Building Authentic Biblical Community: Community:
What Happens in an Authentic Biblical Community
Acts 2:42-47
5 October 2003
SUBJECT: What Happens in an Authentic Biblical Community
RESPONSE: Discover the elements of community practiced in the early church and challenge the people to experience this in small groups.
HOW TO/HOW LONG: Sign up for a small group this week.
We started our discussion on authentic biblical community with the fact that God exists in community—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is the first community, the first small group, the first team. When we participate in community, we are reflecting the image of God.
We’ve seen that being part of a small group, a Life Group, was important and primary in Jesus’ life and ministry. He called a number to come to him, walk with him, talk with him, learn from him, and carry on his kingdom work. Jesus did speak to large crowds. He probably taught in the synagogue weekly, but most of his time was spent with his Small Group.
Last week we learned that as we experience unity in community, we are actually an answer to Christ’s high priestly prayer.
I would trust, that after these three weeks, by now, most of you are convinced that being part of one of our Small Groups is not only a good thing to do, but also a biblical thing to do. After all, being in a group will help us be conformed to the image of God, participate in something that Jesus thought was primary, and being involved in something that will be an answer to Christ’s prayer.
But by now, you should have a good question: What will we be doing in these Small Groups? Excellent question!
What better place to go to answer that question then to the very first church with the very first Small Groups? Let’s read together from Acts 2:42-47.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he 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.
--Acts 2:42-47
Did you catch it? This very first church was committed to Small Groups! This church itself was born in the same Upper Room where Jesus met with and prayed for his Small Group. Fifty days after his resurrection, on the Day of Pentecost (kind of like our American Thanksgiving) the very first church was born as the Holy Spirit came down upon the congregation of 120 that were crowded into that Upper Room. The apostle Peter preached his sermon and we learn that 3,000 people repented, were baptized, and added to the church.
What did this church do? We read the answer to this question in Acts 2. Did you notice they met together corporately—in the temple courts? But they also met together in homes. These home groups, these small groups, these Life Groups were places where God’s people, these new believers cared for each other, learned from each other, prayed with each other, and encouraged each other.
What happens in an authentic biblical community? What do we pray happens in our Small Groups?
First, we must devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching. First and primary, we must be in the Book—God’s Word! Do you know what the apostles’ teaching is? For us, it is the Scriptures. Peter, when he preached, only had the Old Testament available to him. But we are so blessed in 2003. We have the teachings of Peter, John, Paul, and Matthew, to name a few. The apostles taught from the Old Testament and we include their writings. What happens in an authentic biblical community? People study the Scriptures, they live by the Scriptures, they’re held accountable to the Scriptures. Many of our Small Groups will be sermon-based groups. What does that mean? These groups will be discussing the Sunday morning sermon in more depth. Questions will be asked and answered. Small Group members will challenge each other to live by God’s Word. Now, can this also happen as you sit in our corporate meetings here? Probably, to some extent. But when you’re in community, you will have people to gather around you, and you will gather around others in order to live by the Book!
Speaking of community, that’s the second thing that happens in an authentic biblical community. The early church also devoted themselves to the fellowship. The word translated “fellowship” is the Greek word koinonia. That word means community, partnership, household. Brothers and sisters, 3,000 people can’t be in community. Luke must be telling us that this church very quickly formed Small Groups—house churches. He confirms it later on when he informs us they broke bread in homes. No one should be left out. No one should feel disconnected here at CBC. People shouldn’t come for months and months and have not one person know their names! We need fellowship—communities— Small Groups!
The “breaking of bread” was the third activity that took place in the very first church. These newly baptized people were obedient to Jesus’ command to celebrate the Lord’s Supper regularly. Remember what the apostle Paul wrote?
For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
--1 Corinthians 11:26
I believe, the early church most likely “broke bread” together every week. I imagine that this probably happened in homes around tables, just as Jesus instituted it in that Upper Room. Don’t you think it will be wonderful and meaningful to be in a Life Group where you can sit in an “Upper Room” and remember Jesus’ work and experience his presence in a powerful way? I do too!
