Christian Community

But we've been looking at this blueprint for building. Church in the book of Acts. And we sing you that that God's church is built by ordinary people with God Supernatural power to the preaching of the gospel for prayer. And then we're going to see this morning, big big God uses community in a light for the church to build his church and to reach people for Jesus Christ last year, the US Surgeon General dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory. It was called our epidemic of loneliness and isolation. And in that introduction to that study Dr. Murphy share the comments of a people that he had visited with as he traveled across the country. You're so much things that people said, people told him I have to shoulder all life's burdens by myself. If I disappear tomorrow, no one will even notice. It in the literature, the scientific studies back up their stories of a feeling lonely. And and in recent years about half of the adults in America, say that they're lonely. And studies show that loneliness in in separation, from people, being isolated, increases the risk for premature death by nearly 30% big number. So loneliness, has an effect. Not only on my are mental state, emotional state, but also a physical state Hill And people are spending more time alone and in feeling less connected to their computer, I mean, the more connected connected to the computer but less connected to their Community every done in 2020. Only 47% of Americans. Said they belong to a church which is down from 70% and not. So you see the the number of people that are connected at church and feel a part of that Community is just continues to go down as the days. Go on the years. Go on. There's a recent story in the news. It's an extreme example of this loneliness and separation of people feel it. It was reported that a Wells Fargo employee in in Tempe. Arizona was found dead in her cubicle. 4 days after she had scanned in to the building. There's no evidence of Foul Play. Somebody got four days dead at their desk without anyone noticing that she was gone in that terrible. You know technology is having a negative effect on our lives and in our relationships with other people study say that Americans spend an average of 6 hours a day on social media. That's almost one in three adults over the age of 18 in the United States, get their online almost constantly in the number of teenagers and say they're always online has doubled since 2015. So it's becoming more and more common in our smartphones allow us to create our own Universe to become Thor. The God of our own personal Universe, filled with only the things that we like, the things that we want to see the people that we want to communicate with. None of the things that we don't. And we're simply to prevent his perfect representing representation of ourselves on line that shows on the good and none of the bad. And so we we lose its connection with other people. The more time we spend on wine and when we can become consumed with the entertainment that in our pocket, we can pull out at any time and watch a video or read something or post something on social media. But we aren't meant to go through life alone. God created us to be in fellowship with him, and with each other. It's a we're going to look at it. Acts chapter 2. If you haven't turn their please do and we're going to start reading in verse 42. Just a minute to see how the early church was built around community in it. Why you turned to that passes? Let me set the stage for this story. This story in the book of Acts takes place in Jerusalem after Jesus's resurrection in in his Ascension to heaven. And we see that Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until he sent the Holy Spirit. And then we, we recently learned about the 120 followers of Jesus who were gathered and housing in who were United in constant prayer. And then we see Pentecost happen when the Holy Spirit came down upon them and Empower them to speak in different languages and preach the gospel. So that everyone that heard them could understand in their own language and then Peter began to preach that they needed to repent and believe in Jesus for the Forgiveness of their sins. And God were powerful, repeaters, message and around 3,000 people were saved, and join those 120 people, those followers, of Jesus. And so, we're going to start here, looking in verse 41, give me a verse 42 of Acts chapter 2.

