WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.799 Acts chapter 2, verses 42 through verse 47. Starting 00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:12.240 in verse 42. They were continually devoting themselves 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:17.800 to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, 00:00:17.940 --> 00:00:23.410 to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone 00:00:23.410 --> 00:00:27.210 kept feeling a sense of awe. And many wonders 00:00:27.210 --> 00:00:30.010 and signs were taking place through the apostles, 00:00:30.250 --> 00:00:32.950 and all those who had believed were together 00:00:32.950 --> 00:00:36.770 and had all things in common. And they began 00:00:36.770 --> 00:00:39.890 selling their property and possessions and were 00:00:39.890 --> 00:00:44.490 sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:49.820 Day by day, continuing with one mind in the temple 00:00:49.820 --> 00:00:52.880 and breaking bread from house to house, they 00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:56.200 were taking their meals together with gladness 00:00:56.200 --> 00:01:00.000 and sincerity of heart, praising God and having 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:05.260 favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding 00:01:05.260 --> 00:01:10.379 to their number day by day those who were being 00:01:10.379 --> 00:01:14.359 saved. Let's pray. Father, I come before you. 00:01:15.290 --> 00:01:19.170 Lord, I ask and I pray that you would bless this 00:01:19.170 --> 00:01:23.250 time where your word is taught, where we devote 00:01:23.250 --> 00:01:26.049 ourselves to the hearing of your word. Lord, 00:01:26.189 --> 00:01:30.209 I ask and I pray today that our hearts would 00:01:30.209 --> 00:01:35.209 be responsive to the message of your word, your 00:01:35.209 --> 00:01:38.989 truth. Father, I ask and I pray that you would 00:01:38.989 --> 00:01:43.129 move us in our hearts and our minds. to act certain 00:01:43.129 --> 00:01:47.840 ways that are God -glorifying, to behave in certain 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:52.540 ways that bring honor and glory to You individually 00:01:52.540 --> 00:01:57.379 and as a church, as a whole, Father. Lord, I 00:01:57.379 --> 00:02:00.739 ask and I pray that You would bless this body, 00:02:01.019 --> 00:02:04.640 that You would bless those gathered together 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:09.620 here today. Put Your hand upon their lives. Grow 00:02:09.620 --> 00:02:15.270 them. and piety and devotion in their faith. 00:02:17.030 --> 00:02:20.210 Strengthen them if they are struggling and have 00:02:20.210 --> 00:02:23.129 difficulties, which I'm sure many do as I do. 00:02:23.939 --> 00:02:27.800 Help us, Father. Fill us with your Spirit. Open 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:32.560 our eyes. In Jesus' name, amen. You may be seated. 00:02:33.099 --> 00:02:38.800 So as we come to this text in Acts 2, verse 42, 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:44.280 we really... We can't forget what took place 00:02:44.280 --> 00:02:50.819 prior to Acts 2 .42. Leading up to this point 00:02:50.819 --> 00:02:54.199 is very important. It's very, very important 00:02:54.199 --> 00:02:59.800 for our understanding of verse 42. In verse 42, 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:04.449 we have a beautiful picture of what a New Testament, 00:03:04.650 --> 00:03:09.919 New Covenant church looks like. We have a beautiful 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:14.020 picture painted of what the bride of Jesus Christ 00:03:14.020 --> 00:03:17.879 ought to look like. What must characterize it? 00:03:18.020 --> 00:03:22.020 Some foundational aspects or characteristics 00:03:22.020 --> 00:03:27.639 or distinctives which the church must have that 00:03:27.639 --> 00:03:31.439 form a foundation that it goes forward with. 00:03:32.009 --> 00:03:35.210 So we see that here in Acts chapter 2. It's interesting. 00:03:35.389 --> 00:03:38.610 If we look at the formation of this church in 00:03:38.610 --> 00:03:42.129 Acts chapter 2, we saw last week that they were 00:03:42.129 --> 00:03:46.849 added to the church. And this church, which God 00:03:46.849 --> 00:03:51.129 is forming in Acts chapter 2, this church is 00:03:51.129 --> 00:03:54.870 the church that started it all. This is where 00:03:54.870 --> 00:04:00.590 church history finds its starting point. This 00:04:00.590 --> 00:04:04.509 is the first foundational model church which 00:04:04.599 --> 00:04:08.960 every other genuine and true church has come 00:04:08.960 --> 00:04:13.539 from. So today we are here, we are an ancestor 00:04:13.539 --> 00:04:16.980 of this church which we are studying in the book 00:04:16.980 --> 00:04:20.220 of Acts. So this is the first church that started 00:04:20.220 --> 00:04:22.279 it all. This is the church, this church in Acts 00:04:22.279 --> 00:04:25.220 chapter 2, this is a church that God would use 00:04:25.220 --> 00:04:29.550 through the apostles. and His disciples to turn 00:04:29.550 --> 00:04:33.649 the world upside down. We see that throughout 00:04:33.649 --> 00:04:36.389 the rest of the book of Acts. The Lord uses this 00:04:36.389 --> 00:04:40.050 church, the formation of these people, He uses 00:04:40.050 --> 00:04:43.850 it to do wonders in the world, not just in the 00:04:43.850 --> 00:04:45.870 book of Acts, but throughout church history. 00:04:46.819 --> 00:04:50.779 This is what the Reformation came back to with 00:04:50.779 --> 00:04:54.629 regards to the church. The Roman Catholic Church 00:04:54.629 --> 00:04:57.649 encrusted the gospel with all these different 00:04:57.649 --> 00:05:00.589 things, and the Reformation said, get rid of 00:05:00.589 --> 00:05:04.149 the crustiness. Get rid of the outside stuff. 