This first church was also committed to prayer. That’s the fourth activity mentioned in our text for an authentic biblical community. I believe that one of the most important activities a church can be involved in is prayer. After all, Jesus’ disciples, as far as we know, never asked him to teach them to preach. They did ask him to teach them to pray. When Jesus saw the people extorting people in the temple, he didn’t call it a house of worship, but a house of prayer. Now, believe me, I would love it if we could have our prayer meeting in this room instead of the chapel. But I’m realistic; I know that won’t most likely happen. But I do know this: when we have Life Groups meeting all over Plymouth County, we will have prayer warriors praying for each other and this ministry like we’ve never seen before! Hallelujah!
The fifth activity of this newborn church was that the people were filled with awe. Why? Because of the wondrous miraculous signs that took place! Now, I’m not sure we’ll see divine healings every day. I’m not sure we’ll see people raised from the dead. But I’m pretty sure we’ll see some miracles. We’ll see some marriages put back together. We’ll see some people overcome addictions and sinful behavior. We’ll see people come to know Jesus and become connected with his family. We’ll see believers who feel alone truly experience love and caring and be able to love and care for others! I don’t know about you—but I call these things miracles!
Luke, the author of Acts, tells us that all the believers were together and shared their resources. This is the sixth activity of an authentic biblical community. This brings us back to the unity we talked about last week. I don’t think Luke means that they were all in one place as much as he means they were united in purpose and mission. This was truly an answer to Christ’s prayer just a month or so earlier! Are we together? Are we meeting each other’s needs? It’s difficult to do this unless we meet together in smaller groups where we can interact, connect, and look others in the eye rather than at the back of their heads!
These groups also came together corporately—the seventh activity. Our text tells us they met every day in the temple courts! Wow! Every day! You know what would be neat, to see some powerful relationships of community develop that when you come here, you’ll look forward to seeing your Small Group members, even sitting with them in worship! Then you’ll know you’re starting to develop community!
The early church also met together and had some great pot trust dinners (I don’t believe in pot luck!). The eighth activity is meeting in homes, with joy and gladness around the table! You know you’re a family when you break bread, lobster, cheesecake, and meat loaf together. I’m hoping that our Small Groups will get together for some joyful feasts. That’s family time! (I’m available to visit all your groups on these occasions!) No one should miss out on this opportunity. Whether you’ve been here at CBC 112 years or twelve weeks, you are family! The family that chews together, glues together!
Ninth, this church praised God and had a good reputation in the community. It must grieve the Lord when his people are poor representatives of his. But this church wasn’t like that. Their worship was consistent with their lifestyle evidently. I trust that our Small Groups will also enjoy praising God and living consistently so that people will see Jesus in us. We will challenge each other in our Small Groups in these areas.
Finally, my favorite activity—the tenth one! The Lord will regularly add new believers to our church. Do you believe that? Of course he will. He will have disciples learning, growing, praying, serving, sharing their faith. We’ll have empty chairs in all our Small Groups to remind us to pray for those who need the Lord and his family! One day, and I hope soon, we’ll have people from our Small Groups up here sharing their “faith stories”—how they’ve come to faith or how they shared their faith. We’ll see this baptismal pool filled regularly, with Small Groups up here rejoicing in God’s work in people’s lives! Are you excited yet?
Well, what do I want you to do as you leave this morning? You’ve heard it before; it’s time to hear it again one more time in this series. I want you to prayerfully consider becoming part of one of our Small Groups. Take that brochure in your bulletin and make sure you fill it out this week. You can put it in the offering or give it to me today or next week if you believe God is calling you to be part of a community where you can reflect his image, join with other disciples in answer to Christ’s prayer, and participate in these wonderful activities that were essential ingredients of the early church.
