Acts 2:42 Community | Pastor Jose Brevil

This morning, I want to talk to you about Acts 2:42 Community, which is the Christian Community. So life in the Christian Community, what it should look like and we going to go straight to the Texan everything that I'm going to share with you will be coming straight through the text. And I want to share with you this morning for in sensuals, for priority, is for a Christian Community and it's coming straight from the text. So in Acts 20, verse 42, it says, end day, that's the Believers devoted themselves to the apostles, teaching the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the Prayers. Let's read it together and they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. Alright. So it seems like most of you did not have breakfast this morning. So let's try one more time. Do devoted themselves to d.c. Chang the fellowship to the breaking of bread and to the prayer. I'm not going to help you with your not eating breakfast this morning. Cuz I'm going to make you even more hungry because we're going to talk about breaking of bread without any food. So it's a 242 that's what the Christian Community gauge supposed to be. So, Why do you do search? Where do you go to church? You know, what would you say? I want you to think about that for 30 seconds if someone would ask you, why do you go to church? Why do you do Church? What would you say?

So let's have some interaction. So, why do you do Church? Why do you come to church?

Let's hear it.

The boy that gets you closer to God. What else? Fellowship. What else? Peace giving.

Please, women. I don't know. It's not always peaceful.

To worship God.

Forming friendships. To learn.

Everything else?

You're supposed to be so requirements, what else?