00:05:04.230 --> 00:05:08.449 Give us the pure, true church of Jesus Christ. 00:05:08.509 --> 00:05:11.670 And they brought it back to New Testament church. 00:05:12.329 --> 00:05:16.470 They brought it back to what we see here in this 00:05:16.470 --> 00:05:19.670 text. So today we find these characteristics, 00:05:19.930 --> 00:05:22.750 these marks, these distinctives, these different 00:05:22.750 --> 00:05:26.889 aspects or traits of the New Testament church. 00:05:27.689 --> 00:05:30.230 So today as we go through this text, I'm going 00:05:30.230 --> 00:05:33.470 to approach it in three ways. First, I'm going 00:05:33.470 --> 00:05:39.209 to look at the purity of the early church. Then 00:05:39.209 --> 00:05:42.509 we'll look at the devotion of the early church. 00:05:43.240 --> 00:05:47.220 And then we will see the activities of the early 00:05:47.220 --> 00:05:50.519 church. And that's how we'll proceed. So starting 00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:56.160 out first, we'll look at the purity of this church 00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:59.889 that we're studying in the book of Acts. So if 00:05:59.889 --> 00:06:02.290 we think back, where did this church find its 00:06:02.290 --> 00:06:06.110 source? How did it come into being? How did the 00:06:06.110 --> 00:06:09.410 formation begin? Well, it started, they heard 00:06:09.410 --> 00:06:13.410 the gospel preached. Paul, I mean Peter, proclaimed 00:06:13.410 --> 00:06:16.189 the gospel powerfully. And then what took place? 00:06:16.209 --> 00:06:18.589 They were pierced. In their hearts, they were 00:06:18.589 --> 00:06:22.509 convicted deep down within them. And they were 00:06:22.509 --> 00:06:25.370 converted. They expressed faith and repentance. 00:06:26.459 --> 00:06:29.800 Then we saw that they cried out and they said, 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:33.860 Brothers, what must we do? And Peter said, Repent. 00:06:34.040 --> 00:06:38.199 And then he said, Be baptized. Then we see the 00:06:38.199 --> 00:06:40.319 reception of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:43.300 indwells them and fills them and empowers them 00:06:43.300 --> 00:06:47.639 and strengthens them. And finally, we see that 00:06:47.639 --> 00:06:50.620 they are added to the church. They are brought 00:06:50.620 --> 00:06:57.230 into the fold of God's people. So this church 00:06:57.230 --> 00:07:03.709 is compiled. It's made up of. Its substance is 00:07:03.709 --> 00:07:10.759 converted, born again, baptized believers. And 00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:15.589 that's it. That's what forms this church. That's 00:07:15.589 --> 00:07:18.670 what forms... This church, which we're studying 00:07:18.670 --> 00:07:23.050 in the book of Acts, converted people. Born again 00:07:23.050 --> 00:07:26.970 individuals. We see people who are Christians. 00:07:27.470 --> 00:07:29.949 What did we study last week? What does it mean 00:07:29.949 --> 00:07:33.689 to be a Christian? And so Christians are what 00:07:33.689 --> 00:07:38.170 make up. Christians are the church. And so we 00:07:38.170 --> 00:07:42.209 see that in this text. There is a purity in the 00:07:42.209 --> 00:07:45.350 early church because there was only... Christians 00:07:45.350 --> 00:07:52.620 in it. We see that the new converts, those that 00:07:52.620 --> 00:07:56.620 came to Christ, they were brought into this church, 00:07:56.680 --> 00:08:02.600 into something. And then they formed it by being 00:08:02.600 --> 00:08:07.779 a part of it. And so there's a purity in the 00:08:07.779 --> 00:08:11.920 early church. Now why do I say purity? Well, 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:14.480 because it's important that we think about in 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:18.180 regards to a church, in regards to what a church 00:08:18.180 --> 00:08:21.259 is, what it means for a church to be a church. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:25.379 A church is a church because it's made up of 00:08:25.379 --> 00:08:30.250 Christians. So when we talk about that, I mean 00:08:30.250 --> 00:08:36.029 this, that unregenerate, unbelieving, unconverted 00:08:36.029 --> 00:08:41.850 people do not compile. the church of Jesus Christ. 00:08:42.710 --> 00:08:44.970 Last week we saw that it means to be a Christian 00:08:44.970 --> 00:08:47.629 you have to have the Spirit of God. Unconverted 00:08:47.629 --> 00:08:50.529 people, unregenerate people do not have the Spirit 00:08:50.529 --> 00:08:56.039 of God. The church is the dwelling place of God's 00:08:56.039 --> 00:08:59.039 people. So this church that we see in the book 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:03.039 of Acts, it was pure. It was purer than any church 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:08.240 in existence today, I believe. It was pure because 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:11.360 it was made up and compiled. of born -again, 00:09:11.419 --> 00:09:15.340 converted, regenerate, Spirit -filled, believing 00:09:15.340 --> 00:09:21.620 Christians. The they in Acts chapter 42 is speaking 00:09:21.620 --> 00:09:27.500 of those who were Christians in verses 36 through 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:34.909 verse 41. So this was not a church that was full 00:09:34.909 --> 00:09:40.929 of nominal, unbelieving, unregenerate, superficial, 00:09:41.529 --> 00:09:47.190 religious people. This was not this church. This 00:09:47.190 --> 00:09:49.769 church that we are looking at, that we are studying, 00:09:49.889 --> 00:09:52.389 it is made up of people who have been given a 00:09:52.389 --> 00:09:55.590 new heart, who have experienced God's grace and 00:09:55.590 --> 00:09:58.769 God's mercy, and God has done a supernatural 00:09:58.769 --> 00:10:04.519 work, a supernatural act in their life. That's 00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:09.500 what the church is not. A church full of nominal, 00:10:09.620 --> 00:10:13.500 superficial, religious people, but it is a church, 00:10:13.580 --> 00:10:17.679 it is a group of people made up of people who 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:22.019 have experienced God's grace in their life supernaturally. 