So those who accepted his message were baptized and that day about 3,000, people were added to them. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer. Everyone was filled with all and Many Wonders and signs were being performed for the apostles. Now all the Believers were together and he'll all things in common they sold their possessions and property and distribute the proceeds tall as any had need every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere heart praising God, enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number, those who will be saved. So we understand that Community is important. But I want to go back in and think about why why it's important to have Community. I think we understand it in our hearts naturally that we need to be around people, but we see in the Bible that God exists in community. And we see that that he is in a relationship called the Trinity. God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, he's the ultimate example of Oneness and community and we are made in God's image. So God wants us to be like him and if we don't pursue healthy community and our church and we're denying who God made us to be. In fact, in Genesis 1:26, it says and God said, let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, they will rule the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky. The last, all the whores, and the creatures that crawl on the earth, let us make man in our image. So God is already in community. He created us in His image and he built that need for Community into us. You know, we don't come to church just to meet our spiritual needs week. We can do that on our own. We can pray. We could read God's word. We can grow in our face on our own, but we come to be sure to experience that relationships and those relationships that satisfy that need. We have for connection and community, that God built into it. We don't have to be a Christian to understand. That the importance of relationships, enter. An alliance prisoners understand the pain of being separated from everyday relationships. They also understand the worst type of punishment in solitary confinement. You may have heard that before Senator John McCain, was a Vietnam veteran and a, in a prisoner of war and he described the joy. He experienced after being united with his fellow prisoners after being in solitary confinement for a very long time. He said I was overwhelmed by the compulsion to talk nonstop face-to-face with my obliging to sell me around my mouth, ceaselessly for 4 days. One of the more amusing speckles in prison is a side of two men. Both just releasing solitary talkin, their heads off simultaneously, neither one listening to the other, both absolutely and Rapture by the sounds of their own voices. So you see, we're not meant to be alone and when we are forced to be alone and have a really negative effect on us, Jesus Mali Community during his life on Earth, and he chose to spend his three years of ministry. That short window of time in a community of 12 disciples. He spent time with other followers that went and travel with him. Major Bill close relationships with each other, and they experience life together. It's all God wants us to experience the love and the support of a group of believers who care about each other and live like together in unity. Jesus's last words before his crucifixion were about community. He had one long lasting conversation with his father before his death, in The Garden of Gethsemane in and, you know, someone's last words, say a lot about them, what they think is important. And we see that Jesus was profoundly interested in the community and in the unity of his people, not only for the disciples that were gathered around him before. All of us, it would come later. And so we see in John 17:20 where Jesus says, I pray, not only for these but also for those who believe in me through their word that's you and me by the way, may they all be one is you father Orin, me and I am in you. My day also be in us so that the world may believe you sent me. Does God wants us to live in community? And we see that he does. We need to understand how and we're going to look today, example of the early church, again to see and understand how they how we experience Community to give. So, the question today is how do we experience community in the first way that we're going to see in this passage is it? We believe together. Let's look at verse 41. So those who accepted his message were baptized and that day about 3,000, people were added to them. First 41 says, those who accepted his message were baptized in Jesus Christ as their lord and savior, the community was made up of those. Who believe what Peter was preaching. We need to go back to verse 38 to see what message was freaked at the pier was preaching, it was, it was the Gospel and it verse 38 says, Peter replied, repent, and be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the Forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the holy spirit, for the promise is for you, and for your children. And for all who are far off as many as the Lord, our god with home. With many other words, you testified and strongly urge them be saved from this corrupt generation. You're probably should go without saying the churches should be made up of save people. Besides what you need? Churches are filled with people who haven't given their life to Christ. Some people even try to design churches, that make non-believers feel comfortable. Please don't hear me soon that we don't want non-believers in our church. Okay, that's not that's not the case. Of course, we want to bring people in the church and they can hear the gospel and experience the love of God, and be around people who love Jesus and follow him with their lines, but the church is built for believers. And it's devoted to Holiness and righteousness, and living in obedience to Jesus Christ. And so the