What made the early church strong? The Follow up to accepting Christ!
EXTREME MAKE OVER – The Christian Life!
When we come to Christ there is an extreme make over that needs to take place.
PICTURE THE SHOW EXTREME MAKE OVER FOR A MIN.
Imagine that your home becomes untenable. And while you have no hope of changing your conditions, someone steps forward and tells you that they can change all that for you. They will come in, at their own expense and labor and fix all that is wrong with your home, more than that they will give you so much more than you ever had before.
So they send you away for a prescribed amount of time. And at the end of the set time they call you and tell you to come home. There is a huge bus in front of your house so you cant see it, and then suddenly the bus is moved away and to your shock and dismay your house looks exactly the same way as it did before they made you the promise.
Or suppose even worse. They did do the house over, made it a virtual palace, everything you had ever wanted, but then you failed to take care of it, to keep it up. To do the things necessary to keep this beautiful new home, beautiful.
NOW let me make an analogy! When we were far from God, and completely unable to do anything about it. When Jesus stepped in and said that He would change all that for us, take away the old and give us a new beautiful life in its place. Suppose that He never really did make any change and we had to stay living the same miserable life. Or worse yet, suppose He did make the opportunity for us to live a new life, but we failed to do the basic maintenance to maintain it.
Would be wrong to give them hope only to dash it. - And God would never do that.
Behold old things pass away, all things are made new.
And it would be wrong for us to receive such a blessing and then abuse it!
What is it that the early church did that we can learn from!
a) Before Christ – the believers had little to nothing in common.
Yes people like Peter, John, James, and Andrew were connected because of their trade but that was it.
Matthew was a tax collector and spent his days ripping people off.
Mary Magdalene was a prostitute and well say no more on that.
They were not connected by their life, or life styles.
b) There affiliation with the temple was purely religious, formality.
They went because that was what you did if you were Jewish.
Just like many before coming to Christ did the Christmas, Easter thing.
c) Their doctrine and their life style had very little in common
Do as I say, not as I do.
Pharisees were infamous for that.
In fact scripture implies they had a hand in Christ’s crucifixion.
But all of that suddenly and rapidly changed when Jesus entered into their lives.
Andrew immediately went and told his brother Peter. ( Jn. 1:41)
Phillip la told Nathaniel ( Jn. 1:45)
Matthew walked away from his corrupt job as a tax collector.
Zaccheus not only walked away but made restitution
James and John, Peter and Andrew walked away from the family business to become fishers of men.
Mary Magdalene left the immoral life behind and followed steadfast after Jesus
And rather than a flash in the pan cult we saw the makings of a Christian message that would one day reach all corners of the earth.
It would resonate in the hearts of all mankind. From every strata, every walk of life.
From the lowest to the highest.
Thief on the cross, to guards in the emperor’s palace, to the Eunuch for the Queen of Ethiopia, to Government leaders, and Military alike. Because God is not willing that anyone should perish!
So why is it today, that people are leaving what we call the church in record numbers?
1. Or they have been relegated to being a spectator in a grand performance.
A drama
Jesus described this sort of people in Matthew 11:16-18
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
This morning we are going to look at what the early church did that made they grow so strong
REMEMBER - All scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness.
TEXT: Acts 2:36-47
The Key – Devoted to the Apostles teaching, fellowship, ( Koininia)
breaking of bread, and prayer!
Top of the List:
Devotions to the Apostles teachings – Whose teachings were the apostle’s teachings?
JESUS
Go and make disciples, teaching them everything I have taught you.
The Word - Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet. A Light unto my path.
Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you!
Psalm 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
1. They lived every day according to what Jesus had taught the disciples
2. They fought the same human tendencies to learn on their own wisdom
3. Trust in the Lord with all of thine heart, lean not on thine own understanding.
But in today’s church
We have teachers with doctrines to tickle our ears.
To tell us its ok to live in a particular sinful fashion and still have Jesus
There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but in the end leads to destruction.
Ever learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. - Book smart, spirit dumb.
One reason why many today never make or choose the right decision is due to lack of knowledge or understanding.
The Bible says that the inability to distinguish right from wrong is a sign of immaturity.
As the believer understands the truth and practices them, then it will lead to personal growth. Changes will take place and character will be strengthened.
If the church is filled with illiterate believers, then, they will easily stumble and give up. Immature behavior will destroy us. (Ephesians 4:4; 2 Peter 3:18)
The Word is to keep us Equipped – complete, fully furnished. It implies the provision of all the things requisite for a particular service, action (e.g. to furnish a house, a car equipped with overdrive).
Just like Extreme make over doesn’t send the people home to an empty house, God has given us everything in His Word to get us through every situation. No matter what!
Friend, what is your commitment this morning to the Word of God?
That may well define who you are or, are not becoming in Christ.
If you’re a new believer, a recent convert, you need to get plugged in.
You need to be Baptized in obedience to the Word. Step 1 Get in the Word.
If you have been saved for a reasonable length of time, but are not growing you need to drag yourself out to Sunday School, to Bible Study, to Sunday Evenings. To home studies, to personal devotions.