Now, let's look at ask for it, 2:42 and then let's see what it says. So really, we're here to build a Fenton Community to impact our world for Christ. That's why we go to church. We hear the bill offense. Eric, Christian Community. So we can impact our world for Christ. And that's why we meet here together as Believers. So we can build an offensive christian community so we can pack our war world for price. So here's a message in one sentence, it is essential that Believers prioritized building a Fanta Christian Community by focusing on what's really important, it is essential that Believers prioritized building a fence Christian Community by focusing on what's really important and I want to share for Essentials which you've seen in the text for Essentials of priorities for authentic, Christian Community all about you. But but often You go and doing a lot of activities that has nothing to do with your actual purpose and goal, and often as Believers, we may do a lot of activities, but they are not like the essential ones that the Bible calls us to do. And as we look at the text are, we see four things that Bills offensive Christian communities, so that we can impact the world because I was Believers. We have a common savior which is Jesus Christ. We have a common Mission and that mission is to go and to make disciples for Christ and to teach everyone all that Christ has taught us everything that we have learned. So the priorities for us is Christian. The first one is the word of God. Because the word of God is our standard for living, you cannot say that you're a Christian but I don't live by the Bible and unfortunate little Christians today would tell you oh I am a Christian but I don't do this but I don't do that. They are straight from scriptures, you are a Believer. You need to be devoted. You need to be committed to scripture. That's what it says the devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, that's the authoritative authoritative teaching of the word of God. Without that, we have no basis for Christian Community. And a lot of Christian Community, did not really Christian communities and they have nothing to do with the Bible and it will not be surprising. You go to some Churches today and the pastor preach without ever opening the Bible. He just gives the speech and it had nothing to do in the Bible. He might reference a Bible verse right there to prove his point of view, just giving all his opinion. And that's why you see here at our church, we strive to teach the Bible book by book and verse by verse. So that when you come here, don't come to you my opinion. But you come to hear the very word of God. That's it. That's all I care about. I don't care about my own opinion. Only care about what God's word says. It says, the devoted themselves. That means they committed themselves to the apostles teaching, which is the word of God. And that's why you see today, some people want to take the title Apostles to the Dickens. So you do speak for God. That means so they can decree and declare everything that God wanted to say to us, it's already in the Bible, nobody needs to decree and declare anything else that is not already in the word. It's all in here at the apostles, Jesus chose them in the beginning and anywhere we can not even have apostles today because they had to see Jesus face-to-face. So how can you see Jesus face-to-face? If Jesus was there two thousand years ago? Okay, so here it seems. We are devoted to the apostles teaching, that's the revealed word of God, which we all have right now. It is the Bible. Nobody can be clear and be and be Curry and declare what God has not said. So we go straight to the word of God. Nothing else. And as we go, we take the teaching and do what the word says. It says. That's why the people were devoted to the apostles teaching For us today, the Bible, which is the word of God. Because 2nd Timothy 3 16 to 17 says, Some scriptures is breathed out by God. Only one of you is not sleeping. It says, some scriptures is breathed out by God or three of you are awake. Now, he says, some scripture is breathed out by God. Thank you. All scripture is breathed out by God. Is there anything here in the Bible? That's not breathed out by God and we can see God did not say that. Is he, as Believers? We need to have a very high view of scripture, not alone, view of scripture, which must have us to do today. We have a very low view of scripture, but the Bible says, all scripture is breathed out by God. All means all, and that's all all means. It says, all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable. That means there's benefits to it for teaching, for reproof, for correction, we don't like correction and for training in righteousness, Got the man or the woman of God, may be complete, perfect. That means they are equipped. They are ready for every good work. Soon, as look at it, all scriptures, that means every word of God is true is breathed out by God. That means it's the very word of God and it is profitable but a lot of us don't believe that the word of God is profitable, but instead we see the word of God is actually keeping me from doing the things that I really want to do. But the Bible tells us a when we follow God a fully we fully committed, the scripture it's going to be for our benefit. There will be profit in it but the problem we have to be a lot of us. We want God bless. And anytime we want, God bless weekend. I really experienced true happiness. Some of us resyncing God, and then I'm trying to seek happiness. I'm trying to do every kind of thing, so I can find happiness. But the Bible is saying 8, if you just Pics scripture. Completely you. Follow God, fully it will be profitable. Does that mean you're going to have happiness, of course. And a lot of Christians are miserable today because they trying to do God Plus and anytime we're doing God, plus we cannot be truly happy and finding joy in God because we are not fully committed, just think of a relationship. If you're in a relationship with someone and they not fully committed to you, would you find joy in that relationship, completely? You will always doubt that relationship cuz you're fake like, one day. It might be taken away from you and you not sure whether the person is with you 100%. It's like you walking on eggshells. You think that's why commitment is important. That's why it says the devoted, they committed themselves to nothing else but scripture cuz all scripture is profitable. And for a lot of us a scripture is that being profitable to us because we are not fully committed to it. While we commit, it's somewhat to the scripture, but we also want some Plus God doesn't come with any plus, it says do not add to his word. It says, we take the word as it is. Taught in the Bible. It says it's good for teaching. Let me see. Pictures of us. What to do it teaches us? What is wrong? So we can not do it and it teaches us. What is right? So we can do it. It says it's good for teaching is good for reproof. There are some times you will need some reproof and you will need some correction. And the word of God is not just to say give you a pat on the bed on the back, but the word of God is also, they are to correct you when you messing up. And for training in righteousness, showing you the way she. That's why the Bible says I put before you life and death and he says choose life. That's training. You letting you know, I hate this is the path you should go. This is that the men of God may be complete so that you're not lacking anything that you ready for every good work of the word of God is Psalm 19. It says the law of the Lord is watching with me.

Come on, you got to get over that breakfast. The love. Lord is perfect. It says, Reviving The Soul, the testimony of the word. That's another word for the word of God. The testimony of the Lord is what? Sure, making wise the simple. The precepts, the same word for the word of God, of the, of the precepts of the Lord or what? Come on. There are right rejoicing, the heart. Is that beneficial Amendment same thing again, for the word of God. The word of the Lord is what? Pure that means it's not diluted and lightening. The eyes is that profitable. You bet it is. Where's 9? The fear of the Lord is clean and doing how long forever, the rules, same forward, the wheels of the Lord or what? True and righteous all together. Versed. And it says more to be desired. Are they than gold? So, what does that mean? We need to seek God's word much more than we go for getting a paycheck.