experience and non-believers have, when they come to church, she can a victim of their spiritual condition of their need to repent, just like Peter, preaching about the need to repent. That's what we're called to do here in the church. But the church is, is a wonderful place. For those who believe in the same thing, and have the same relationship to the Lord. Jesus Christ to come together and fellowship. You know, we started a small group in our our house. When we were living in Alabaster, silver years ago, April, and I were a young married couple and we have small kids. And then, we started meeting with some young families in our neighborhood and in our community. We met every week at home and the group quickly include new families. It was, it was just wonderful. One woman in our neighborhood was a Christian, but her husband wasn't, and he wouldn't go to church. She started, Dora home group and invited her husband to come. He started coming in and the Lord work in his life and he came to know Jesus as as his Lord and savior. He died three years later from a brain tumor. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if we hadn't shared our community with him? So the community in our church isn't only for for believers, of course, we want non-believers to come and be a part of our church, but our community is based on our common faith in God in the presence of the Holy Spirit In Our Lives. Paul writes about this common bond that we have in the seasons chapter 4. Therefore on the prisoner in the Lord urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another and making every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond piece. There is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to one hope that you're calling one, Lord, One Faith, one baptism, one God. And Father of all, who is above all and through, all in end on. So, no matter how different we are and what backgrounds, we come from where unified in the community with other believers, who trust in Jesus, as their savior. And I hope we'll always keep that in mind as we're tempted to to allow division to creep into the church. That we should rally around the gospel in our faith, in Jesus Christ and and make every effort to keep peace and unity because of our common Bond of faith. And so we have Community because of our common faith and Aunt are coming savior in our Lord. Jesus Christ. We also experience Community when we learn together, verse 42 says that they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, you know, God is on the church to be a place where his words preached and taught. And we can look to the example of Timothy, he was a young Pastor that Paul mentored and taught. And Paul told Timothy to teach the word and to train others, to teach also and 2nd Timothy 2:2. It says, what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses? Commit, the Faithful Men Who will be able to teach others also. And then in 1st Timothy, for 6, that says, if you point a sings out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ. Jesus nourished by the words of the faith and the good teaching that you have followed, Peter also wrote that we need to desire, the pure milk of the word in 1st Peter 2:2. He says like newborn. Infants, desire are the pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow up into your salvation so just like a baby desires its mother's milk and in craves that, we should do the same with the word of God in our community, is built around learning God's word and the teaching of the Gospel. Wick Road Community when we learn God's words together. In a church that fails to explain and interpret scripture and how it applies to our lives is in real danger. Isaiah 46 says, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. So learning God's word is a critical part in the in the lights of the church. We experience Community when we believe together. And when we learned together and then if we go back to verse 42, we see that we experience Community Fellowship in together. Fellowship together verse 42 says they've devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship know the Greek word, this translated Fellowship is corn in the end. You may have heard that word before, it means a partnership or sharing. I want to give our lives to Jesus. We become responsible for each other. If you want to learn how we should treat each other and fellowship with one another, look at the over-50 one, another passages in the New Testament just of it. Just a few examples of the one another's. Is John 13:34. I give you a new command. Love one another. Just as I have loved you you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another 1st. Peter 4 9 says be hospitable to one another without complaining. And then Romans 12:16 says, live in harmony with one another don't be proud instead of associate with them. Do not be wise in your own estimation is really no, excuse for Christian who doesn't participate in the Life. In The Fellowship of the Church of Christ, follower isn't supposed to live, like a lot, of course, there are people that can't participate because I can't physically, get out. And I'm not talking about those people. We should extend our fellowship to them, and then go visit them and make sure that they feel part of the fellowship. I'm talking about a believer of Jesus Christ who decides that the church is not important to them, so they can do it on their own. The work called and commanded to help each other to encourage each other to spiritual growth and to experience life together. So fill a ship with one another joint together and worship on Sunday mornings, and participating in the events of the life of the church are critically important. As we see that Fellowship is important to building a community. Next, we see that we experience Community when we follow Christ together. Going back to verse 42 which is just jam-packed with with information that we