Covenant Community: One in the Bond of Love
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Faith and Family
Faith and Family
We are one in the bond of love,
We are one in the bond of love,
We have joined our spirit with the Spirit of God,
We are one in the bond of love.
Love thro' Christ has brought us together,
Making our hearts as one.
By God's Spirit we are united,
One thro' His blessed Son.
Now, dear Lord, we join in worship;
Thank you for all you've done.
Thank You for this love You gave us;
Thank you for making us one.
Truly, we are one in the bond of love.
Maybe you sang this song in the past. It’s a beautiful hymn that holds deep truth for the Christian life. And it summarizes the point of my sermon nicely: that We, as a church, are to be committed to one another through a bond of love, having been sealed by the covenant love of Christ.
We’ve spent the last few months traveling through a series Marcus and I have titled called The Church: Faith and family. And the past several months we’ve been reviewing the faith aspect of our sermon series. Today we are shifting gears. Today and the next few Sundays we will be discussing the family aspect. What does life in the Christian family of God look like?
Well, there’s a few pictures in scripture we can look toward. Today we will be reading from Acts chapter 2, verses 42-47 and Acts 4:32-37; Again, that’s Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-37. So if you have your Bibles please turn there with me. And while you’re turning, I would like to address a word that I’ll be using that isn’t in these specific passages but is used elsewhere in scripture. And that word is covenant.
What is a covenant?
Covenant is a relational contract between parties that is not meant to be broken. (repeat)
Covenant is a Biblical word. It describes a contract of some sort between two different parties. Often in scripture, there is specific pattern of language used when God makes a covenant with people. We see this pattern when God makes a covenant with Abraham, with Moses, David, with Adam. In all of these examples, God is personally investing in the people, and the people are to personally invest in return. Furthermore, the covenant is sealed, and is not meant to be broken. We know from scripture and from human experience that humans are sinful and that the human side of God’s covenant kept failing. And this contract between God and man would remain uneasy until the new covenant through Jesus Christ. Jesus as the perfect man make an unbreakable covenant with God. He lived up to the end of the bargain that the rest of humanity could not attain. And God’s promise for the people of this new covenant community was the pouring out of his Spirit, salvation from sins, and renewed righteousness.
And we as a church are people of that new covenant community. We have a solid and unbreakable connection with God. We know that through Christ peace with God has been attained.
And it’s because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and resurrection that we are now united together to be one in the bond of love.
So I’m going to say it:
We are a Covenant Community
We are a Covenant Community
Following the Biblical picture of covenant, It is a goal and intention of the leadership of this church to lead our church into a renewed confession and expression of covenantal commitment toward each other. Our church has made similar claims of commitment to one another in the past, and I’ve read a few of them. So what we are doing now should not be a foreign concept to those of you who have been here a while. But it makes sense that the people of our church now come together and renew our commitment to upholding each other according to the love that is shared through the unity of Christ. Let us recapture the vision that Christ lays forth for our church community and our love for one another.
So now let’s read from scripture of this love that Christians have for each other: First Acts 2:42-47 and then Acts 4:32-37.
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.
And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold
and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,
sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Let us pray.
Looking at these verses, I wrote down five key observations:
1. They met the needs of each other according to the means which they had
And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold
and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
This selfless approach to Christian community is the same picture which Christ gave to us of how to love. It’s one that we as a church ought to emulate.
And to help us capture this idea, I would like you to compare the difference between a cafeteria line and a home family meal.
In a cafeteria, you line up and someone else serves a portion for your plate, and you slide down the line selecting what you want. Then you pay a fee at the end and leave with your food.
In a family meal, especially those big meals around the holidays, everyone brings a dish and they’re all set together. And people partake of the meal together.
The early church did not treat the new covenant community like a cafeteria line. Instead, it was a family meal. We see in these verses that each brought forth what they could to the table, according to their ability.
And that begs the question: Do you treat church like a cafeteria line, where you line up and are served and are fed, or do you treat church as something which you participate in? Do you come to church, expecting to have worship music played to you, expecting a sermon to be taught, maybe giving your offering and calling it good for the week? Or do you see yourself as a part of this larger community, and you bring your gifts and abilities to the Lord and thus in service to others? See the difference here? One motivation is selfish and self-serving, the other is selfless and self-sacrificial.
