Walking in the Spirit
Lessons from the 1st Century Church | A Study through the Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsWhen a church does what God desires, God will grow that church physically and spiritually
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
What does it look like for a church to be walking in the Spirit?
Focus Passage: Acts 2:42-47
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
44 And all the believers were together and had all things in common;
45 and they would sell their property and possessions and share them with all, to the extent that anyone had need.
46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Outline
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be about Discipleship (v. 42a)
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be about Discipleship (v. 42a)
Acts 2:42a (NASB 2020)
42a They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching...
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be about Discipleship (v. 42a)
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be about Discipleship (v. 42a)
The first century church had an expectation beyond mere conversion. We found in our last message that about three thousand souls came to faith in Christ.
41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
However, the disciples realized that the Christian walk does end at the conversion experience, it merely begins. They truly were about the Great Commission.
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The Great Commission was not just mere evangelism, but was about something deeper, something that we miss in the church today, discipleship. Jesus told His disciples, make disciples. In other words, he wanted them to reproduced themselves. How were they to reproduce themselves? They were to share the gospel. After one accepted Christ, they would need to publicly profess their new found relationship with Christ and join the fellowship of the “People of the way,” baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Finally, the process of discipleship begins with teaching them to follow all that I commanded you.
These three thousand new converts needed to be trained and equipped with the truth of God’s words and the teachings of Christ. A church that is truly walking in the Spirit will be a church about discipleship. It will be a church that believes in reproducing itself through the teachings of God’s Word, devoting themselves to the apostles’ teachings.
With that said, discipleship is not just about a list of religious dos and don’ts. It is more than just mere recitation of Scripture and the Lord’s teachings. It is far more than that. It is about fellowship. A church walking in the Spirit will be about discipleship and...
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be about Fellowship (v. 42b, 44-45)
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be about Fellowship (v. 42b, 44-45)
Acts 2:42b (NASB 2020)
42b They were continually devoting themselves to...fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
44 And all the believers were together and had all things in common;
45 and they would sell their property and possessions and share them with all, to the extent that anyone had need.
Church Walking in the Spirit will be about Fellowship (v. 42b, 44-45)
Church Walking in the Spirit will be about Fellowship (v. 42b, 44-45)
The first church was about fellowship. This is not just mere presence. It is not just about being together. It goes much deeper than that. It was about investment. It was about investing in one another physically and spiritually. As we look through our text, we see the process of investment. The process of investment in one another was not a rare thing. The Scripture tells us that they continually devoted themselves too. This was a common practice of the first church and needs to become common practice through the church today.
How was this devotion lived out? How were the disciples being obedient to the call of their Lord on their life? Remember, Jesus’s command to His disciples:
35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”
12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
They showed their love toward one another by continually having fellowship with one another. By being involved in each other’s lives. They continually broke bread with one another. This is probably signifies having meals with one another on a continual basis. No doubt this would also signify the observance of the Lord’s Supper as a reminder of Jesus’ Passion and promise to return. This was typically observed after a large meal. Brothers and sisters, we need to be involved in each other’s life. We need to be having genuine fellowship with one another. We are to be about caring for one another outside of these walls.
They continually prayed with and for one another. Fellowship is strengthened through the prayer. This fellowship is not just a fellowship that we have with the Father but also with each other. I have heard over-and-over that a family that prays together stays together. This is true. This is the same for the House of God as well. If a church wishes to stay in proper fellowship, all that we do must be drowned in prayer. Truly we are to become what God has called us to be rather than what many churches have become. As Jesus told the money changers when He cleared out the Temple:
13 And He said to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.”
They continued to be obedient to Jesus’ call:
12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
How so? They had all things in common. They sold their possessions and distributed to all they had need. This is not describing socialism. This is not about a liberalistic agenda. It was not something that was meant to be permanent. Truly, this was a need for the first century church and was purposeful to sustain a people that was under persecution, losing all they had, and many lost homes, families, and were destitute without the help of the communal body as a whole.
While this is all true, it does not mean that we, as a contemporary church, cannot learn from them. We show genuine fellowship when we look beyond our own needs and our own personal agendas and begin to see the needs of others. We show the love of Christ in a very real way when we sacrifice ourselves to help fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We are called to love one another. We are called to provide for one another, help one another, assist one another, as the family of God shows need and we have the ability to fulfill that need.
When we help others, let us not expect anything in return.
A church walking in the Spirit will be a church that is about discipleship, about fellowship, and a church that God will bless. Why? Because it will be a church seeking the Kingdom of God rather than her own kingdom.
33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be Unified, Magnified, and Multiplied (vv. 44, 47)
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be Unified, Magnified, and Multiplied (vv. 44, 47)
44 And all the believers were together and had all things in common;
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be Unified, Magnified, and Multiplied (vv. 44, 47)
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be Unified, Magnified, and Multiplied (vv. 44, 47)
As already stated, a church that is walking in the Spirit, will be unified. They truly will be together and had all things in common. As they showed true fellowship, genuine care and relationship with one another, and truly showing the love that Jesus had called them to show toward one another, God blessed. We find that God blessed the church in two ways:
God showed His glory through them by magnifying them. We find a testimony of this magnification, Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. When God is active in a local church, it is apparent that God is here. It is also as apparent when God is not present. I pray that God shows up and shows out every service. I want to see God do a mighty work every service. I come expecting God to move. How about you? Do you pray for God to be here with us? Do you pray for God to show up and show out?
Not only does God show His favor on the church by showing His glory through the church, He also multiplies the church.
We find the Scripture that , praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. I look forward to the day that God’s presence is so strong here at CBC that we see people coming to a new found faith in the Lord day by day.
We see a church walking in the Spirit will be about discipleship, fellowship, and being unified in one mind, one heart, and one desire, to bring glory to God. If we do as God has called us, we can be assured that God will magnify and multiply when He is being honored.
Finally, we see that...
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be Committed (vv. 46-47; Ac 6:1; Ac 17:11; Ac 16:5)
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be Committed (vv. 46-47; Ac 6:1; Ac 17:11; Ac 16:5)
46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be Committed (vv. 46-47; Ac 6:1; Ac 17:11; Ac 16:5)
A Church Walking in the Spirit will be Committed (vv. 46-47; Ac 6:1; Ac 17:11; Ac 16:5)
Corporate worship was not optional for the first century church. Nor should it be for us today. We find that they day by day continued with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread house to house. They were committed to corporate worship in the House of God. We need to remember the call of the Scripture over our lives:
25 not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Our worship of God should not be limited to corporate worship at the house of God. It should be practiced in the home too, house to house. They did not limit their worship to God for one hour on Sunday. For the first century church it was a day by day worship. You want to know why God isn’t showing up in the modern church the way He did in the first century…this just might be the key. We think that one hour a week is good enough, but for the first century church, they believe seven days a week wasn’t enough. This is to our shame.
As they came to worship, whether at the temple or from house to house, they did with gladness and sincerity of heart. They did not come to worship the Lord with an agenda on their mind. They did not come with an attitude of lets get this over with, I have other plans this afternoon. They did not come with a heart of division and with an attitude of, do I have to do this again?
Remember, when church becomes an option for us, our children will see no need in church at all.
Conclusion
This message has been about the church. It has been about identifying a church walking in the Spirit. The church is not these four walls. The church is the body of Christ within these walls. With that said, are you walking in the Spirit? Are you about discipleship? Are you about genuine fellowship? Are you about being unified to see God magnified? Finally, are you committed?
However, the most important question that I can ask is, Do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior? Have you called upon the only name that can save, Jesus Christ.
13 for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”