think but I'm sorry. It's not always exciting. But we need to pray to be devoted to prayer if you want excitement. Pray and Maybe then later the Lord will provide the excitement.
I know that not all of you can make it because of work. But if you can I ask you to make it part of your schedule that you are committed to. Not just not just to listen to another lesson. But to pray and here they were dedicated to praying together and that's why they would often have that's why they had the power.
They did that's why the other spiritual gifts that the miracles the growth. They probably prayed together in the temple. This is they went to the temple. They probably did that for prayer and and their prayers included praising God in verse 47.
That's why we that's why for us praising God is important singing together and praise making melody in our hearts. Songs of praise that's that's all form of prayer when we're singing praise to God. We're praying together singing and praising isn't just the warm-up act for the preaching.
You know got a guy warm you up get your blood moving before like the really only important thing is the sermon. No, it's something we should be also Dedicated to. Sometimes we can talk a lot a long time about trivial things things that aren't important like the Super Bowl.
And sometimes we can't think of much to say. About things that are very important. Prayer is important. That's all I have to say about it. So they were devoted to the Apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers the result was that all Reverence Came on everyone.
Not just on the church, but all the people around them people could see and there are dedication to the Word of God. They're sharing with each other their genuine joy that their prayers that there was something there's something real something powerful alive in this Here the spirit-filled church.
So for now They had favor with with all the people around them. People liked them. Even people who weren't yet part of them. They liked them after all these people. They were joyful. They were sincere.
They helped each other. None of them were alone or abandoned. They didn't have any widows out there starving to death. They were they took care of them and that was that was attractive. That was magnetic.
It.
Drew people in they thought something is something is glorious about these people now that would last forever. Persecution is coming. But for now They made a good impression. They had favor. The Lord used that to add to their number notice the verse 47 it was the Lord who was adding to them He was doing what he promised he would do build his church and At this point with them being devoted to the Word of God to sharing to gathering and to praying he was doing it day by day.
Well a little every day.
Neighbors looked and they and they saw people who were who were eager to learn. Who trembled at God's Word. Who had the had the word and the works? Who shared. Who took care care of each other. Who enjoyed each other and The Lord used that to draw them to himself and so to his church.
The Lord was adding those. Notice. It says the Lord added daily those who were being saved. There's two things there at first. He wasn't adding them without saving them. So there was no nominal Christianity.
There were people who were just drawn in by the the free food, you know in the welfare. Wow, you know I can have I join I get taken care of the rice Christians. They used to call them in China. No, they would teach them what the Lord Jesus said that whoever comes to me must be devoted to me first.
Take up his own cross and follow me. The Lord was only adding to them second thing. The Lord was only adding to them those who are being saved and he and he wasn't added. This is the second thing he wasn't adding.
He wasn't saving them. Second thing. He wasn't saving them without adding them to the church. There were no solitary Christians either. No, no only two sets of footprints on the sand. No just between me and God mentality.
No. No unsaved church members. And.
No.
Lone ranger. Christians. Everyone being saved was added to the church. Where they too would be a member a part of the body now devoted to the Apostles teaching the Word of God the sharing the commuting The breaking of bread and the prayers.
How about you? What are you devoted to? Maybe you think like a lot of people I'm devoted to God. But you think well that devotion doesn't really have to show itself to the church God's people.
Really.
How can you be? Devoted to God and not devoted to what God is devoted to. I Don't understand how that's possible. I think maybe it's something's wrong. Something hasn't developed right. Something's immature.
How can you be devoted to God and not? Devoted to what God is devoted to. God is devoted to the church. He obtained it with his own blood. He shared with it his life His righteousness so that he could fellowship with it.
Christ prays for it for us right now. The question is If you say you're committed to God But not committed to the church That even though sure I understand, you know, often churches are Disappointing especially in this culture.
Okay.
There's all there's a lot that really just disillusion. People burn people and you can understand why they would want to wash their hands. And say I don't want anything to do with a church anymore. I get that.
But the question is how how can you be devoted to God without being devoted? To what God is devoted to. Oh, you know, I you might like churches. You like you like restaurants. Because you like inspirational songs and messages.
You like to feel motivated to socialize so you don't feel alone. You like what a church can do for you because. You like you. It's all about you. That that sharing, you know that corn Ania stuff that that covenant.
That asking members to walk together in Christian love. That's that that kind of put you off. That's maybe scares you. Because you don't want to lose What you have. You don't be a sucker. You don't be taking advantage of.
You know what the freedom to drift this suits you. You don't want to sacrifice. For what Christ sacrificed for the church. It's all about you. If that's you. And I hope it's not. There's something wrong.
Something wrong with your devotion. What you think is devotion to God? May be so infected with just plain selfishness as to blind you to what you're called to be devoted to. And Tell you devoted to the Word of God.
The fellowship the idea of the church. The breaking of bread with particular people a body that you are to discern. And the prayers. You're not yet devoted to what God is devoted to. And. So you're not yet really fully Maturely Devoted to God.
Now would be a good time to start.