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:26.269 That's why this church was a strong church. In 00:10:26.269 --> 00:10:28.669 Acts chapter 2, that's why this church was a 00:10:28.669 --> 00:10:33.330 vital and a healthy and a strong and a vibrant 00:10:33.330 --> 00:10:36.409 church. Because it was pure and it was made up 00:10:36.409 --> 00:10:39.110 of people filled with the Spirit of God who were 00:10:39.110 --> 00:10:42.269 being sanctified and being conformed to the likeness 00:10:42.269 --> 00:10:46.110 and the image of Christ Jesus. All of them, every 00:10:46.110 --> 00:10:49.850 single last one of them had experienced God's 00:10:49.850 --> 00:10:53.289 grace. Every single one of them knew and had 00:10:53.289 --> 00:10:56.850 tasted the mercy of God. Every single one of 00:10:56.850 --> 00:10:59.990 them had had their sins forgiven. Every single 00:10:59.990 --> 00:11:03.230 one of them, Jesus died and atoned for their 00:11:03.230 --> 00:11:07.480 life. to cover their sins. Every single one of 00:11:07.480 --> 00:11:11.960 them, Jesus rose on their behalf. Every person 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:16.419 in this church was covered in the blood of Christ. 00:11:17.179 --> 00:11:20.019 There was not one single person that was outside 00:11:20.019 --> 00:11:23.840 of Christ in Adam that was not covered by the 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:26.580 blood of Christ that was a part of this church. 00:11:26.700 --> 00:11:30.460 So there was a purity. This is why it's so important 00:11:30.460 --> 00:11:33.639 to understand conversion with regards to church 00:11:33.639 --> 00:11:36.940 membership, with regards to the makeup of the 00:11:36.940 --> 00:11:40.889 local church. That it is converted individuals 00:11:40.889 --> 00:11:45.919 that make it up and that become church members. 00:11:46.379 --> 00:11:50.740 We must understand that. Every single member. 00:11:51.820 --> 00:11:54.000 was covered in the blood of Christ. Every single 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:57.220 member was being sanctified and grown in grace 00:11:57.220 --> 00:12:02.399 and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, 00:12:02.460 --> 00:12:07.379 this pure church was also a church which was 00:12:07.379 --> 00:12:13.299 a devoted church. It was devoted. It was all 00:12:13.299 --> 00:12:16.899 in. They were characterized and they were defined 00:12:16.899 --> 00:12:23.870 by devotion, by persistence. By continually giving 00:12:23.870 --> 00:12:28.110 themselves over to certain things, certain activities. 00:12:28.429 --> 00:12:32.710 And the more I've thought about this, this is 00:12:32.710 --> 00:12:36.629 what the church today needs. The church needs 00:12:36.629 --> 00:12:40.470 devotion, commitment. Now why do I say that? 00:12:40.710 --> 00:12:44.889 Because we live in a non -committal world and 00:12:44.889 --> 00:12:49.470 culture. a world and a whole generation of folks 00:12:49.470 --> 00:12:52.710 who don't know anything about dedication or commitment. 00:12:54.220 --> 00:13:00.679 We need a devoted church. So what does it mean 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:07.120 to be devoted? To be devoted is used, this word 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:09.120 is used in several different ways in the New 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:15.649 Testament. It means to stick by someone, to be 00:13:15.649 --> 00:13:21.059 close at hand. or to attach oneself to something. 00:13:21.340 --> 00:13:24.820 So basically, if you attach yourself to somebody, 00:13:25.100 --> 00:13:28.399 it means they can't shake you. They can't get 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:31.159 rid of you. You are sticking close no matter 00:13:31.159 --> 00:13:34.039 what, regardless of what comes, regardless of 00:13:34.039 --> 00:13:36.559 what happens, regardless of what takes place, 00:13:36.700 --> 00:13:39.039 regardless of what you face, regardless of what 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:42.279 you encounter, you are staying by that individual. 00:13:43.529 --> 00:13:45.990 To be a good husband and a good wife, you are 00:13:45.990 --> 00:13:48.590 devoted to your husband or you are devoted to 00:13:48.590 --> 00:13:51.230 your wife. You're committed to them regardless 00:13:51.230 --> 00:13:54.309 of what takes place in this life. You've made 00:13:54.309 --> 00:13:57.809 a covenant commitment before God that you will 00:13:57.809 --> 00:14:03.409 be devoted to them regardless. You attach yourself 00:14:03.409 --> 00:14:09.230 to that individual. You stick by their side in 00:14:09.590 --> 00:14:14.240 good and bad and tough and difficult times. But 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:18.080 also to be devoted, it means to be steadfastly 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:24.490 attentive unto something. To give yourself to 00:14:24.940 --> 00:14:30.059 something over and over and over. It also means 00:14:30.059 --> 00:14:35.159 to persist in something or to busy oneself with 00:14:35.159 --> 00:14:41.059 something constantly. So to engage in an activity 00:14:41.059 --> 00:14:44.320 over and over and over repeatedly and to keep 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:48.080 doing it and to keep coming back to it, that's 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:55.639 what devotion means. So it is very important 00:14:55.639 --> 00:15:03.250 that the Lord's church understands that it must 00:15:03.250 --> 00:15:09.100 be a church which