It was their commitment to the Apostles Teachings that grounded the early church and the same lack there of today that puts the body of Christ in such jeopardy!
SECONDLY: Committed to the fellowship
Notice what that says, and to THE fellowship, not to fellowship.
To the group of believers, not just to having an activity filled life.
People in bars, and crack houses are committed to fellowship but not to the fellowship
If you have the Spirit without the Word of God, you blow up.
If you have the Word of God without the Spirit, you dry up.
If you have both the Spirit and the Word of God, you grow up.
“They devoted themselves to the fellowship.”
Koinonia or fellowship connotes the idea of being partner, sharer, associate and participant.
1) fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation
a) the share which one has in anything, participation
b) fellowship, intimacy
1) the right hand as a sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic office)
c) a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship
Because believers share in something or someone in, this context, God and His blessings, and we should be committed to each other.
Despite of our differences and difficulties, our common bond should be the basis for staying together and overcoming barriers. (I John 1:3; 2 Cor. 13:14)
The early believers devoted themselves to fellowship.
Thur Night we had both the men’s and women’s ministry meet – an example
Work day a few weeks back.
Tonight we will have Koinia
The term “devotes” literally means to continue steadfastly and wait on.
Applying to fellowship, it means to adhere to one another, to be steadfastly attentive to one another, to persevere.
It screams of the CARE NET
You see today’s church is committed to fellowship, but not to the Fellowship.
Softball teams
Coffee shops
Brunches
Fashion shows
Trips to the amusement park
Example Nation wide sleep over missionettes 10,338 people there girls, visitors, sponsors.
But only 334 raised their hand to accept Christ
And only 6 were filled with the Holy Spirit.
We do a lot of activities in churches today, but were not committed to THE FELLOWSHIP Just watch when we ask for teachers, cleaners, ushers, lawn care!
The problem is we have excluded the apostles teaching and even care for one another out.
Fellowship – Forsake not the gathering together of the saints as some are in the practice of doing.
Especially as the day of the Lord draws near
Koinia in Evangelism – Met in the temple court.
Didn’t go to the temple for church. But to witness
In the Home – Koinia to study the Apostles teaching, to minister to one another.
Koinia in ministry within the body – Everyone has a part in the body I. Cor. 12 says so.
THIRDLY: Committed to the breaking of bread and to prayer!
2 inferences to the breaking of bread portion!
1. Continued to have communion – Instituted the night Christ died. As a remembrance
2. Continued to eat together building a family cohesiveness from which we derive our fellowship dinners.
AND PRAYER –
The breaking of bread kept before them the reminder of Christ’s sacrifice for them
It also kept before them the idea that WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST.
Paul addresses that in I Cor.
And Prayer:
Church prayer was the back bone of the early church.
Paul admonished pray without ceasing.
At all times, in all places.
Jesus gave the example of the widow who kept knocking and knocking.
And yet prayer in most churches including praise has been relegated to something we do briefly in the early portion of the service.
And a select group on Tuesday Night.
Maybe a need from time to time on the prayer chain.
But for the most part that’s it.
Each week 3 or so families are listed to pray for – How many of you pray for them each week?
75% of the time
50% of the time
20% of the time
How many have never once prayed for any name that was listed as the family of the week to keep in prayer?
Prayer – Prayed peter off of death row
When the early church prayed
The building was shaken
The Spirit Fell
The prison gates opened
The results of this kind of life-changing community:
Acts 2:41 – 3000 converts in one day
Acts 2:47 – “Each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.”
Acts 4:4 – 5000 more converts in one day
Acts 6:1 – “…the believers rapidly multiplied”
Acts 6:7 – “The number of believers greatly increased…”
GOD EXPECTS US TO BE A LEARNING CONGREGATION (v. 42a)
Notice how the early converts “devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching.”
The English dictionary defined the term “devote” as to set apart for a special use or service or to dedicate.
It also means to give up oneself or one’s time, energy to some purpose, activity or person.
Our text says that the early believers give up themselves to the study of God’s Word through the apostles.
A growing church is a church where members are willing to give up a portion of their time and energy for the study of God’s word.
GOD EXPECTS US TO BE A CARING CONGREGATION (v. 42, 46)
One that breaks bread together, ministers together, Worships together.
A strong partnership, association or fellowship attracts other participants to become investors.
Why do people join fraternities and social clubs?
What attracts them to participate?
It is the strong bond that those groups demonstrate. People do not want to be identified with weak and unstable associations.
The strength of our fellowship is not our personal ideas, opinions, nationality but our common relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Our common relationship with God should cause us to be humble toward one another.
Each must be willing to set aside his personal interest and uphold the interest of the community. Every time we come for fellowship, let look after our community interest.
GOD EXPECTS US TO BE A PRAYING CONGREGATION
You don’t have because you don’t ask.
Ask, seek, knock.
Confess your faults one to another, pray one for another.
Any sick among you let them call for the elders and the prayer of faith will make them whole.
After they had prayed the place was shook.
ALTAR CALL:
