The Church community Acts.2: 42-47.
Why does CBC exist? What is our purpose here at CBC?
Many Churches can lose their God given purpose or can be driven by other things like by the upkeep of a building, tradition, programs, finances, events, and personalities. What is our purpose? Its vital important to know our purpose, otherwise we will be like a ship on the open seas with out a rudder drifting along aimlessly and getting nowhere.
I believe our purpose is to be: ‘A Church building community, where everybody is somebody and Jesus Christ is Lord.’
And I believe the clearest evidence to support this mandate is found in the Bible: Matt;22.34 28;19 The two greatest commandments and the great commission.
The clearest example of this pattern is in Acts.2:42-47. Lets look at the 1st Century community of believers.
1. A learning community v42 Apostles teaching,
Matt.28:19 Jesus said go into the whole world and make disciples…teaching
Christians are to be people who are being nurtured and built up in the faith. The Church should be a place where there is a desire for learning. Notice what it says they devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching:
I remember when I first left school at 16 with no qualifications, yet I got a job and earnt a living what could I do with all the extra income I had? My mother told me to take driving lessons. I had 26 lessons in all, it was money well spent it was intense but I devoted myself to passing the test. Should’nt we be as keen to learn and grow in our faith by being devoted to the apostles teaching? Do we desire to finish the race? Then we must be devoted to learn more from Gods Word.
The apostles teaching as we see from Peter’s sermon focused upon Jesus being the fulfilment of all Gods promises to redeem and renew his people. Acts 2:22, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 32, 36.
Jhn. 8:31 Jesus said if you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples
A true characteristic of a Christian is a genuine desire to learn from Gods word. A follower of Jesus is called a disciple
1Pet 2:2 like new born babies crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation
This has to be paramount in a Church building community. We do what we do as a direct result of what Gods Word says there is no other benchmark.
Jesus rebuked the devil himself from the Word Matt.4:4 Man shall not live on bread alone but from every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
Deut 8:3
We need to be maturing as Christians in our faith.A real barometer of where we stand before God is to ask ourselves how desirous are we to learn from Gods word? The purpose of Gods word is not only to bring saving faith but also to bring spiritual maturity.
Col.1:28 Present every man mature in Christ.
The most popular exotic fish dived for is the shark. Did you know that a shark can be kept in fish tanks and they will only grow in proportion to their surroundings so a fully mature shark can be as small as 6 inches yet that same shark in the open waters will grow to 8 ft. Are we growing? Are we putting ourselves in the correct surroundings?
The purpose of the Church is to be a MATURING community growing into our full spiritual maturity, maturing under Gods word, in turn this will equip you to be a stronger Christian, and bring a solid foundation to your life: Eph; 4:11 – 13.
Psalm 119: 15,16 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees I will not neglect your word.
B. V46 who meet everyday! Notice we will not grow in isolation but in community they grew together.
Notice they meet everyday! Not only on the Lords day, but everyday!
When revivals take place this sort of thing is happening before-hand Christians are meeting together.
Did you now there is a group of people called the Leicester Watchman who pray for our city 24hrs a day everyday.
But also in homes
Notice they meet in the temple courts, but also in homes this is a biblical pattern to follow which we have recently implemented a place where we can share with one another they broke bread in homes ate together and remember the Lord! And others would come along and be nurtured. This isn’t a new thing but a Biblical example;
Jesus himself went to synagogues but he also meet in homes
Levi’s home, Simon the lepers, lazarus home, the upper room, Peters home, a home in Galilee, Pharisees house and in each one of these homes what is going on the people are being taught.
The challenge for us is to meet together more often. This should be our genuine desire. As we share our lives and experiences together, if were distant how much more are we going to be with others? I would like to challenge each one of you to consider coming to the mid week growth groups.
If getting out is a problem, don’t hesitate to see me in regard to lifts or how about opening up your home to the growth group. Lets be like these 1st century believers taking all the opportunities we have to be a people devoted to learning from Gods Word.
2. A loving community v42 v44 (everybody is somebody)
V42 devoted to the fellowship.(common participation)
The local Church where they are placed. If we are to be a loving community we need to be devoted to each other. Gods Church will be highlighted by a loving fellowship together.Jesus gave his disicple a new command Jhn.13: 34 as I have loved you so you must love one another, by this all men shall know if you are my disciples if you have love one for another.
2nd greatest commandment is to love your neighbour as yourself. This Church was manifesting these two commandments they shared in a loving fellowship. There was harmony amongst them. All the believers were together.Acts 4:32 All the believers were one in heart and mind.
A relationship based Church based upon love because he first loved us we can love others. If we think we can love God and hold bitterness and grudges towards others we are mistaken we are called to forgive and love one another. Each one of us is made in the image of God and as such are of special worth. We are called to love one another.
