The Beginning Of The Church

The Beginning of the Church

Acts 2:40-47

As we have studied Acts, we have learned some basics of the Gospel message. Jesus left heaven and came as a baby, taught about the kingdom of God, and died on the Cross for our sins.

Jesus then rose again and is currently seated at the right hand of God the Father. After Jesus rose from the dead, He gave us His Holy Spirit which was the beginning of the Church.

Today, the Universal Church includes everyone and anyone throughout time, who placed their faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross to be saved from sin and have eternal life.

Why is that important? Because Jesus is the head of His body, the Church, and if we are saved, we are members of His Church.

Being a member of the Universal Church should cause personal growth and a deeper connection to Jesus and other followers.

Being a member of the Church should bring joy with a sense of community, belonging, support, and shared faith, as we connect with others who have also trusted Christ for salvation.

Members of the Universal Church then attend a local Church.

Within the local church, we also share community and belonging. We share a common faith, worship, personal growth and development, and hope as we encourage each other.

Please open your Bibles to Acts 2 as we continue in that study.

Last week we looked at the 3rd part of Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 and spoke about Jesus being both Lord and Christ.

Today, we will discover what part these early Disciples played in the growth of the church and the joy they experienced by simply following the basics in church, once filled with the Spirit.

We will also discover how we can get back to the basics of how the Church should operate to experience the Joy of the Lord.

I. The sermon’s results.

Read Acts 2:40-41

Peter preached a powerful sermon, filled with the Holy Spirit, and three thousand people received Christ.

Notice “with many other words he testified…

According to outline of Biblical usage, to testify means “to earnestly, religiously to charge, to attest, testify to, solemnly affirm, or to give solemn testimony to one.

Although Luke wrote Acts 2 about Peter’s sermon, the entire sermon was not recorded word-for-word for us to read.

Peter had a lot more to say as he had become a witness for Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Notice, “and exhorted them.” The word exhort in the original language means to beg, entreat, beseech, encourage, and strengthen by consolation, to comfort with the Word of God.

This is what we are called to do for each other with the Word.

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers.

2 Timothy 4:4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.

2 Timothy 4:5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. NKJV

And what was Peter exhorting them to do? To be “Be saved from this perverse generation”.

A couple of weeks ago we read Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;

We know every generation without Christ is perverse, but the people that Peter was preaching to in Jerusalem were especially perverse because they had consented to Christ’s death.

Thousands of people heard the Gospel that day, but 3,000 of them responded to the Gospel.

Because those 3,000 people knew their need for a Savior, they received Jesus and submitted to His command to repent and be baptized.

And notice the response of those who would receive…

Re-read Acts 2:41

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. NKJV

So, allow me to ask you a question: “If the LORD is the same, yesterday, today, and forever, can He provide a revival like that here in Klamath Falls?

II. Early Christians were determined learners.

Read Acts 2:42

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine.” The NLT Acts 2:42 devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching.

dictionary.com says that steadfastly means fixed in direction, firm in purpose, resolution, faith, attachment, and unwavering as a resolution, devotion.

These folks didn’t just read the Word casually once in a while, they were hungry for more of God’s love letter written to them.

These early believers were committed to the Word of God and wanted more and more of it because a true follower of Christ wants to know about the object of their affection.