is devoted. It's all in. You 00:15:09.100 --> 00:15:14.529 give yourself to... The church. You put both 00:15:14.529 --> 00:15:19.230 feet in. You're devoted. It should define you. 00:15:19.370 --> 00:15:22.559 You know, I had a conversation with a co -worker 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:26.000 several years ago and it stuck in my mind. And 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:32.509 she said that she worked with like career counselors 00:15:32.509 --> 00:15:36.690 and stuff like that. And she said that career 00:15:36.690 --> 00:15:39.710 counselors tell people you shouldn't stay in 00:15:39.710 --> 00:15:44.570 a job. for more than three years now. Because 00:15:44.570 --> 00:15:48.210 if you stay in a job for more than three years 00:15:48.210 --> 00:15:51.470 in our current world and our current culture, 00:15:51.769 --> 00:15:56.649 it's showing future employers that you don't 00:15:56.649 --> 00:16:01.629 have the ability to progress or to grow or to 00:16:01.629 --> 00:16:05.909 enlarge your capacity or your oversight or your 00:16:05.909 --> 00:16:09.350 responsibility or your abilities in that job 00:16:09.350 --> 00:16:13.250 or position. That's the kind of culture, that's 00:16:13.250 --> 00:16:17.490 the kind of world that we live in. That is transient. 00:16:17.490 --> 00:16:20.990 You do this and then you move on to this. That's 00:16:20.990 --> 00:16:23.710 really not worth the effort. That's really not 00:16:23.710 --> 00:16:27.450 worth the pain and the heartache. We'll just 00:16:27.450 --> 00:16:30.710 forget that or we'll just forget that person 00:16:30.710 --> 00:16:33.169 and we'll move on to something that's easier. 00:16:33.350 --> 00:16:36.289 It's kind of like greener grass syndrome. There's 00:16:36.289 --> 00:16:41.009 always something better. It's not characterized 00:16:41.009 --> 00:16:46.889 and defined by devotion. Dedication and commitment 00:16:46.889 --> 00:16:53.870 both feed in. I'm all in 100 % there. This is 00:16:53.870 --> 00:16:56.350 the great need of our world today and this is 00:16:56.350 --> 00:17:00.009 the great need of the church today. Devotion. 00:17:00.509 --> 00:17:04.630 But we must ask the question, does it matter 00:17:04.630 --> 00:17:09.569 what we're devoted to? Does it matter what we're 00:17:09.569 --> 00:17:12.970 committed to? Does it matter what we're dedicated 00:17:12.970 --> 00:17:18.900 to? I spoke with two Mormons yesterday, and they 00:17:18.900 --> 00:17:22.559 told me, you know, you're not really wrong. We're 00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:24.559 not really wrong. You're not right. We're not 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:29.319 wrong. We just have differences. We just have 00:17:29.319 --> 00:17:31.779 differences. Kind of like it's all going to work 00:17:31.779 --> 00:17:40.730 out in the end. No, it matters. What we give 00:17:40.730 --> 00:17:45.059 ourselves to. It matters what we are devoted 00:17:45.059 --> 00:17:49.779 to in this life. It matters what we believe in. 00:17:49.940 --> 00:17:53.200 It matters what we give our time and our money 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:56.619 and our energy to. It matters what we commit 00:17:56.619 --> 00:17:59.420 our heart and our lives and our bodies and our 00:17:59.420 --> 00:18:05.980 souls to in this life. It matters. And so what 00:18:05.980 --> 00:18:10.490 should the church be committed to? What should 00:18:10.490 --> 00:18:15.250 the church be devoted to? We're told that the 00:18:15.250 --> 00:18:18.390 early church, they continually devoted themselves. 00:18:19.190 --> 00:18:22.730 They continually and persistently kept giving 00:18:22.730 --> 00:18:25.150 themselves. But what was it that they were giving 00:18:25.150 --> 00:18:31.250 themselves to? It matters greatly what we devote 00:18:31.250 --> 00:18:34.410 ourselves to, what we individually devote ourselves 00:18:34.410 --> 00:18:39.049 to, and it matters what we corporately as a body 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:46.079 give ourselves to. It matters a great deal. You 00:18:46.079 --> 00:18:48.839 know, I know a lot of churches that are really, 00:18:48.900 --> 00:18:53.970 really devoted. I know a lot of evangelical communities 00:18:53.970 --> 00:18:58.119 that are really, really devoted. I know a lot 00:18:58.119 --> 00:19:01.180 of churches in the world today, they are really 00:19:01.180 --> 00:19:04.930 committed, they are really devoted to transforming 00:19:04.930 --> 00:19:09.039 the culture, to impacting the world in which 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:12.920 we live. to making a difference in somebody's 00:19:12.920 --> 00:19:16.779 life right here, right now, regardless of whether 00:19:16.779 --> 00:19:20.960 it's with the gospel or not. They're devoted, 00:19:21.220 --> 00:19:24.160 they're committed, they're dedicated to it. I 00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:27.200 know a lot of churches that are devoted to reaching 00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:33.079 the world around them at any cost, regardless 00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:36.240 of what they have to do, regardless of what they 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:38.680 have to give up. regardless of what they have 00:19:38.680 --> 00:19:41.339 to sacrifice, regardless of what they have to 00:19:41.339 --> 00:19:43.720 become, but they are devoted and they are committed 00:19:43.720 --> 00:19:47.710 to reaching the world around them. I know a lot 00:19:47.710 --> 00:19:54.920 of churches that are devoted to bringing in non 00:19:54.920 --> 00:20:00.200 -believers, people who do not know Christ. They're 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:05.400 devoted to making them comfortable. and feel 00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:08.079 