A UNITY THAT GUIDES OUR STEPS
Acts 2:42-47 (p 772) February 27, 2011
INTRODUCTION:
When I was 6 years old my family took a trip out West…we traveled in a dodge Van that converted into a little camper…5 of us crammed into this little space…but it was one of my favorite childhood memories. We stopped at the corn palace, tons of little places on route 66, we visited the Rose Bowl…but the two places that stand out in my memory are Disneyland and the Grand Cany9on…Disneyland is a natural thing for a 6 year old to remember but the Grand Canyon was indescribable…Dad got us all up at sunrise the morning after we arrived …I remember watching as the dark purple sky turned into a glorious golden canvas…and stretched out for as for as you could see was the canyon….It was enormous….I'm sure I didn't know the word back then…but the word I would use now to describe the experience is "Awesome"
Even at 6 I understood this was something huge and beautiful….something so big it just didn't fit into my little mind…that's what "being in Awe" of something is all about. Your mouth drops open…there are no words to describe it…you just stand there admiring something way beyond your understanding.
It was just such a feeling which was going through the early church in Jerusalem…they were witnessing something so big, so majestic, so far beyond words…that the only word that Luke could use to describe it was "Awe" It bound this early group of believers together with a spiritual glue that could not be broken.
As you remember the day of Pentecost found all the disciples in one place and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter, the denier was now Peter the proclaimer…he preaches the "good news", that Jesus is the messiah. He bloody proclaims "This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge and you…with the help of wicked men put him to death of nailing him to a cross…but God raised him from the dead….(Acts 2:23,24)
At the end of Peters message he says "Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36)
And when the people heard this message it broke their hearts. They cried out what shall we do? An Peter told them to "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for rhe forgiveness of their sins…and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
3,000 plus came forward to do just that. It was the birthday of the Church…and only one word can describe what was happening…."Awesome"
Here's what our test says followed. Read text Acts 2:12 -47 (P772)
1.
As the early believers began their journey into the unknown with Jesus two qualities confirmed the church: Devotion and Unselfishness.
I DEVOTED TO THE CORE FOUR
"They devoted themselves…" this was a conscious choice of priorities.
These early followers of Christ had to make a decision for themselves, about what would keep them on the right path…what will help them be a the people Jesus wanted them to be and the church Jesus wants them to be…and 4 things immediately became the glue:
1) The Apostle's teaching, Fellowship, the Breaking of bread, and Prayer.
These believers didn't stop being husbands or wives, moms or Dads, business owners or workers. Each of them still had the normal everyday priorities of life…but now Jesus, changed everything…their belief in him was now reeking havoc with their former priorities.
[I took 13 students and 4 adults on a mission trip to Haiti when I ministered in West Virginia. One of those adults was Ann Mills… "Miss Ann" She was a V.P. at Beckley Savings and loan… she was the individual who approved all the loan applications which in Haiti Miss Ann took care of all the babies…she held them, loved the, fed them…some of the situations were heart breaking. When we got back to the States she had a hard time dealing with her emotions…when a guy came in to borrow 20,000bucks for a new bass boat…the faces of those babies came back…she had a hard time not saying "How can you spend 20,000grand on a boat when there are children dying…children I've held and loved…Haiti reeked havoc on Miss Ann's priorities.]
In this early church . "everyone is filled with "Awe"… being filled with "Awe" is one of the greatest definitions of true worship. God was working through the Apostles…with wonders and miraculous signs.
I'm a guy who believes in the miraculous and mysteries of God like my 6th grade Sunday school teacher's son and future daughter in-law showing up…and making decisions for Christ on the day I talk about people who have influenced us.
Wonders like that.
I believe if we were really honest about wonders and signs…we could share stories of God's intervention and timing…that would bring us to "Awe"
The "Awe" factor of God involved this group of Jesus followers…and Jesus reached havoc on their priorities.
I want to learn what Jews has in mine for me…the Apostles teaching, I want to share my life with others who are on this journey...not just on Sundays…but real, "Konini" fellowship in life. I want to be with God's people remembering why we have this New life…"I'll break the bread, I'll sip from the cup…I'll proclaim His death until he comes again. And I'll talk to God about it all in prayer…I'll talk to him everyday just like he's my best friend…because he is!
2.
The other stuff was still present in their lives, but "they'd been to to Haiti", they'd experienced the wonders of God!...they were in Awe….and Jesus reeked havoc on their view of the world…and the first thing to die on the altar of sacrifice was….self.
"Remember last week…. "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23)
If the first question you ask when it comes to God's Kingdom is "How does it effect me" you probably in the wrong kingdom.
There is a scriptural principle that causes unity…and prioritizes our focus like no othere its…
II THE J.O.Y. PRINCIPLE
We use to sing a little song in Junior worship when I was growing up…It went "Jesus first, yourself last, others in between. JOY"
"If anyone would come after me…" It’s a conditional statement…but its also exclusive you cannot truly be a follower of mine unless….you deny self.
Do we all agree that’s a true statement according to scripture?
This devoted church in the book of Acts sure did…Jesus cam first, that changed everything, self began to die…others became more important.
"All the believers were together and had everything in common."
This doesn't mean they were all the same, these believers were rich and poor, slave and free, men and women. It doesn't mean they all had the same personality or gifts…These very different believers were together, they shared a new life in Christ and because of that they had everything in common.
Some sold property and stuff for Kingdom needs and to help others. Everyday they met together to encourage and hold each other accountable…they had friendships that went beyond Sunday meetings…they ate in each others homes…with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people...this community was not just focused on themselves, but also on the society in which they lived…there faith was so genuine, so true…whether you were a believer of not life was better because of them.
Jesus had called to them… deny self, take up your cross and follow me…and that's exactly what they were doing.
Loving and serving others was a real and powerful affect of their relationship with Jesus. They were growing because of their commitment to the core 4…the proof of that…"The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
3.
The disciples who had had their feet washed by Jesus were now setting the example for others to follow…they remembered what he had said to them right after he washed their feet….
"Do you understand what I have done for you?
John 13:13-17 (p763)
They weren't Masters…they were servants and the blessings were pouring in because they were doing what Jesus done for them.
They remembered his new command.
"Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love on another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples; if you love one another" (John 13:34)
Jesus first, yourself last, others in between became the joy principle for God's blessings.
I…still believe with all my heart….it still is!
We live in an age of convenient Christianity…and convenient Christianity robs the Church of Jesus of "Awe". It replaced the Joy principal with justifications and practicality.
The reason God added to the church daily. Men. through Sat as well as Sunday was that Jesus was being lived out in the real world…people made their decisions through that which they'd devoted themselves to…the Apostles teaching, the fellowship of believers, the Lord's sacrifice and prayer….this commitment "set them apart". They were peculiar, different than everyone else at work, at home, on the streets…everyone else looked out for self…they were serving others…they were loving one another…they were disciples of Jesus.
Convenient Christianity wears the mask of believing, but reasons away self denial…crosses are gold plated, not life taking…following Jesus is something will do…as long as that path runs in the same way as mine.
Convenient Christians and convenient churches will never have a unity that guides their steps, because they Joy principle is something they talk about, but don't really practice.
Lets pray.