Cuz goal that's the standard. That was a standard uniform money. So more to be desired. Are they than gold? And can we truly say that that we are Desiring, God worth more than gold or is it always like a paycheck on my mind so I can pay my bill so I can buy the things that I want. The God is saying, you need to desire my word more than money. More to be desired than gold even much Spangled. That means like, you know, the million dollars, the best sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. This is more over by them is your servant warned that a lot of us get in trouble just because we're not in God's word because he's poor and God's word. We would have avoided this trouble because we would have received our warning from the word of God and keeping them. There is what

Did it says that when you keep God's where you going to be miserable, it says when you keep God's word, what do you get? Why you still hungry, huh? I think we're going to have to, we're going to have to go order some food after service cell in keeping God's word. There is what

Great rewards. See God's word is profitable. When you keep God's word, you will be rewarded. The word equips us for Ministry. Remember, we are here to build a Fenton community so that we can impact our world for Christ. So it equips is for ministry. That's why it says, gave them the apostles in the beginning to start the church, the prophets, the Evangelist the Shepherds and teachers to do what?

To do what?

What does it say in verse 12 to, to equip the sense for the work of Ministry for building up the body of Christ? So when you come here, you come to be equipped to be built so that you can go and make disciples and teaching all the things that God has commanded you to do. That's why we come. But here's the truth. Right now is what we face in our culture. We live in that time or not, the culture, but believers do. Very little regard to the word of God. Believers do not have a high view of scriptures. Believers today have a very low view of scriptures. It's like we like Steve Urkel. Did I say that? Like did God say that? We know God said it but we still want to go our way because God's word. We looking at at God's word, the Bible retreated more like a suggestion book as opposed to the very word of God to be obeyed. And that's why today our churches have no power because believers do not have a high view of scriptures. We do not have much impact in our community because we don't have a high view of scripture. We have a very low view of scripture, as long as scripture is not giving me what I want the gold. Then it's not working for me. You think we come to serve Christ and that's why our joy needs to come from our Salvation. What Christ has done for us the word of the god, the Bible is not a suggestion, it is the very word of God and God gives us his word. It is to be obeyed, it's not for us to just look at it and say that God did not really say that I can go my own way. But it says, Bible, teaching today is seen more as the word of the pastor other teacher as opposed to the very word of God. Remember, the teacher is just the messenger.

Look up, proverbs. 30 verse 526 is every word of God. Proves what?

He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Is it, if you don't look at God's word and look at it every word of God is true, it is for me to be obeyed. You are not serious about your Christian walk. What does it? Says do not add to his words less. He does. What rebuke you? And some of us we just leaving in rebuke, after rebuke from God and you be found a liar. That means in the end, you will lose

That's what he saying Andy and you think that you right. You know what the Bible says? There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads in what in destruction. So God is saying hey if you don't think that every word I that I teach you is pure that it is true that then you want to add to his word, you want to do your plus, you want to do things like your way? Got this as a rebuke to going to come in your life and then in the end you going to realize that I was right in the first place. Is it clear?

Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. That means you are protected. When you follow God's word, do not add to his word unless he rebuked you and you be found a liar. See, that's my prayer for our church 1st Thessalonians, 2:13. And it says, and we also thank God constantly for this that when you receive the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you Believers. So, let's read it together and we also thank God constantly for this. Said when you receive the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it and that as the word of man, but as what it really is the word of God which is at work in, you Believers. Oh father, I pray for each one of us including me in your spokesperson that eyes we go for your word. Lord God, we take it for exactly what it is. Your truth and help us look guy to abide and live by it. So the bottom line for True communities to exist, we need to focus on the word of God and the Bible says and and the bottom line is when you hear God's word Brooklyn straight from the text, take it for what it is. The very word of who Very word of God. So the second things that is important or true Community for offensive community, so that weekend and pack our community impact, our world for Christ is fellowship Fellowship. Which means life together, which means life together, Fellowship means life together. The word Fellowship means that we have something in common that you cannot have fellowship. If you do not have some things in common for believers, the things that we have in common is that we have a common God. We have a common Savior Jesus Christ. We have a common mission that mission is to go in to make the sipos and impact our world for Christ's sake. We see we have the common salvation. That's what caused us to meet together. So Believers get together because we are saying we shop in one another. We will challenge one another, we get equipped so we can go out. Make more disciples, bring more people to our fold so that we can build a fence in community together, do life together, and then we keep going and repeating it and Adventure, sing God's Kingdom for Christ, we're becoming more and more. You see the word Fellowship means like to fellow on a ship, which means that we are on a ship. We go in in the same direction via. And that's the problem. We have often today. Just in churches like we're going the same direction. And I remember there was a pastor, doing some biblical counseling and talking to the wife, the wife came and was asking for Bill counseling and and saying you know how I feel like there's a lot of attention in our marriage and it just things are just not working and we having some problems. And the fastest way to say, what, what's going on is like you what has change unless she could not figure it out. Then then the pastor says, you know, when does tension and marriage, the problem is, like, if you think of two bricks, if you put two bricks together, you starting having like some tension and things are rubbing against each other. What's happening? I don't like when we moving in the opposite direction. When you're moving the opposite direction. What's happening, you rubbing against each other, right? Or one is going too fast, and the other was going too slow and then you just keep rubbing, okay? But if we're both going the same direction at the same time, what's going on? It's just very beautiful and a lot of time would we have like in Christian communities? Just we never really on the same ship. We might be together, but we not go in the same direction. Sea life together is like we need to be going the same direction. Amos 3:3 say can two walk together unless they agree. Still life. Together is men's intimate. Not just like casual community and that's what a lot of churches are. Today is just really casual. There's nothing intimate and it's not strange for people to be in a church and they really have no real relationship and it doesn't have to be great, but it's knowing that we are going the same direction, eventually we're going to spend all our eternity with Christ together. We're going to be together forever so I can rely on you to pray for me. I can rely on you. Like to teach me to tell me the word of God. I can rely on you to be there for me because we are in community together. And for most of us, it is just a casual. We might be here, but we here together all the time, but you don't know anything about me, but I don't know anything about you. You might be dying right now on the inside and ready. Just to be like on edge of even committing suicide and then nobody here even know about it. And I've seen it in churches, people going together and then do tomorrow you hear, or John, just committed suicide and then, nobody had any idea what was going on in Jon's light while John was going, like flu a great ordeal and great problems but because they were just there with casual relationship was your week. How's work going? It's all going great. But never have any spiritual conversation and never really liked going to eat man. I'm really struggling with this. Can you pray for me? I'm really having a hard time. But most of us, we don't even have those kinds of relationship. We just go, we sing some songs together. We hear the message, and then we go. But that's how I'm most Christian communities are going today. The fellowship is really intimate and then we have a friend with just lost her husband, you know, tragically and it just beautiful that is in here. Like, you know what, her Church community with the people are doing the cooking for her, going over to our house, you know, planning tea parties to send spend time with her people are taking different shifts, to be able to be there with her, to make sure that she's not left by herself cuz she's leaving the house by herself. That's what Christian Community is, see it's intimate. When we know somebody hasn't been, then we go ahead and try to meet that need. But a lot of us, we just in the Christian Community together. We don't even know what each other's needs are. And we just suffering alone, but the Christian Community is intimate. It's not just a casual Community Spirits, the Christian Fellowship is real. It is deep sea. And the problem is that a lot of us. Our vertical Fellowship is liking our vertical. Fellowship is our fellowship with God, and on till our vertical Fellowship is not right? It's hard to have a horizontal Fellowship. If you're looking for is John verse 3, what is this, our fellowship is with God, the father, and then it comes to each other. And if you're having a hard time having Fellowship, horizontally probably does a vertical problem that needs to be address where we truly having fellowship with god, with prayer, with worship, depending on God. So that we can have True Fellowship with one. Another, how intimate is your relationship with Christ? The deeper your relationship becomes with Christ, then the deeper your relationship will be with one. Another, when it both the vertical and horizontal Fellowship, you think? And the basis for Fellowship. Is the word of God. The basis for Fellowship is the word of God. Without God's word. Fellowship just becomes socializing. And most of the time in churches. What we do? We just socialize, we don't even talk about the word of God. And I remember going out, we were friend, recently had a new started bringing the word of God and say, oh now you know we just hanging out now not naming names.