can look through any examples of a community that was built in the early church. We see that they devoted themselves deposit teaching to the fellowship into the breaking of bread? And the breaking of bread. In this passage means the Lord's supper or communion, it was a way of talking about that. And when we celebrate the Lord's supper together, we're on Common Ground as Sooners at the foot of the cross. Since we're all Sinners, saved by grace and a Lord's, Supper helps us remember the amazing work of Jesus on the cross to pay the price for a saint to make it possible for us to have eternal life and Believers are commanded to share in the Lord's Supper in were called to take it seriously. Jesus began, the first Lord's Supper in the upper room, before he was betrayed and crucified. And we see the store is at in Luke, 22 verse 19, where it says, and he took bread gay sites, broke it gave it to them. And said this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me in the same way. He also took the cup after supper and said this cup is the New Covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you to work call to participate in the Lord's supper together as a as a reminder of what Jesus has done for us. And it's also a call to examine ourselves before we participate in the Lord's supper and confessing sin that's in her life. It is a symbol of obedience to Jesus that were following him with our lives in it and it brings us together in community to remember that Amazing Grace, the Jesus died to give us a challenge to follow him together. So we we experience community in our lives. When do we follow Jesus together in obedience to things like the Lord's supper and then we will see that we experience community. When we pray together, verse 42 says, they devoted themselves to prayer. It says they devoted himself to the apostles teaching to the fellowship to the breaking of bread. And we talked about that a few weeks ago, how important it is to pray together in a life of the believer as individuals but also in Hawaii for the church. And we're told to make prayer something Central in our lives. Colossians 4:2, says devote yourselves to prayer. Stay alert in it with Thanksgiving into boat, to devote ourselves, to prayer, means to make a commitment to it to be dedicated. It's more than throwing up a prayer when we're in a bind, and we need God's help. It means to be disciplined to pray everyday and all throughout the day to pray constantly. We're called pray individual and were called to pray together as a community of Believers because prayer aligns, our perspective with God and brings us together. Prayer lead us to put our faith and trust in God. Jesus said the church, the house of prayer. And I'm thankful that this prayer. It is a church prays together. The short time that I've been here and I seen you pray for each other and pray for God's leadership and God's wisdom to pray for those who are Annie and we need to continue to pray for each other to pray for our community, just lost it needs a savior to pray for our leaders in government and and pray that God would lead us in the path of these will. God was doing amazing work in this church and we see in verse 43. What happened? Cuz everyone was filled with awe. And Many Wonders signs were being performed through the apostles. Now that word translated all means a holy fear. In God's Presence. It's a sort of an overwhelming feeling of fear and trembling when you see God at work and Powerful. They weren't impressed by Church buildings cuz I didn't have any programs or anything that a human was capable of doing. They were amazed and overwhelmed by God's work in there. Miss his Supernatural work and I pray that God will continue to work in this church. So that we are filled with are there were overcome by seen him work in our midst. I pray that our community sees what God is doing it Enterprise Baptist church and they are amazed to I pray that they say church that that might have been struggling after covid but that God is doing a miraculous work in to revive us and revive those around us. And and that the many souls in our community will be one for Jesus Christ. Let's continue in verse 44, and we're going to see how we experience Community when we shared together. Verse 44, says, now all the Believers were together. And he'll all things in common they sold their possessions and property and distribute the proceeds to own, as in had me. You see the the common Bond of community in the early church? LED them to take care of each other. Not just spiritually and emotionally but but funny they were willing to sacrifice and take care of each other somewhat argue, but that lived in some sort of Socialist Communist. And that's not the case here and they didn't sell everything. And put all the money together like a socialist and a communist would do. But what we see is a community of Believers that cared about people more than their possessions. And and when someone had a need Believers in the church, would give them one selling the things that they owned to help someone out. They were willing to do that. Is an over-the-top gesture of generosity. People were not only willing to do to help out with whatever money they have, but they took it a step further and sold their property. If need be to help someone who is in need, I'm challenged by this, and I think we all are, are we willing to to share with others who are in need with our own money and our own personal possessions if someone's in desperate need It is a Church willing to spend the money that we have to minister to our members and to the community. And I pray, you will follow the example of the early Church in Jerusalem. That we, we overcome our financial fears and our own desires to be a generous Community of Faith. The steps out, when God calls us to, to help in the ministry. Let's look at what John says about the act of giving to those in need and 1st John.

