The Devoted Church

Introduction

I got an opportunity yesterday to announce and score six playoff basketball games, including the two district championship games...

During one of my breaks I heard someone say, “Jesus Christ...”, but not in the praising Jesus way...

The Christian church is at a crossroads.

A shift took place many years ago away from a strictly truth-driven ministry to market-driven ministry.

I believe this wasn’t done with nefarious intentions. In fact, the intention was to reach more people for Christ…

But there has been an unintended backlash. Specifically, the church roles are dwindling now more than any time in the last fifty years. That’s not just fewer new followers of Christ, but many long-term church members and attenders are dropping out. Why?

While there numerous reasons, to be sure, at the core of many of the problems is people have become more concerned with what a church can offer them, then what they can offer the church; and the church has often tried offering more/bigger/better/flashier things, never considering that the law of diminishing returns would set in.

Too many today focused on outward appearances of holiness, self-centered faith, and going to the “in” church instead of the one God has called you to.

Additionally, the church is not immune to the cult of personality we find within the world today…((Explain))

And, in trying to turn the tide, in too many cases churches have watered down the Gospel so much as to focus solely on “getting saved” and little to nothing on the calling to become followers of Jesus. (Remember, beloved, Jesus never tells anyone to “get saved.” He calls people to believe and follow Him.)

This has created a church in America that is starved for the Gospel and lacking in the Lordship of Jesus Christ; in the pews and, sometimes even in the pulpits.

Thankfully, many within the church in America have recognized the dangers of this, and I pray that positive change is taking place, even in small ways.

Many are recapturing what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:9-10.

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We are God’s people, and our lives must not simply reflect that, but our lives must proclaim that truth. Look again at the first part, and consider the implications:

You, Christian, are part of a chosen race.

You, Christian, are part of the royal priesthood.

You, Christian, are part of God’s holy nation.

You, Christian, are a person for his own possession.

You, Christian, are called to proclaim the excellencies of Jesus.

This is who we are, and it is no small thing!

So, understanding this, I think it is vital to look back at the beginning of the church to get guidance on the non-negotiable of the church.

While we cannot replicate what the early church did, we can rediscover some core principles that should inform the church today on how we can be that “chosen race...royal priesthood, holy nation...people for his own possession...who proclaim the excellencies of Jesus to the world we live in.

Body: Acts 2:42-47

This section is the first of nine summaries in the book of Acts. So, let’s summarize what we’ve learned briefly:

In Acts we find what can be characterized as theological history, or history with a point.

Luke’s point is to show how the Holy Spirit worked through the lives of people and took this little off shoot of Judaism and turned it into a worldwide Gentile faith.

We’ve seen Jesus commission the disciples to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the the ends of the earth. We looked at the process they used to pick Judas’ replacement. Then we saw how God empowered them for the mission, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And over the last two weeks we looked at Peter’s sermon during the Feast of Weeks, now know as Pentecost.

Let’s go back to the end of Peter’s sermon on Pentecost...We pick up in verse 37 ((Read 37-41)).

The first non-negotible when it comes to the church is:

The church is to be devoted to Jesus

Devotion is an important word, as it shows a commitment.

You cannot be partial devoted to something.  Your either devoted or you are not. Devotion is in direct contrast to enthusiasm, which much of the modern church is characterized.

Enthusiasm depends greatly on one’s emotions and circumstances.

Devotion isn’t going to change because of emotion and circumstances.

It’s a deep-seated commitment.

So, the church to to have a deep-seated commitment to Jesus.

Another important truth is the church is only those people who have genuinely received Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

This doesn’t mean non believers aren’t welcome…they just aren’t “the church” yet.

Today, too many churches advertise that church is about people.  The sermons and everything are focused on people.

While it is true that the church is not a building but the people, first and foremost it is about Jesus.  It’s His church, always!

So, Jesus must be the focal-point of the church, not people.

Again, people are vital. But, if we start with people as the focus of the church instead of Jesus, we will always miss the mark.

Today, all too often, the focus is making the church appealing to certain groups of people. And while that, in and of itself, isn’t bad per se, more often than not, Jesus is lost or given a backseat to appealing to those people.

Sure, Jesus is spoken about. He is sung about. But, the focus isn’t growing as better followers of Jesus, through discipleship, conviction, accountability, and application of God’s Word.

The early church teaches us the the non-negotiable of the church is devotion to Jesus.

Verse 42

The church is to be devoted to growing in relationship to Jesus

Notice something about this next point:

The church devotes themselves to the energy and effort of growing…

I personally prefer to say that we grow in relationship “to” Jesus instead of “with” for a reason…

Our relationship to Jesus is that He is my Lord, my Savior, and also my friend.  But all must be present.  Too many talk about having a relationship with Jesus like He’s the nice man who died for me on the cross and wants me to be a nice person.  “He’s my holy buddy!”

Facebook “friends”…

Approaching Him like this ignores His lordship… Yes, He says He is our friend, but also our Lord!

Being under the Lordship of Jesus means that we are learning the apostle’s teaching (i.e. God’s Word) and applying it to specific areas of our life.

Fellowship

Κιονωνια means a close personal relationship. 

Fellowship is actually a result of κιονωνια

Two examples given:

Breaking bread...

Prayers...

Both of these important aspects of the church draw us deeper into our relationship with Jesus.

Verses 43-47

The church is to be devoted to each other

As the believer’s grew in their relationship with Jesus and with each other they:

Saw each other as equals

They took care of each other’s needs, sacrificially.

They had a common mission: to win other Jews to Jesus.

They experienced a sweet fellowship together.

They worshipped together.

They experienced God adding to their fellowship.

So What?

The important to get this morning is right here:

What is the church to do and be?

The church is a body of believers who are devoted to Jesus and growing in relationship to Him and with each other.

But Pastor Ben, most of us here this morning are already devoted to Jesus, growing in our relationship to him and with each other.  What do you say to us?

A word of warning:

The young church here is Acts was experiencing the good times.  But we know that trouble from the outside and the inside would soon come.

They didn’t stay in the good times for long.

The challenge to maturing Christians:

Never stop growing and learning...

Mentor the young...

Receive new believers, especially those who are different...

Avoid the desire to be comfortable in your walk because it always complacency and can eventually lead to moral failure...