good and directing their energy and their efforts 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:10.880 to those individuals. They are devoted to that. 00:20:10.940 --> 00:20:12.960 They have a vision. They have a mission. They 00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:15.859 have core values that work towards that, and 00:20:15.859 --> 00:20:19.119 everything they do is on track for that purpose 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:23.410 and for that plan. They're devoted. I know a 00:20:23.410 --> 00:20:27.049 lot of churches. They are devoted to their church 00:20:27.049 --> 00:20:31.210 growth. They are devoted to meeting certain numbers 00:20:31.210 --> 00:20:36.180 at a certain time, and they are all in. They're 00:20:36.180 --> 00:20:37.660 committed to it. They're going to do whatever 00:20:37.660 --> 00:20:42.140 it takes to get to that point. I know a lot of 00:20:42.140 --> 00:20:47.130 churches that are committed to their buildings 00:20:47.130 --> 00:20:53.500 and their facilities, to their wealth and growth. 00:20:53.640 --> 00:20:55.700 I know a lot of churches, and this is one that 00:20:55.700 --> 00:20:59.779 is very popular today. I know a lot of churches 00:20:59.779 --> 00:21:03.579 that are very, very devoted to their programs. 00:21:05.450 --> 00:21:08.789 to their programs and to making a good impact 00:21:08.789 --> 00:21:12.759 with their programs on the community. I know 00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:14.660 a lot of churches that are very, very devoted, 00:21:14.859 --> 00:21:17.759 but what does the Bible tell us we need to be 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:20.380 committed to, that we as a church need to give 00:21:20.380 --> 00:21:22.960 ourselves to? What does the book of Acts tell 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:25.960 us we need to devote ourselves over and over 00:21:25.960 --> 00:21:29.799 and over and continually? What does it teach 00:21:29.799 --> 00:21:33.400 us that we ought to give ourselves to with every 00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:37.099 fiber of our being individually and as a body 00:21:37.099 --> 00:21:42.369 corporately? It's very, very clear. It tells 00:21:42.369 --> 00:21:46.690 us exactly what we are to give ourselves to. 00:21:47.390 --> 00:21:53.950 Verse 42, they were continually devoting themselves 00:21:53.950 --> 00:21:59.289 to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship. 00:22:00.130 --> 00:22:04.069 and to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 00:22:05.869 --> 00:22:09.950 What did the early church, this pure, strong, 00:22:10.250 --> 00:22:15.009 healthy, vibrant church, give itself to over 00:22:15.009 --> 00:22:18.450 and over and over? The teachings of the apostles, 00:22:18.670 --> 00:22:23.880 doctrine, instruction. They gave themselves to 00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:26.819 fellowship, the breaking of bread, another type 00:22:26.819 --> 00:22:32.420 of fellowship, and to prayer. Praise the Lord. 00:22:33.980 --> 00:22:39.099 He has not made it overcomplicated for us. It's 00:22:39.099 --> 00:22:43.450 fairly simple. It's uncomplicated and straightforward. 00:22:44.029 --> 00:22:46.829 What is a church supposed to devote themselves? 00:22:47.210 --> 00:22:49.450 What are they to put their energy and their time 00:22:49.450 --> 00:22:52.809 and their money and their efforts towards primarily? 00:22:52.890 --> 00:22:55.789 What's the focus of the church of Jesus Christ 00:22:55.789 --> 00:22:58.589 supposed to be? It's supposed to be on what Jesus 00:22:58.589 --> 00:23:02.569 Christ has told us. on who we're supposed to 00:23:02.569 --> 00:23:07.579 be, the apostles' teachings, on fellowshipping 00:23:07.579 --> 00:23:12.890 with the church, the body of Christ, on celebrating 00:23:12.890 --> 00:23:16.029 what he's done in the midst of us, on praying 00:23:16.029 --> 00:23:19.089 and seeking his help and seeking his guidance 00:23:19.089 --> 00:23:24.309 and seeking his strength in our lives. This is 00:23:24.309 --> 00:23:26.349 exactly what they were doing in the book of Acts. 00:23:27.500 --> 00:23:32.799 God is forming a foundation for his church to 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:38.720 move forward in this world. Remember, this church, 00:23:38.920 --> 00:23:45.630 this body, which grew by 3 ,000 overnight, 3 00:23:45.849 --> 00:23:49.349 ,000 people were added to the church. That would 00:23:49.349 --> 00:23:52.089 definitely throw in some issues to logistics. 00:23:52.529 --> 00:23:54.829 And they didn't have cell phones. They couldn't 00:23:54.829 --> 00:23:57.809 shoot out group texts. So, I mean, there were 00:23:57.809 --> 00:23:59.630 some issues they had to work through and they 00:23:59.630 --> 00:24:04.230 had to deal with. But you think with 3 ,000 people, 00:24:04.430 --> 00:24:10.140 you pool 3 ,000 people's resources, you pool 00:24:10.140 --> 00:24:13.059 all their energy and all their efforts. Think 00:24:13.059 --> 00:24:15.920 about the massive impact they could have made 00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:19.279 on Jerusalem in that time. Think about the massive 00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:22.079 things they could do in their culture, in their 00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:25.099 world. They could have done anything they wanted 00:24:25.099 --> 00:24:28.000 with a movement of 3 ,000 people. What did they 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:32.970 do? What did these 3 ,000 people do? What did 00:24:32.970 --> 00:24:36.329 the early church do? They gave themselves over 00:24:36.329 --> 00:24:40.950 to the teachings of the apostles. They went all 00:24:40.950 --> 00:24:45.009 in on understanding the truth of God's word. 