There are many Christians who shop around for a church because of the feeling of the music, or the feeling of the preacher. But this stems from a wrong attitude about the church. They believe that being a part of a church community means that things will always go the way they would like it to be, be suited to their preferences. These types of Christians overlook the needs and desires of the larger church and focus on their own interests. And often they grumble and gripe and never find contentment. These Christians are living in error.
But what is God’s command for the new covenant community? To love one another. And what does love look like? Well,
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
When we meet together as a church, the goal is not self-service. Instead, it’s self-sacrifice. How do your giftings and what you bring to the table help meet the needs of other believers in Christ? We all need strengthening. We all need encouragement. And it shouldn’t just be up to the pastor or the elders of your church to do that. Maybe you have given to this church through your finances. Great! Keep it up! Maybe you have contributed to this family through acts of service. Great! Keep it up! Use the spiritual gifts which God has given you to meet the needs that the body of Christ has. And do so with zeal and love for one another.
Why?
Because we are one in the bond of love. We share in Christ. And when you have been purchased by Christ you come to realize that you are no longer your own. That all of your gifts, abilities, belongings, so on and so forth … they all belong to God, for his use and his will.
So that’s the first observation. That the early believers met each other’s needs according to what they had. This fact reveals a philosophy, a way the early covenant community lived, that we need to recapture for our own community.
A second observation:
2. They worshipped together, in the temple and at home
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
Both public and private; Jewish families had worship integrated into the home (prayers, singing), a practice which has been lost upon our culture. They had visual queues and reminders written upon their doorposts, in their homes, that drew them to remember the things of God. Our culture tends to place a huge emphasis upon the corporate worship and subsequently minimizes private home worship. My encouragement to you is to grow and foster your home family worship. (Grow and foster your home family worship). This is not to minimize the importance of corporate worship. In fact, a healthy private worship will help embolden your communal worship. But we see believers worshipping together in the community, and inviting each other to their homes and sharing bread (aka, sharing life) and worshipping there.
But this early church community also changed worship in the home. They invited other people in. They broke bread in their homes together. Do you realize the importance of this statement?
In the ancient Near Eastern culture, breaking bread together means that you are sharing your life with them. It means that you have a deep and trusting bond, a bond of friendship. It is a declaration that you are opening your own home, your own heart, to allow another person to walk alongside you in life. It takes the believer opening their own home to allow others in.
There’s a beautiful example we have of someone who did this well.
George Mueller (1805-1898)- lived during the industrial revolution in Europe; ran orphanages for kids who had no prospective future; had daily prayer required of all who lived in his orphanages. Saw many young people come to faith in Christ as a result of this daily focus upon God. The effects of his life and private worship were evident on the day of his funeral. Many were lined up because of his lifelong of love and impacting lives for the sake of the gospel. (What do you want your reputation to be?). But this began with his choice to worship God at home in addition to his public worship.
Do you worship at home? (pause) Do you invite others to participate alongside of you in your home worship? (pause)
This early covenant community worshipped God out of hearts of thankfulness and thanksgiving.
And this ties in with a third observation:
3. They kept the focus of their love on God and were good to all people
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
This is a characteristic of not just the early church, but of the church throughout history. Christians have been the ones to step forward in love because they have a greater love displayed for them in Christ. Christians are the ones who bury the dead when barbarians leave them upon the streets to rot. Christians are the ones to visit the sick, those in prison, to open their homes to those who traveled far distances. The early church community valued acts of goodness. We as a church family also share the same values. It’s why we contribute each month to the Bridge of Love program: because we see the need of people and we want to help them, no matter where they’re at in life.
This love for others is expressed by the community and is captured through the love which God first displayed.
4. They were unified with one heart and one soul
Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.
Competing visions
Encouragement: to be of one mind. Sometimes this means having a conversation to get into the same boat.
A house divided amongst itself cannot stand.
Unified by the same covenant of Christ, and thus, a covenant with each other.
A unified house is a strong and mighty house. God’s house is not to be divided like his enemy’s, but unified because God himself is strong and mighty. His people reflect his leadership. Let us strive to be of one heart and one soul, to have all things in common, like the early church had.
5. They held a shared ministry of witnessing, emboldened by the Spirit
And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
When we are unified together, when we have the same heart and goal, the work of God’s kingdom shines forth, and the Spirit is able to move through us. A common goal unifies us together. It sets our hearts on the same thing.