1Cor.1:10 I appeal to you that all of you agree with one another so that there be no divisions amongst you: and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
3 A ministering community V44 45 4:32-36 (‘everbody is somebody’)
I am sure many of you will have seen the film the Matrix with Keanu Reeves, where he fights with thousands of clones of a particular agent everyone identical. Gods community is’nt like that we are diverse. Jesus brings people from all different types of social political and cultural backgrounds and infuses them together into a loving fellowship:
Socially then (slave Onesimus and Master Philemon) now (down and out drug- addict and up and out the aristocrat)
Political then (Roman Cornelius and Pharisee Paul ) now ( labour and conservative )
Cultural then (Jew Peter and Samaritan half Jew ) now,( Arab and westerner) a diverse range of backgrounds we see in the world so often they could not mix together but in the Church they are infused into a loving fellowship where Jesus is at the centre for each.
We all are called to minister like the master was it not Jesus who ministered to the outcasts of his cultural epoch.
This diverse community is so that we can minister in a multifaceted way reaching out in many different areas. You can minister in areas I cannot and to people I cannot the needs can range from spiritual, emotional, relational and physical. But each one of us needs a servant attitude.
The NT ministry in Acts.
Here it was through sacrificial giving, they shared all that they had! This in turn would impact the wider community as they witnessed this generosity, as they too became part of the community. They began by showing Gods love within the Church community:
Recently by giving to particular needs, Whetstone Baptist Church recently had a gift day and £72.000 was given because of a need. That’s God community ministering through generosity.
Ministering in this way is counter culture
Willow Creek Church in America has pools of recycling where cars, holidays, accommodation, clothing and money are given to others.
Application As a Church community we need to be seeking ways to minister to others corporately as a fellowship: Youth mix, The kids work to benefit young children and families, Summer sizzlers seeker services, young mums outreach with practical help, visitation of community listening to their needs.
Personally we need to be ministering to others, seeking ways of meeting the needs of the community through acts of kindness. Like running errands for people, giving gifts, passing on clothing store to those in need, lifts to shopping, gardens tidied, being generous not only with our finances but our whole lives.
It was Jesus who said even a cup of water given in my name was considered as ministry. Jesus taught to love our enemies to lend expecting nothing back be merciful as your father in heaven is merciful: We are to imitate God.
The last public address given on MAY 9TH 1912 by W.Booth, he said “Soup, soap and salvation. While women weep as they do now, I’ll fight. While little children go hungry as they do now, I’ll fight. While men go to prison, in and out, in and out I’ll fight. While there is a poor lost girl upon the street I’ll fight. While their remains one dark soul without the light of God I’ll fight, I’ll fight to the very end.
4. A evangelising community (Church building community)
V47 and the Lord added to their number daily .
5x we are told Mrk16;15. Lke;24:47-49. Jhn.20:21. Acts.1;8 Matt.28;19’ make disciples of all nations.’
The word ‘to go’ in the great commission is present participle in the Greek text it should read as you are going. It is every Christian’s responsibility to share the good news wherever they go!
To tell of his death resurrection and his coming again one day we will give an account to God on how seriously we took this responsibility. In fact it’s greater than a responsibility it’s a privilege that we are invited with God to bring people into His eternal family. Wehave something far greater than the cure for cancer we have the Words to eternal life!
V47 Ultimately we see that its God who adds to the number, but he desires to work through us. So it is vital that we always keep in view our purpose as Christians.
5. A worshipping community v42 v47 (where Jesus Christ is Lord)
I heard the story of a little boy who comes home from Church kneels by his bed and prayed we had a good time at Church today but I wish you had been there!
So often we can feel we are just going through a form an empty tradition, what we all really desire is the presence of God.
The greatest commandment is to love the Lord……I Church today as become the me Church we want to love ourselves but we dont really love God as we ought.
To worship simply means a people, who love God, we are called to love God with all our hearts. This is the churches first purpose to worship God! It’s not in preparation to something else but fulfilling a major purpose of the Church In relationship to God.
C.S. Lewis said, “In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy him.” God wants our worship to be motivated by love, thanksgiving and delight not duty.
Col.3:16 sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.. Eph.5: 16-19
It doesn’t matter about numbers whether theirs 10 or 10,000 in the congregation, what matters are we worshipping people? Expressing love towards God.
In the world people worship Pop, Movie, football stars they become idols. With the death of the pope recently we have see millions of people worshipping a man.
Notice worship come before service. Matt.4:10 worship the Lord your God and serve him only. Sometimes we can get so busy for God in service, doing things rather than worshipping him with the busyness of our lives worshipping God can often take a back seat.
Psalm: Be still and know that I am God.Psalm.34:1.We should never be worshipping out of duty but because we want too, expressing our love to Him, it’s our natural desire. We are commanded to worship Him!
Our whole lives Rom:12:1 Spiritual act of worship.
Eph 1;12 To live to the praise of his glory
But worship of God doesn’t end at Church when the bell rings but our whole lives should be spiritual act of worship Rom.12:1 God wants us to lay our lives before take hold of me Lord use me Lord daily laying aside our own desire and putting ourselves at his disposal.
Keeping these purposes in balance and review, all the time…. They should enable us to be a balanced and purposed Church...