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:49.960 So the first thing that we as a church must absolutely, 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:57.279 with conviction in which it has, and continually 00:24:57.279 --> 00:25:02.079 and continually devote ourselves to, the apostles' 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:06.339 teaching. The teaching of the apostles. Now what 00:25:06.339 --> 00:25:08.920 was the teaching of the apostles? The teaching 00:25:08.920 --> 00:25:13.440 of the apostles is that which Jesus gave to the 00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:17.019 apostles. Well, we know that Jesus taught the 00:25:17.019 --> 00:25:20.079 apostles for three years. He instructed them. 00:25:20.539 --> 00:25:23.259 They knew the Old Testament very, very well. 00:25:23.859 --> 00:25:27.900 And now this group of 3 ,000 Jews, they were 00:25:27.900 --> 00:25:34.079 learning how Jesus now fulfilled all these different 00:25:34.079 --> 00:25:38.180 things in the Old Testament. They were explicitly 00:25:38.180 --> 00:25:45.250 learning how Christ was now applied not just 00:25:45.250 --> 00:25:49.109 to a single prophecy, but how Christ related 00:25:49.109 --> 00:25:55.750 to them in all of life, in all of practice. Remember, 00:25:55.930 --> 00:25:58.750 these are the ones that rejected Jesus and had 00:25:58.750 --> 00:26:02.789 Him killed. So they were now learning how Jesus 00:26:02.789 --> 00:26:06.730 relates to them, not only as the Messiah, but 00:26:06.730 --> 00:26:10.009 as their King, as their Lord, as their Master, 00:26:10.130 --> 00:26:14.980 as their Savior. So the apostles' teaching really 00:26:14.980 --> 00:26:18.039 contains two things. It involves instruction 00:26:18.039 --> 00:26:24.190 and learning about the content of that instruction. 00:26:24.750 --> 00:26:32.200 The New Testament is full of this idea of the 00:26:32.200 --> 00:26:37.640 whole counsel of God with regards to the faith 00:26:37.640 --> 00:26:41.230 which was once for all handed down. Acts chapter 00:26:41.230 --> 00:26:45.109 20, we see it explicit in several other places. 00:26:45.430 --> 00:26:49.990 The whole counsel of God. That means that we 00:26:49.990 --> 00:26:54.349 learn what God has revealed about Himself and 00:26:54.349 --> 00:27:00.029 about redemption from eternity past to eternity 00:27:00.150 --> 00:27:04.140 future as much as we can. That means that we 00:27:04.140 --> 00:27:09.779 instruct not just the easy... Nice, fun little 00:27:09.779 --> 00:27:12.539 pieces of Scripture. But that means that the 00:27:12.539 --> 00:27:15.980 apostles' teaching contains all the difficult, 00:27:16.220 --> 00:27:19.680 all the hard, all the controversial parts of 00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:23.619 Scripture as well. The whole counsel of God in 00:27:23.619 --> 00:27:29.859 His Word. So the apostles' teaching, it's instruction, 00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:34.559 and it's the content of that instruction. So 00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:36.920 you've already had a few explanations today as 00:27:36.920 --> 00:27:39.740 to why we've been trying out Sunday school and 00:27:39.740 --> 00:27:41.619 we're going to try out an evening service. Well, 00:27:41.640 --> 00:27:45.079 it's because we understand as a church that we 00:27:45.079 --> 00:27:49.259 must do our very best to make sure that there 00:27:49.259 --> 00:27:53.259 is every opportunity for instruction and for 00:27:53.259 --> 00:27:57.930 the teaching of God's Word. Because that is what, 00:27:57.970 --> 00:28:00.690 as a church and as individual Christians, we 00:28:00.690 --> 00:28:04.569 are to be devoted to. So that's one of the reasons 00:28:04.569 --> 00:28:07.309 we're doing, we tried Sunday school this morning 00:28:07.309 --> 00:28:11.390 to give the opportunity for instruction, to give 00:28:11.390 --> 00:28:14.269 another chance for individuals to learn about 00:28:14.269 --> 00:28:17.369 the Word of God and what He has said and how 00:28:17.369 --> 00:28:22.670 we are to live in light of that. That means facilitating 00:28:22.670 --> 00:28:27.450 other opportunities like that. And we'll see 00:28:27.450 --> 00:28:29.309 that a little bit more. I think one of the best 00:28:29.309 --> 00:28:31.589 ways, one of the things I love so much about 00:28:31.589 --> 00:28:36.519 GFC, It is catechism. Guys, catechism is such 00:28:36.519 --> 00:28:40.599 a blessing to our children. It's such a blessing 00:28:40.599 --> 00:28:45.579 to adults to learn systematically what Christ 00:28:45.579 --> 00:28:49.220 has taught and what the scriptures teach us. 00:28:49.950 --> 00:28:56.970 To absorb that into our lives. So what is a church 00:28:56.970 --> 00:29:00.339 supposed to be about? Christians supposed to 00:29:00.339 --> 00:29:02.640 be about? What are they supposed to devote themselves 00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:07.240 and give themselves to? The apostles' teaching 00:29:07.240 --> 00:29:15.369 or doctrine. Doctrine, theology, instruction. 00:29:16.759 --> 00:29:20.539 Now, it's not accidental that the teaching of 00:29:20.539 --> 00:29:25.970 the apostles is the very first thing which Luke 00:29:25.970 --> 00:29:30.609 includes in this list. The very first thing is 00:29:30.609 --> 00:29:36.549 taking priority and is what fellowship and prayer 00:29:36.549 --> 00:29:41.670 flow out of. The apostles' teaching determines 00:29:41.670 --> 00:29:45.650 and dictates the word of God. The whole counsel 00:29:45.650 --> 00:29:49.809 of God in his word is what determines biblical 00:29:49.809 --> 00:29:54.470 fellowship. It's the basis for locking arms with 00:29:54.470 --> 00:29:58.079 your Christian brothers and sisters. It's what 00:29:58.079 --> 00:30:01.339 forms your discussions. It's what forms your 00:30:01.339 --> 00:30:06.140 thoughts and your talks. It's what forms relationships. 