Everything In Common Series

WELCOME & INTRODUCTION

- As we come together in ministry, we are not hesitating to begin our first series together. I want us to focus on the essentials for our church here at 29th. This morning we are beginning a series called: “We Are Better Together”. This series will be focused on unity and what it means to be unified as a church.

- This series is going to focus on the truths of what is most important to the life of the church and to us as believers in the faith. I know you are going to love this series and I hope you will invite people to join us Sundays to hear each of these lessons.

- This series is going to challenge our long-held beliefs and bring us to Scripture for the answers to how we unite together. We, as the church, are truly better together. You don’t have a church without unified people.

THE BEATLES: John, Paul, Ringo, and Eric Clapton?

Recently released documentary on the Beatles creation of Let It Be

Recording on the rooftop of the studio in London.

By this time, the Beatles could barely stand each other. John Lennon was spending most of his time with his wife Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney was butting heads with his bandmates over the business side of things, Ringo Starr quit and then reluctantly returned, and George Harrison was frustrated because he was allowed to contribute only a few songs per album.

Then came the 1970 Let It Be sessions, which were being filmed for a documentary. At one point, off camera, George Harrison and John Lennon got into a fistfight. Later, during rehearsals (and on camera), Paul McCartney was patronizingly directing George, who barked back, “I’ll play whatever you want me to play, or I won’t play at all.” At lunch, Harrison announced, “Put an ad in, and get a few people in. See you ‘round the clubs.” Then he quit the Beatles.

“Let’s get Eric,” John said a bit later. “He’s just as good and not such a headache.” That afternoon, the remaining Beatles “jammed violently” (as Ringo later described it). Yoko Ono sat on George’s abandoned cushion and screamed into his microphone. Lennon reiterated, “I think if George doesn’t come back by Monday or Tuesday, we ask Eric to play.”

Eric Clapton’s latest band, Blind Faith, had called it quits a few months earlier, so he was available. He was aware of what John Lennon had proposed, but he was never formally offered a spot in the Beatles because 10 days later, George returned.

As far as Paul McCartney was concerned, the Beatles were John, Paul, George, and Ringo…or nothing. There was a time when the Beatles were the closest-knit family you’ve ever seen.

THE ACTS 2 CHURCH

This band is argued to be the greatest ever. They just fit together to write hit after hit. But even this tight-knit family had arguments and couldn’t get along 100% of the time.

As we begin our series on unity, we are going to look at the first century church and what they were like as a people dedicated to the cause of Christ in a close-knit community.

READ ACTS 2:42-47

42And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

THE EARLY CHURCH

How this church was born:

Peter preached a Christ-exalting sermon

The Holy Spirit at work – 3000 souls were saved (that’s a pretty good day!)

God builds His church by His Word.

The church is God’s plan. That plan is bigger than the conversion of some individuals. Christianity is a personal thing but it is not individualistic. It’s corporate. Jesus is saving a people for himself (Titus 2:14). This fact is made plain here in Acts 2: as the people gathered together. The communal nature of the church is reiterated throughout the New Testament. Let’s look at this early church and see what they embodied and were devoted to and how we are to live today and how this speaks to unity as a church body.

DEVOTION TO THE WORD

The author of Acts, Dr. Luke tells us the church was devoted to certain activities. At the top of the list is the devotion to the apostles’ teaching. The apostles were teaching everything they had learned from their rabbi, Jesus. This is the diet of a healthy body of Christ. Based on Peter’s sermon earlier in Acts 2, the apostles taught everyone about the Messiah and everything about his teaching.