Rooted In Community | Acts 2:42-47

HOOK

SLIDE 1

It was a beautiful 85 degrees in the middle of December in Sydney, Australia. Birds were singing outside, the smell of coffee was wafting up from the cafe below. It was another day in paradise.

But I was stuck in my apartment with no car, no friends, living halfway around the world from everyone I loved. Objectively, many would have given anything to be where I was, but I was lonely and a bit depressed. Yes, I found myself in a beautiful location, but I had no community and no deep friendships.

We are in week three of our May series called Rooted: Faith That Holds in Real Life—and we’ve been asking, how do we develop deep roots in a world that often feels shallow and disconnected?

SLIDE 2

Two weeks ago, we talked about being Rooted in Grace—how our journey with Jesus starts and grows through unearned, undeserved love.

Last week, we explored being Rooted in Identity—that we are secure and loved because we are God’s children.

And today, we take it one step further:

If grace is how we begin, and identity is who we are—then community is where we grow.

Let me start with this:

You weren’t created to do this alone. You weren’t designed to grow in a vacuum. God wired you and me for connection.

One writer put it this way:

SLIDE 3

“To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul.” — Simone Weil

And today, we’re going to see that the early church didn’t just believe in Jesus—they belonged to one another. That’s what made their faith so strong… so compelling… so alive.

HEAD

SLIDE 4

Let’s read together from Acts 2:42–47 (NLT):

SLIDES 5-8

“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.

They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.

They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—

all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.

And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”

SLIDE 9

I know those are familiar words for many of us who have been in the church for some time, but close your eyes and hear this depiction of the early church anew. Imagine what it might be like to be a part of a community like this - a community filled with new Jesus-followers eager and excited about what God was doing in their midst:

SLIDE 10

“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.

They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.

They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—

all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.

And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”.

Pray

Devoted (v. 42)

SLIDE 11

Right from the beginning of this passage, we are told that this new group of Jesus-followers were a devoted people.

SLIDE 12

That is a strong word to use. In the original language, the term used here means to persist in, hold fast to, or stick with even when it is hard.

In other words, this early church was not a group of casual consumers of Christian content. They weren’t once-a-month attenders checking a box. They were devoted. And what were they devoted to:

SLIDES 13-16 (FOLLOW ALONG)

Teaching - they made sure that they stayed rooted in the apostles’ message about Jesus. And as a part of that, they submitted themselves to the teachings of others that God gifted to share the message of Jesus.

Fellowship - they shared life deeply with one another. They were devoted to truly living together, helping one another, and being committed to a rich community.

Meals - (I like this one a lot) They ate together. Folks, there is something special that happens when we eat together and break bread. The early church understood that, and they were devoted to eating together.

Prayer - talking to and listening to God were not nice add-ons. They were essential aspects of their life together.

You see, this was no social club; this was the counter-cultural community of people learning to love God and one another.

SLIDE 17

My senior year of high school, I had a group of girls come up to me in the fall and tell me that there was a mutual friend of ours that was hoping that I would ask her to the homecoming dance. Day after day, I would be told how I needed to ask this girl out, and day after day, I told those people that I had no interest in going to the homecoming dance.

You see, I had been to that dance in the past, and it was fine, but this was my senior year, and I had one major goal: to get a scholarship to play collegiate tennis. And I was devoted to that goal. So much so, that I said no to asking my future wife to a homecoming dance simply because the dance conflicted with a night that I would spend hours training.

Unfortunately, too often my devotion toward a college scholarship far exceeds my devotion to be the church day in and day out.

Let me ask: are you devoted to being the church, or just attending a service?

Pause

Together (v. 44-46)

Throughout this passage, there is one word/concept that is used or referred to over and again:

SLIDE 18

It is the togetherness or community of this devoted group of Jesus-followers. In the passage, we are told that this group:

“Met together in one place” (v. 44)

Shared everything they had (v. 44)

Shared money with those in need (v. 45)

Worshiped together (v. 46)

Met in homes for the Lord’s Supper (v. 46)

Shared their meals with great joy and generosity (v. 46)

On the surface, it appears that the early church did almost everything together. That probably wasn’t the case then, and it isn’t what we should take away from the passage today, but we should seek this community and togetherness, especially in the midst of our fast-paced, individualistic world.

This is what makes LifeGroups so amazing. Awhile back, I was asking people how things were going in their LifeGroups, and I began to notice that everyone who went to the Monday night LifeGroup hosted by Alyce & Steve Burke had nothing but glowing things to say about their group.

As I asked more questions, I began to realize that it wasn’t so much that Steve & Alyce were amazing hosts (although they are) or that the content was all that special. It was the togetherness of the group. They eat together, talk about life together, and connect the Scriptures to real life application together. In short, this community helps them to stay rooted in the midst of a crazy world.

If we want to stay rooted in the midst of a crazy world, we need to plug into community with others who will help us to stay rooted in Christ.

