Message
Acts 2:42-47
“A Supporting Community”
My mother has a large property and there is a path that leads from the front to the back. It is completely surrounded by trees.
At night it is a very scary place. There are patches where it is very dark even when the moon is shining. When you go down that path by yourself sometimes you just start running because you give yourself a scare.
It doesn’t help that every now and then someone would hide along the driveway in the dark and deliberately scare you.
If ever we are a family together at night at Mum’s house – no-one walks down the path on their own.
You get support.
It is so important isn’t it. To have support in the journey of life that can at times create fear, bring isolation, cause doubts and make us feel vulnerable.
The Bible has recognised this truth for over 2,700 years
Two are better than one, if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
You see there? The biblical antidote for falling, isolation, fear and vulnerability is a supporting community. If a three strand cord is not quickly broken
- then how unbreakable is a family unit?
- and how unbreakable is a 6-10 person fellowship group?
- what about the unbreakable community in a 15-20 person woman’s camp?
- or a 60-70 person church?
Right from the beginning of our church the eleven of us who started the church knew this.
It has been a defining Core Value which we described it this way:-
A SUPPORTING COMMUNITY
To provide a caring environment of unity, love and fellowship.
We did this because we knew that the growing reality of our world is that we are actually becoming less and less known and more and more isolated.
Social Media ironically has made many people more antisocial.
Online Shopping means we go out less.
Blogging enables you to have all sorts of stimulating and obnoxious conversations, without leaving the house.
Church on the web can give you everything you need spiritually without leaving your armchair.
Now I recognize some positives
… it is convenient
… it helps keep contact
… it is a blessing for those who are shut in
… we get access to a wider audience
BUT
My question through all of this is - do these activities give you an environment of unity love and fellowship?
Do they give you what the Bible calls koinonia?
In the Bible koinonia looks like this.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 2:42
James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognised the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.
Galatians 2:9
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Hebrews 13:15-16
Koinonia … blogs, social media and online church just can’t give that to you.
It only comes when we you are a part of an active supporting community. For here is the reality.
• For all the weaknesses.
• For all the failings.
• For all the occasions when she has not functioned as she should.
For all of this Jesus established the church, and only the church, as His supporting community where people from different backgrounds, social classes and standards, are made into one body.
Open up your Bible to Acts 2:42-47 (read)
The word “devoted” is a key word. To be devoted means "to attach oneself", or "to hold firm", or "to spend much time in". As a church we are meant to be involved together … we are meant to be strong together.
Let’s think about it in terms of a laminated beam for a moment.
A laminated beam is not one huge piece of wood. It is made up of many pieces of wood which have been joined together.
Individually none of the pieces on their own have anywhere near enough strength to hold the weight being put on them.
Together it has strength.
However, even when it is together, and then you take away a few layers, then the strength of the beam also diminishes.
That is what are called to do – all the pieces are together doing their part.
The strength of the supporting community is directly related to the caring environment of unity, love and fellowship.
This verse shows how such an environment is achieved.
Because the devotion
The holding firm
The attaching oneself
Is a very focussed devotion
We are devoted to the Apostle's teaching. To discover what God is telling us about Jesus.
We are devoted to fellowship. A fellowship which should lead to a deep sharing of our lives together. A fellowship which makes us into people who are desperate to build up and carry each other.
We are devoted to the breaking of the bread. We don't come to the Lord's table as eggs in a carton – together in one place but fiercely individualistic. We come as an omelette – ready to mix, ready to share, ready to help one another be what God wants us to be.
We are devoted to prayer. We bring each other’s concerns and struggles before the Lord. We don’t just ignore the real issues.
It is all intertwined isn’t it.
Just like our Core Values are all intertwined.
The supporting community.
And people notice it
And people are impacted by it.
And lives are incredibly blessed because of it.
Make a brief reference to the Pilgrim Testimony
A Supporting Community.
This is a Core Value that we can be sure is very evident in our church.
But, like all the Core Value, we can grow and learn and develop and expand.
So how can we do this in a practical way.
Well actually, of all the values, this one is easy to give practical application.
Because in the Scripture there are a category of verses … often known as the “one another” verses … which teach us exactly how we can be a supporting community.
“One another” is two words in English, but it’s only one word in Greek: ??????? (ah-LAY-loan). It’s used in 100 times in 94 New Testament verses. 47 of those verses give instructions to the church.
Some examples:-
Love one another (John 13:34).
Be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10).
Honour one another above yourselves (Romans 12:10).
Live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16).
Accept one another (Romans 15:7).
Care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25).
Serve one another (Galatians 5:13).
Be patient with one another (Ephesians 4:2).
Look to the interests of one another (Philippians 2:4).
Comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
Stir up one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24).
Pray for one another (James 5:16)
(Quickly Reference the Handout. - It had all the one another verses on it)
Koinonia
A “one another” church.
A supporting community.
That is the value. Indeed it is an eternal value.
30 ‘Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
(Matthew 24:30-31)
In that moment the preaching will be over, the mission will be over, the need for discipling will be over.
But one thing will not be over.
That one thing is community.
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’
(Revelation 7:9-10)
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
(Revelation 21:2-3)
The people of God gathered … being gathered even now … for eternal koinonia
Gathered by Jesus who gave his life to make bring us together in this way.
A supporting community being given a foretaste of heaven … right here … right now.
Now that is a Value that is more than worthy of our time … our energy … and our priority.
Prayer
