This sermon encourages us to strive to be a community that mirrors the early church in devotion to God, love for each other, and active engagement in the world.
Welcome, beloved sisters and brothers, to our shared space of faith and fellowship. As we gather here today, let us remember that we are not simply a gathering of individuals but a community, a family, united in our love for Christ and our commitment to following His teachings. We are here not only to learn but to love, not only to receive but to give, not only to be filled but to overflow with the grace and love of our Savior.
Our Scripture today comes from the book of Acts, chapter 2, verses 42-47: "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
This passage paints a beautiful picture of the early church, a community of believers deeply connected to each other and to God. They were devoted to learning from the apostles, to fellowship, to breaking bread together, and to prayer. They shared their lives and their resources generously. They met daily in the temple courts and in their homes, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And their number grew daily as the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
This is the kind of community we strive to be, a community that builds believer's bonds, bolsters the body of Christ, and bridges beyond Sunday services. But how do we achieve this? How do we become a community that mirrors the early church in our love for each other and our devotion to God?
In his wisdom, Charles Spurgeon once said, "A church that does not exist to reclaim heathenism, to fight evil, to destroy error, to put down falsehood, a church that does not exist to take the side of the poor, to denounce injustice and to hold up righteousness, is a church that has no right to be." Spurgeon's words challenge us to be a church that is active and engaged, a church that is not just a place of worship but a force for good in the world.
Firstly, we need to understand that these bonds aren't built overnight. They're not built through a single event or a single act of kindness. They're built through consistent, intentional effort. They're built through showing up for each other, day after day, week after week, year after year. They're built through shared experiences, shared struggles, shared victories. They're built through laughter and tears, through celebrations and mourning, through the ups and downs of life.
Secondly, these bonds aren't built on the surface. They're not built on shared interests or shared hobbies. They're built on shared faith. They're built on the shared belief in Jesus, in His teachings, in His love. They're built on the shared commitment to follow Him, to live out His teachings, to love as He loved. They're built on the shared understanding that we're not just individuals, but a family, a body, a community.
Thirdly, these bonds aren't built in isolation. They're not built by keeping to ourselves, by keeping our faith private, by keeping our struggles and victories to ourselves. They're built by opening up, by sharing our lives, by inviting others into our faith journey. They're built by being vulnerable, by being honest, by being real. They're built by showing others that we're not perfect, that we're not always strong, that we're not always right. They're built by showing others that we're human, that we're broken, that we're in need of grace.
Lastly, these bonds aren't built by us alone. They're not built by our efforts, by our strength, by our wisdom. They're built by God. They're built by His grace, by His love, by His Spirit. They're built by His power, working in us and through us. They're built by His promise, that where two or three gather in His name, He is there with them.
Transition – So, as we strive to build these bonds, let's remember that we're not alone. Let's remember that we're part of a community, a family, a body. Let's remember that we're not just building these bonds for ourselves, but for each other, for the world, for God. Let's remember that we're not just building these bonds, but living out our faith, living out the teachings of Jesus, living out the love of God.
In the early church, as depicted in Acts 2:42-47, we see a vibrant, thriving community of believers ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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