Contagious (v. 47)

SLIDE 19

This group of Jesus-followers were devoted and engaged deeply in community, and through all of that, the Scriptures tell us that something amazing happened.

SLIDE 20

And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47 NLT)

As they devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, meals, and prayer…

As they engaged in deep community and love for one another...

People began to take notice. Not so much to the message alone, but to the life of the people who were devoted to the message.

It is important to make it clear that this was not a perfect church in any shape or form, but it was a joyful church… it was a passionate church… it was a vibrant church… it was a growing church.

And that rich community and love were the secret sauce that caused the people around them to become curious about who these Jesus-followers were.

Two weeks ago, we finished up our NextSteps class, which goes deeper into who we are, what we believe, and what membership looks like at RCF. At the beginning of the first week, we always ask people to introduce themselves and tell us about what brought them to RCF and what made them stay at RCF.

Every time we do the course, I am floored at the primary reason people stick around RCF. The number one reason, without any close number 2, is that the people were so nice!

It’s the community, the friendships, that have created a contagious community of love and care. This is the the secret sauce.

The early church didn’t grow because of a great program, fantastic preaching, amazing worship music, or having the best children’s ministry. It grew because of a great community.

When we stay rooted in community and love for one another and begin to invite others into that fellowship, God is faithful to add to the fellowship those who are being saved.

HEART

SLIDE 21

Thankfully, my story in Australia didn’t remain a story of loneliness and isolation in the midst of paradise. After about a month of living on the other side of the world, I finally decided that I would attend church. I don’t know why I didn’t think to head to a church before then, but it took me that long to get up and go.

When I got to church, a short guy named Jason introduced himself to me. He and I hit it off pretty quickly, and he invited me to sit with him during the worship service. After the service, he introduced me to a group of other young adults, where I was invited to a small group. By the time I left church, I had other Australia phone numbers saved in my cell phone for the first time in over a month.

Over the next couple of months, that community helped to re-root me back in Scripture and prayer, so much so, that it was during my time in Australia that I first felt God’s call upon my life toward ministry.

HANDS

SLIDE 22

I have become convinced that community - real community - is the superpower God has given to his Church, especially in our day and age. It helps to root us deeply in Christ in the midst of our crazy world, AND it serves as an amazing agent for worship, witness, and evangelism.

So how can we stay rooted in community in practical, tangible ways today:

SLIDES 23-25 (FOLLOW ALONG)

Engage, don’t just attend.

If it is true (and it is) that church is not an event that we attend or a building we go to, then church is not something to attend, but something to engage with - to be a part of.

Sure, attending a weekly worship service might help to grow a little, but in order to stay rooted firmly in Christ, we need to move beyond attendance toward engagement by finding a place to serve, making space to enter into deeper community, and engaging in space where community can flourish.

Find your group to go deep with.

June 1, we are starting our summer session for LifeGroups. Just this week, we added 2 additional groups for you to jump into. This is the best place to find your group, to go deep into community, and to grow as a Christian. So click the QR code on the screen and sign up for a LifeGroup today.

Invite others into community.

The point of a rich community in a church is not to wall ourselves off from the world around us; it is to welcome the world into a beautiful community built on Christ. Invite a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or family member to join in the community. You don’t have to have all the fine points of theology down. You don’t have to answer all of their questions. You just need invite them to experience the love, community, and friendship you have experienced.

SLIDE 26

Church isn’t just a stage where a service happens. It’s soil where lives grow.

You weren’t meant to float through life like a potted plant. God wants to plant you in community—to grow roots that can weather the storms of life.

And yes, that’s hard. It takes showing up. Vulnerability. Forgiveness. Time.

But it’s worth it. Because your faith won’t flourish in isolation.

SLIDE 27

“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” — G.K. Chesterton

SLIDE 28

And listen—if you’re newer to Restoration Church, we don’t want you to stay on the fringe. We want to help you find your people. We want you to find your place to grow.

Transition to Baptism

BAPTISM SLIDE

And what better way to end today… than with baptisms.

Baptism is more than just a symbol. It’s a declaration that says: “I’m not just following Jesus. I’m joining His family, His global Church.”

Throughout the history of the church, baptism has been the initiation rite into the church community—into the soil where faith grows strong and deep.

For those getting baptized today: we celebrate you. We bless you. And we promise to walk with you. You can begin to make your way to the front of the sanctuary during this final song.

And for those watching… if you’re still wondering if you belong, wondering if there’s a place for you in the church…

Let today be your nudge.

Come talk to us. Ask questions. We’ll help you get rooted.

Because the church isn’t perfect. But it is a people. And we’d love for you to be part of it.

And maybe there is a person or two today that God is knocking right now on the door of your heart saying today is your day to be baptized as your next step. Please just come on down to the front. We would love nothing more than to celebrate your life in Christ.