3:16. This is how we have come to know, love, he laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives, for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has this world's goods and sees a fella believer in deed, but with holds compassion from him, how does God's love reside in him little children, let us not love in word or speech but in action and in truth, I know, bro, 60 talk about the the budget. It's coming up for approval on the next weekend. I pray that we can have wisdom on how to spend the money that God has blessed us with to reach our community for Christ. And we would have faces as we trust in God. Take care of the needs of the church. And pray, that would be open to God's leadership in the days ahead as we followed him and stewardship of the, of the finances that he's blessed us with. You call me, we see that we experience Community together when we spend life together, let's look at verse 46.

Does every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere Parts praising God, enjoying the favor of all the people every day, the Lord added to their number. Those who are being saved. And so, we see that this community of Believers or meeting together, not only church in each other's homes. They shared meals together. They worship together and it says, they were filled with joy and it's no wonder that they were when they were part of such an incredible Community of Faith. People who selfishly focus on themselves really can experience lasting Joy. It's only when we look to others and give God glory for what he's doing, in our lives, we experience the joy that they had in their community. And I want you to notice that their Community didn't start. In the end on Sunday mornings, they were a part of each other's lives everyday. And I've seen this here at Enterprise bad. This is one of the things that has been such a blessing to me to see how you care for each other, that you're visiting each other during the week. That you, you take people to the doctor when they needed then and that you love each other, all offer us with not just on Sunday and it's been refreshing to see that and in the church, and we see that the people in the community noticed, something special about The Believers in the church and the church prove Jesus's words true. When he said by this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one. Another, if you'll bear with me, I want to read an account for my second century philosopher, wrist of these about the Believers in the early church. I know this is a little hard to understand, but it talks about what he saw in the Believers in the early church. Just never Christians okeene by going about and seeking have found the truth for they know and trust in God the maker of heaven and Earth who has no fellow from him. They receive these Commandments which they have engraved on their minds and which they observe in the hope and expectation of the world to come here. What the community song. For this reason, they do not commit adultery or immorality. They do not bear false, witness or embezzlement nor do they covet. What is not theirs. They honor, father, and mother and do good to those who are the neighbors. Whenever they are Judges, they judge up, right? They don't worship idols made in the image of, man, whatever. They do not, whatever, they do, not wish the others should do to him. Laying turn, do not do. And they do not eat the food Checker flying to Islands. Those who oppress them, they exhort and make them their friends, they do good to their enemies. There Wiseau king or pure as virgins and her daughters are modest. Their men of stain from all unlawful, sexual contact information Purity in the hopes of recompense that is to come and get your hope of heaven and their reward there. They refused to worship strange gods. And they go their way and all humility and cheerfulness falsehood is not found among them. They love one another. And it says, it goes on to say that their love of the Lord and their love for each other was obvious to all around them. And if people knew that there was something different about them, and I want our neighbors to say the same thing about us. I want us to have such a strong community and Enterprise Baptist Church and people sit up and take notice. I want our love for each other and in for our neighbors, neighbors to make people scratch their head and wonder what's going on because it's so uncommon in the world today. And I pray that just like the early Church in Jerusalem, we can say every day the Lord added to their number. Those who are being saved We're going to have a time to respond to just a minute to look for what the Lord is it telling us about community and I hope that you will feel free to come forward and and talk to me if you have any questions about what it means to follow Jesus.

God says, we've all sinned with all fallen short of his glory, with all done bad things in the penalty of that sends death. And so, we need to repent or turn away from our sins. Ask God to forgive us, so that we don't spend eternity in a place called hell without him. It's hope you've never given your life to Jesus Christ. Please come and talk to me about that, even if it's not during the invitation, but after the service, but maybe you have another need on your mind, on your heart. That God is leading you to come for. Love to pray with you about that. Or if you want to pray for someone else, do whatever the Lord leads As we sing Our Last Song again.