00:30:06.819 --> 00:30:10.259 It's what informs us on what relationships to 00:30:10.259 --> 00:30:13.859 have and what relationships not to have. It's 00:30:13.859 --> 00:30:16.920 what informs us on boundaries in relationships. 00:30:17.240 --> 00:30:19.759 It's what informs us on how we ought to live 00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:25.480 in those relationships. So, the apostles' teaching 00:30:25.480 --> 00:30:30.059 is first, and takes priority, takes priority, 00:30:30.180 --> 00:30:35.740 and determines and dictates fellowship and prayer. 00:30:36.890 --> 00:30:40.349 So second, we see that we are to be devoted to 00:30:40.349 --> 00:30:44.130 fellowship. Now this text presents two types 00:30:44.130 --> 00:30:48.599 of fellowship. In each of these, where it says 00:30:48.599 --> 00:30:51.359 the apostles' teaching, and then it says the 00:30:51.359 --> 00:30:54.279 fellowship, and then it says the breaking of 00:30:54.279 --> 00:30:56.750 bread. And then the last one says the prayers. 00:30:56.869 --> 00:31:00.130 There's an article in front of each one. So each 00:31:00.130 --> 00:31:03.230 one is distinct and unique from one another. 00:31:03.990 --> 00:31:09.410 First, there's the fellowship or common fellowship. 00:31:10.390 --> 00:31:16.730 This most likely is talking about doing life 00:31:16.730 --> 00:31:20.930 together, living life and doing activities and 00:31:20.930 --> 00:31:26.880 seeking out to grow. with one another, locking 00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:30.960 arms with one another, loving one another, spending 00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:35.269 time with one another. But this can also be a 00:31:35.269 --> 00:31:38.230 reference to corporate gathering and fellowship. 00:31:39.079 --> 00:31:43.559 The second type of fellowship, there's some controversy 00:31:43.559 --> 00:31:47.960 and some discussion over what exactly this is 00:31:47.960 --> 00:31:50.900 talking about. And it's kind of tricky because 00:31:50.900 --> 00:31:55.430 in the early church they had a meal, or a supper 00:31:55.430 --> 00:31:58.829 where people fellowshiped and gathered together 00:31:58.829 --> 00:32:04.109 as a body corporately, and then afterwards, they 00:32:04.109 --> 00:32:05.890 would have the Lord's Supper. So those things 00:32:05.890 --> 00:32:10.359 were at times associated with one another. Now, 00:32:10.380 --> 00:32:12.700 I don't think specifically that that's what this 00:32:12.700 --> 00:32:15.779 text is talking about, because just a few verses 00:32:15.779 --> 00:32:21.019 later, the same phrase is used again, and we 00:32:21.019 --> 00:32:27.660 read this. day by day continuing with one mind 00:32:27.660 --> 00:32:31.059 in the temple and breaking bread from house to 00:32:31.059 --> 00:32:35.400 house. So I do not believe this text is teaching 00:32:35.400 --> 00:32:39.339 us or telling us that they were having the Lord's 00:32:39.339 --> 00:32:43.680 Supper in houses repeatedly. I do think that 00:32:43.680 --> 00:32:47.039 in their common fellowship, the fellowship which 00:32:47.039 --> 00:32:49.880 is first mentioned, when they gathered together, 00:32:50.579 --> 00:32:53.140 They did celebrate the Lord's Supper in those 00:32:53.140 --> 00:32:56.859 times. But the second part, the breaking of bread, 00:32:57.019 --> 00:33:00.039 the second part of fellowship, it tells us there's 00:33:00.039 --> 00:33:04.640 an intimacy about fellowship. The people were 00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:08.700 welcoming other people of the church into their 00:33:08.700 --> 00:33:14.660 homes, giving hospitality, providing hospitality 00:33:14.660 --> 00:33:17.839 for other Christians. I think of Galatians where 00:33:17.839 --> 00:33:22.359 Paul says, Do good to all men, especially those 00:33:22.359 --> 00:33:26.809 of the household of faith. So this is talking 00:33:26.809 --> 00:33:35.349 about intimate, warm, loving, kind, caring, considerate 00:33:35.349 --> 00:33:40.869 fellowship, breaking of bread, sharing meals, 00:33:41.109 --> 00:33:45.650 sharing food together, having conversations and 00:33:45.650 --> 00:33:48.910 discussions in that way, in an intimate way. 00:33:50.420 --> 00:33:52.960 Knowing somebody and caring about somebody and 00:33:52.960 --> 00:33:56.079 loving somebody to such an extent that you feel 00:33:56.079 --> 00:33:59.240 comfortable having them in your home to break 00:33:59.240 --> 00:34:02.849 bread with them and share a meal with them. So 00:34:02.849 --> 00:34:09.159 fellowship, a basic essential aspect of what 00:34:09.159 --> 00:34:11.719 the church is to be about and what the church 00:34:11.719 --> 00:34:16.980 is to devote itself to. And then finally, we 00:34:16.980 --> 00:34:20.739 see that the church is to be devoted to. The 00:34:20.739 --> 00:34:25.110 church is to give itself to prayer. Now this 00:34:25.110 --> 00:34:28.889 word is plural, so it actually says the prayers. 00:34:29.590 --> 00:34:32.170 And most people believe that it's referencing 00:34:32.170 --> 00:34:37.210 corporate prayers and private prayers. At that 00:34:37.210 --> 00:34:40.670 time in Judaism, there were produced prayers 00:34:40.670 --> 00:34:42.489 that they would recite and they would repeat. 00:34:42.610 --> 00:34:44.550 I don't think that's what it's talking about. 