That was not fellowship. If you're not talking about God's word, it was just socializing. So we need to make the difference in which there is somebody getting the lights Fellowship. If the word of God is not mention, we not sharing like a deep need for prayer. It was not Fellowship, it was just socializing. So, and the word Fellowship today, just very lightly and everywhere people that do, you know, that's Fellowship. Together them, if God's word is not in it, there is no fellowship and doesn't mean that we just pray. Do you know, before we meet together and eat together, our conversations need to reflect how we growing in Christ together and how we are challenging one, another to grow in Christ. See many Christians walk, a lonely path, and that includes church leaders. Which often you do not really just do life was too many people because sometimes you just, you know, the way that you teach people think that you're reading their males because you were with them that you preaching certain way. Sometimes let me stay by myself and just get it straight from the word of God. So nobody thinks I'm just throwing things at them because I had a conversation with you but knowing that I'm just teaching you the word of God, still too many of us walk a lonely path. That's where a lot of churches. When you said that my mother passed a, that just goes to the back door and you never see him. All those are just very strategic. Fee many Christian walk, a lonely path too much including many church leaders in those who are suffering and especially in our culture. We promote people when they are suffering to suffer alone and then we just let me know if you need anything.

Better. But I just called weird to say, okay, leave me alone.

Oh, you don't we not really doing come in and people were suffering alone. I don't want to bother anybody but really the real word that you really trying to say, I don't want to bother anybody. What you really saying a when somebody else is in problem you know, you don't want them to bother you either. So really what you really talk to you really talking about yourself when you saying that I'm going for suffering, I don't want to bother anybody else because you know that when people are going for something you don't want them to bother, you really that statement is really just about you and that about the other person in the Bible, tells us in Proverbs 18, verse one will ever isolates himself, seeks his own desire, Whoever isolates himself, seeks his own desire, he breaks out against all sound judgment isolates himself, seeks his own desire, he breaks out against all sound. Judgment, C, Fellowship, must be centered on Christ. If Christ is not in it with, did not have Fellowship as I already mentioned, in Amos 3:3 10 3 to walk together unless they agree agreeing on Christ. Should cover it as Believers because it says be oh, how good and Pleasant. It is when Brothers dwell in unity. Jesus prayed for this for us in John 17:17, says Sanctified them by the truth, your word in his truth. And in his continuous verse 20 verse 21 where Jesus says, I pray that they might become one just like we are one. See God wants unity in the Christian Community. God wants us to say when we coming to church when we getting together as Believers. We think of it as good, how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell in unity. You see versus someone 22 verse 22. I was what they with me. Glad when they say to me let us go to the house of the Lord. You see coming together as Believers should not be like a drag. She's our girl today, man. That's my time to sleep in. I was glad when they say to me, let us go to the house of the Lord. So really our attitude is one that today is church and I can't wait to see. So until I can't wait to see someone so I can't wait to get together. That's what the song that says I was glad. When they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord. You see, when we become, we come to worship God and we come for fellowship with one another. You see. Christian Community means community in and flew Jesus Christ. As one offer, put a christian community means community in and flu. Jesus Christ Fellowship is often a coveted idea but it's not easily achieved because it requires accountability and self-sacrifice Most of us will say I have one fellowship with one another. I want fellowship with other believers, but while it's a good idea, we all covered that idea. We would love to have a fellowship with one another but it's not easily achieved and unfortunately most Believers, a lot of us will never achieve true Community will never achieve True Fellowship because it requires accountability and we live in a world where we all want to do our own things. That's why we isolate ourselves so really true Community will never happen when because when we avoid accountability because none of us now, remember God's word is good for teaching reproof and correction and most of us don't want correction. We don't want anybody to Dallas what to do. I'm going to do my own thing. Okay. I'm just going to do mean I don't want anybody telling me what to do. And as a result, we will never achieve True Fellowship and chew open take Christian Community because most of us don't want to be accountable. We don't want to be accountable and we don't want to self-sacrifice. I got a football game to watch. I'm not going to sacrifice my football game instead of meeting with somebody or there's something at church, I need to do the game becomes more important or we put everything else in our schedule. But the things that will build fellowship with build, like a fantic community. Are we saying that this time? That's my me time. You see Fellowship might be a coveted idea but it will not be easily achieve until we want to be accountable and also willing to self-sacrifice in Romans 13. Verse 8. It says oh no one anything except to do what? oh, no one anything except to Love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled. The law. We cannot Love From a Distance. We have to be together. It's together. That's when we have Fellowship woman's 12, 9 says let love be genuine let love be genuine so if we don't have a Fenton community garden, love be genuine You know, it's just hard to do is he God does not call you just to believe that he wants you to be alone. We have to be along to one another and really, the bottom line is nobody's on island and we all need community and we cannot love in isolation. So, however, messy relationships can be, we have to be a together like if you married and then you just never go home. You see this too much trouble at home, is that a relationship going to get better?