Picture this: We are all climbing a mountain. (elaborate) Like climbing Mount Everest. There are some ahead of you, some behind you, some right beside you. Sometimes you help others up, sometimes you are helped up. But we are all roped together by the covenant of Christ. If one falls, we all stop until that person gets up and can move along. The progression is forward. We are united in the same ministry, in the same task, in the same goal.
So taking these observations from the early church, how can we live as an effective covenant community?
My answer would be this:
The Glue of a Covenant Community is Love:
The Glue of a Covenant Community is Love:
Not just any love, a Covenant Love. Covenant love is relational. Interdependent. Placing all of one person on the line and expecting the same from the other end. The best picture we have of a covenant between one human and another is the covenant of marriage. During marriage, each person places their whole self on the line, and the two become one flesh. This covenant is a sacred contract between two parties uniting them together before the sight of God.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Have you ever seen a church where there is no love? I’ve been to a few during my lifetime. There are many churches who meet together, pass around the offering plate, sing songs of worship, and hear a lesson, but then they leave after the service is over. There’s no more interaction with other believers. There’s no questions asking about life, or prayers over hard spiritual things, or words of encouragement, or hospitality shown through offers of invitation to one’s home. They’ve been fed, but they don’t feed others. I think those outside the Christian faith can easily recognize where there is no love. When they notice the members of the congregation scattering to the four winds of the earth as soon as the service is over and not leaning in to each other’s lives. When they do not receive the same kind of love one would expect from the people of God. And this is a danger for the church: to make everything about the service and to lose the heart behind who God is and who he has called us to be toward one another.
So I propose this question to you: If the glue of a covenant community is love, how do we grow a love for each other?
How do we grow a love for each other?
How do we grow a love for each other?
I have three proposed answers:
1. Reflect and meditate upon God’s love
Early believers were unified with one heart and one soul. The best way to do this is to remind ourselves of our first love.
Two parts of this: God’s Trinitarian Love, Christ’s love for the church
Daily reminding ourselves - first thing when you wake up; last thing you think about before you sleep
Singing Songs of Worship to ourselves and each other … This is what the early church did. How often do you speak to your soul? Do you feed it with healthy things?
I’ve seen my taste for music change the more I reflect upon the gospel of Christ. What I naturally reach for in that brief moment I’m making a decision, when I’m studying or relaxing at home or am stressed … all of these small actions add up and help me focus upon the love of Christ, setting my heart in the right place. You never know when that love might be tested. Love for each other begins with a strong personal relationship with Jesus yourself. Remain rooted in Christ so that when the storms that test your genuineness rage against the tree of your life that is above ground, you may remain steadfast in your convictions. Our love for God is a primary root. So is our love for each other.
So how do we grow in love for each other? Firstly, we reflect and meditate upon God’s love. Secondly, ...
2. Set your heart and your mind upon the word of God, allowing it to shape your emotions
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
When we understand God’s vision of love, we are able to live out love for each other.
Do you want to grow in love for your brothers and sisters in Christ?
Then allow God’s words to take priority over your heart, allow him to lead you, and leave the rest up to God.
That’s the second way to grow in love for each other.
Thirdly,
3. Take action upon the leading of the Spirit, stepping forward in faith.
This often takes sacrifice of some kind, whether it’s time out of your already busy schedule, finances when you cover the cost of another. It means setting aside your personal thoughts in order to assume the position of a listener, focusing on the care of the other before any response from the self. This is why the early believers were able to sell their own possessions and give to those who were in need. Maybe you believe in sharing what you have with others, but you haven’t made that step to do so. There’s no time like the present to start. One day God will require an account of all of us, looking to what he has gifted each one by the Spirit. Have you used your spiritual giftings well? Can you say to the Lord on that day that you have poured out as much as you have received?
Step forward in faith and allow God to use you. That’s a third way to grow in love.
Conclusion
Conclusion
We are one in the bond of love,
We are one in the bond of love,
We have joined our spirit with the Spirit of God,
We are one in the bond of love.
Christ’s covenant made with the church unites us together. We worship him together and at home in spirit and in truth. He gifts us with the Spirit and spiritual gifts, which we share with one another. He grows us in love, not only with him, but with each other. Let us commit as a church of the new covenant community to loving one another and living in community together.
We, as a church, are hereby committed to one another through a bond of love, having been sealed by the covenant love of Christ.
Let us pray.