00:34:44.829 --> 00:34:47.469 But I do think it's talking about them gathering 00:34:47.469 --> 00:34:51.340 together in fellowship. Having all things in 00:34:51.340 --> 00:34:54.780 common, coming together and worshiping Him and 00:34:54.780 --> 00:35:01.539 worshiping Christ and praying as a body. Very 00:35:01.539 --> 00:35:04.239 similar to what Josh was saying earlier when 00:35:04.239 --> 00:35:07.420 he was talking about the Sunday evening service 00:35:07.420 --> 00:35:11.559 that we're going to try. Getting together as 00:35:11.559 --> 00:35:19.159 a body and praying in an orderly manner. As a 00:35:19.159 --> 00:35:23.340 body, having compassion and feeling sympathy 00:35:23.340 --> 00:35:27.409 for one another. Of course, this is all based 00:35:27.409 --> 00:35:32.599 on the apostles' teaching, and it's essential 00:35:32.599 --> 00:35:38.489 for the church. So it's not a super complicated, 00:35:38.789 --> 00:35:45.809 very problematic formula for what the church 00:35:45.809 --> 00:35:49.949 is to be, is it? This church gave itself to, 00:35:50.130 --> 00:35:53.949 in Acts chapter 2, This church devoted itself, 00:35:54.130 --> 00:35:59.340 this pure, healthy, strong church. What did it 00:35:59.340 --> 00:36:03.920 give its heart and its soul to in order to move 00:36:03.920 --> 00:36:08.800 forward? It gave its heart and its soul to the 00:36:08.800 --> 00:36:12.099 teaching of the apostles, to the word of God. 00:36:12.559 --> 00:36:17.320 It gave itself to fellowship. It gave itself 00:36:17.320 --> 00:36:26.360 to prayer. Three essential aspects of the Christian 00:36:26.360 --> 00:36:30.599 life in general. Three essential aspects that 00:36:30.599 --> 00:36:34.380 every single Christian and every single believer 00:36:34.380 --> 00:36:38.679 must devote themselves to in order to progress 00:36:38.679 --> 00:36:43.059 in sanctification and growing in conformity and 00:36:43.059 --> 00:36:48.159 likeness to Christ. So as the individual Christian, 00:36:49.369 --> 00:36:52.550 devotes themselves to these things, the body 00:36:52.550 --> 00:36:56.190 as a whole is going to be built up as it commits 00:36:56.190 --> 00:37:01.440 itself to these things. We must give ourselves 00:37:01.440 --> 00:37:06.440 to the teaching of the apostles, to fellowship, 00:37:06.800 --> 00:37:10.719 and to prayer. Now, what happened as a result 00:37:10.719 --> 00:37:18.710 of their faithfulness to these things? What came 00:37:18.710 --> 00:37:23.409 about as a result of them being faithful in these 00:37:23.409 --> 00:37:27.349 simple activities and practices? What came about 00:37:27.349 --> 00:37:30.510 as a result of them giving themselves to the 00:37:30.510 --> 00:37:33.769 apostles' teaching? What happened in the life 00:37:33.769 --> 00:37:39.630 of this church as a result of them praying? What 00:37:39.630 --> 00:37:42.809 happened in the life of this church as a result 00:37:42.809 --> 00:37:46.889 of them fellowshipping based upon the Word of 00:37:46.889 --> 00:37:53.320 God. We read in verse 43, Everyone kept feeling 00:37:53.320 --> 00:37:56.980 a sense of awe, and many wonders and signs were 00:37:56.980 --> 00:38:01.159 taking place through the apostles. God was working 00:38:01.159 --> 00:38:04.780 mightily. He was working powerfully and actively 00:38:04.780 --> 00:38:09.000 in the life of the church. We see that. And all 00:38:09.000 --> 00:38:11.900 those who had believed were together and had 00:38:11.900 --> 00:38:14.639 all things in common. And they began selling 00:38:14.639 --> 00:38:17.690 their property, and possessions and were sharing 00:38:17.690 --> 00:38:23.050 them with all as anyone might have need. So they 00:38:23.050 --> 00:38:26.110 were taking care of one another. They were growing 00:38:26.110 --> 00:38:32.489 and becoming sacrificial towards one another, 00:38:32.590 --> 00:38:35.769 giving of themselves, putting feet to what they 00:38:35.769 --> 00:38:40.809 believe and what they profess. Day by day, continuing 00:38:40.809 --> 00:38:44.070 with one mind in the temple and breaking bread 00:38:44.070 --> 00:38:49.070 from house to house. There was unity and there 00:38:49.070 --> 00:38:54.610 was greater depth to their fellowship. We see 00:38:54.610 --> 00:38:58.800 in verse 47, praising God and having favor with 00:38:58.800 --> 00:39:02.599 all people. So they had joy in their heart and 00:39:02.599 --> 00:39:05.440 they had praise upon their lips because they 00:39:05.440 --> 00:39:08.360 were faithful in the things which God had given 00:39:08.360 --> 00:39:13.239 them and they found favor with all people. Now 00:39:13.239 --> 00:39:15.539 what happened finally? What was the last thing 00:39:15.539 --> 00:39:19.760 that takes place as a result of them being faithful 00:39:19.760 --> 00:39:23.719 to the apostles' teaching and fellowship and 00:39:23.719 --> 00:39:27.130 prayer? What was the last thing? We read in verse 00:39:27.130 --> 00:39:29.869 47 that they praised God, they had favor with 00:39:29.869 --> 00:39:32.429 all people, but then what? The Lord was adding 00:39:32.429 --> 00:39:36.010 to their number day by day those who were being 00:39:36.010 --> 00:39:40.980 saved. So what does it mean to be a healthy and 00:39:40.980 --> 00:39:43.119 a vital and a vibrant church? What does it mean 00:39:43.119 --> 00:39:46.679 to be a strong and a growing church of substance? 00:39:46.880 --> 00:39:51.239 It means to be faithful in these things. It means 00:39:51.239 --> 00:39:53.619 to be faithful and committed to and given to 00:39:53.619 --> 00:40:00.079 the apostles' teaching. And we let the Lord grow 00:40:00.650 --> 00:40:06.050 His church. It means that the Lord put His hand 00:40:06.050 --> 00:40:09.429 of blessing upon this church. Because they were 00:40:09.429 --> 00:40:12.849 trusting in his power and his strength and his 00:40:12.849 --> 00:40:17.130 might for his glory working in his church. The 00:40:20.550 --> 00:40:24.900 Bible is not opposed to church growth. It's just 00:40:24.900 --> 00:40:29.880 opposed to false methodologies of church growth. 00:40:30.179 --> 00:40:33.960 The Bible wants faithfulness. God wants faithfulness 00:40:33.960 --> 00:40:41.000 from his church. Christ wants a bride that becomes 00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:44.969 beautiful in the way in which He wants it to. 00:40:45.610 --> 00:40:51.449 Christ wants his bride to be devoted with all 00:40:51.449 --> 00:40:55.659 of their being, all of her person, to the apostles' 00:40:55.780 --> 00:40:59.280 teaching, to fellowship, and to prayer.