Never going to get better. It is the same thing. Also for Christian Community, we have to show up, we have to be together and we have to work on the relationship and that's when it's going to get better because we have commitment. Because remember, it's his day devoted that's commitment themselves to the apostles teaching. That's our basis. That's the foundation, and to the fellowship knowing that I need you. And you need me and would become dependent on one another. So next week we're breaking bread and prayers. Father, thank you for your grace. Thank you for your love and thank you for your mercy. I know. Father that What's tough word to receive this morning, but father, as we are all here together, experiencing our common salvation and coming, Grace coming mission for you. May we be committed to your word fully. They would be fully devoted to your word, Lord God. Then they will be obedient in and ready and willing to do whatever it says.

And live it out. The father help each one of us to be obedient to your word. And father helped each one of us.

To pursue Fellowship. Review primarily.

also, pursue for fellowship with one another leather, casual type. But the deep intimate. Fellowship relationship. Community. That is useful.

But casual fell off a ship. Has no real benefits but instead just really a drag

But father may we say like the song This I was glad when they say to me let us go to the house of the Lord. May we genuinely love one another and love one. Another, from a pure heart.

Maybe we owe each one of us hear nothing, but love.

May you help us Lord. Are you helpless to be committed to your word? And committed to a phentix Christian Community.

And committed Lodi to the mission that you have given us. To go and make disciples for you.

And teaching others. To observe everything. That you have commanded us to do. We can do that. If we not observing them ourselves, So Father, Miguel beach, one of us. Do you have a renewed commitment to your word? And A Renewed commitment to Fellowship.

Sobe with each one of us like God. Thank you for bringing us together. Thank you for putting us right here. In our community together. For we know that you do nothing by accident. Because our steps are ordered by you. The father, we thank you for putting us together. They will be thankful, they would be grateful and they will be loving and caring for one another and may you help each one of us father. The sharpen one another as iron sharpen iron. But you helped each one of us to support one. Another encourage one, another love one, another careful, one another.

And do all that you. Have called us to do. Father, we love you, we praise you. We magnify. And we glorify your name. For indeed. Look at There is none like you. Maybe we care about each other's needs.

may we receive each other, like you have received each one of us

And you'll be with us like that Phyllis a fresh of your spirit. We love you, we praise you. We magnify your name. Thank you. Lord Jesus. For all that you do and continue to do. It's in your name, we pray. Amen.