Acts 2:42-47 FBR's new community.

Now we’ve been looking at the aftermath of the sermon of Peter. We were told by this document (it’s a historical document) about what happened on the very first day of the church’s history that Peter preached this sermon. We’re told on that day 3,000 people believed. There were 120 people who were adherents of the Christian faith before that sermon, and afterwards there were 3,120. We’re not sure quite how soon, but as you read along, we’ll see in the book of Acts within just a couple of days another 2,000 joined.

There was explosive church growth, and it didn’t end there because we know Christian faith swept through the Roman Empire. The question is … Why? What accounts for that kind of power, that kind of reception? We said again (and we especially pointed it out last week) it’s because there was a spiritual power that attended the message. The preaching was okay. It wasn’t the most eloquent message in the world. There was a spiritual power attending it. They were cut to the heart, we read. They were cut to the heart. By what? New life.

Let’s pray this morning and ask the Lord to cut our hearts with His truth and turn our affections to Him...

Our Father in heaven, we thank Thee for the revelation of Christ to our hearts and to our souls from the Scriptures of truth. Lord we thank You for the One who died the place of the ungodly. Lord grant to us the gifts of faith and repentance. Father, please bless us now, shut out that clamoring world and shut us in with Yourself dear Lord. Lord come down upon us and give help we pray in Jesus’ name and for His sake, AMEN.

Let’s all hear the word of the Lord

— 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Here ends the reading of God’s Holy Word...

There was explosive church growth, and it didn’t end there because we know Christian faith swept through the Roman Empire. The question is … Why? What accounts for that kind of power, that kind of reception? We said again (and we especially pointed it out last week) it’s because there was a spiritual power that attended the message. The preaching was okay. It wasn’t the most eloquent message in the world. There was a spiritual power attending it. They were cut to the heart, we read. They were cut to the heart. By what? New life.

When they said, “What shall we do?” they were cut to the heart.

Peter said, “Turn, and the Holy Spirit will come in.”

So they were cut to the heart.

There was an incision made so the Holy Spirit, in a sense, was inserted.

That’s the reason why they got this new life in them.

And we asked the question of: how do you know that this new life has entered us?

We said, that when a baby is alive there are signs.

There is kicking, screaming, and eating (and you know what comes after the babies eat).

But last week we looked at just one sign of new life, which was a person’s relationship with ‘truth’!

We said that a sign of the new life was they recognized this doctrine.

They submitted to it.

They hungered for it.

They hungered for it.

They turned to it.

They turned to it.

They couldn’t get enough of it.

They couldn’t get enough of it.

They met every day to study this, if you look into the passage. Every day.

They never stopped doing it.

You couldn’t keep them away.

You couldn’t keep them away.

You didn’t have to say to these believers, “Come to the Bible study.”

No! You couldn’t keep them away.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, which is the Scriptures.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, which is the Scriptures.

That was last week, but there’s also a whole new attitude. There’s a love that happens that is inexplicable, except by reference to supernatural cause and factors.

Let me show you briefly what it is, what this sign is, then then we’ll ask some questions to try to explain it and break it down. What is the sign?

It’s in v44. It says, “Now all who believed were together...”

Now I want you to see the strength of this for a moment. They were together.

I’ll show you why that’s so strong.

What I’m looking at is the place where it says they were together. I’ll show you why that’s so strong.

Where did they meet together? Everywhere.

We’re told in the temple, but also in their homes. They met everywhere.

When did they meet together? Constantly, relentlessly.

It says every day, continuously. Do you see that in v46? “So continuing daily with one accord”

I’ll tell you what this means.

Christians came together every single day in the temple for worship and the other things they did.

They couldn’t get enough of each other. They kept going on in their homes.

They went to the temple, and then they went to their homes.

They continued with it. Brothers and sisters (read the bottom left of the bulletin, this is what we’re encouraging all of us to participate in)

You see in verse 46 it says they met in the temple courts, and then at the end it says, “… in their homes …” What does this mean?

“together” is not so much something they did, it was something that they were.

That’s why v44 says that they “were together”, and not just that they came together, not just they met together.

They were together. They had entered into a whole new mode of existence.

So you see how radical this change is. They were together. God made them together.

They were apart; now they’ve become together. They were individuals; now they’ve become one body.

Here’s what’s so interesting. Surely some of you over the years have been subjected to ministers (like me)

Surely some of you over the years have been subjected to ministers (like me) laying either subtle or not so subtle guilt trips on people, especially on Christmas and Easter, saying, “Why don’t you come to all the meetings? Why don’t you come to church every week? Why don’t you come to this? Why don’t you come to that?”

laying either subtle or not so subtle guilt trips on people,

especially on Christmas and Easter, saying,

“Why don’t you come to all the meetings?

Why don’t you come to church every week?

Why don’t you come to this?

Why don’t you come to that?”

You’ll never see this in the book of Acts.

I’m not saying it’s wrong to encourage people to come to church, but you don’t see the apostles doing it.

They never say, “Why don’t you come out more often?”

They couldn’t stop them. The people wanted to.

This was the sign that they were alive.

So what’s that mean on a Wednesday, that only half the church comes out?

What’s that mean when something else is happening on the Lord’s Day,

and the first thing to blow off

is gathering of the Lord’s people?

These folks wanted to come together. You see, here’s why.

It’s a sign of life. You don’t tell a baby, “Cry! Come on, honey. Cry.”

You don’t do that. If the baby is alive, it cries.

You don’t have to tell people who have the new life to come together, not if the new life is flourishing. T

hat’s the sign. It’s the sign of life.

Now here’s what we have to look at.

What do we learn to explain this,

especially since some of you have to immediately admit

this sign is not very evident in your own lives?

Now if a sign like this is not very evident in our own lives,

if it’s not there at all,

then you may not be a Christian.

If it once was there but it’s gotten weaker or

if it’s always been there

but it’s been very weak, then you need to say,

“Lord, I have to have more of your new life, because this is a sign of that new life. I need to have it stirred up in me.”

So, let’s take a look and see what this sign is. Let me just ask four questions. Who came together? What did they do when they came together? Why did they really come together? How did they come together?

I want this to be like a multi-faceted diamond, and I want each face to gleam and glimmer right in your eye. Notice the fist thing...

1. Who?

Who are these people who cannot get enough of each other? They’re in each other’s homes every night.

They are breaking bread together. They’re rejoicing in each other.

You see glad hearts.

Whenever they got together, there was great awe. Do you see that? v43 “Then fear came upon every soul...”

Do you see that word there? It says great awe was upon all of them. “Great fear,” it says.

Whenever they got together, there was a sense of God’s presence.

And it’s in what’s called an imperfect tense, meaning that there was an enduring sense of awe, which was inspired by the consciousness that God was at work in their midst.

And if you go back, we find out who these folks are.

This was during a particular festival, and people were in Jerusalem from all over the world.

Literally, we are told in v5 that every nation under heaven. Great, great diversity there.

The astonishing thing is this: these are people who have seemingly nothing in common, as far as personality.

They don’t have a common temperament. Not common class, they they are at once brought together!

Think of us, in our nation. After our election, look at how incredibly divided were are!

We are divided by race and class and other factors.

And here these folks are: divided as can be, and in a moment, they are brought together!

This is the historical fact! Something that is glorious, right here in our own body, is watching guys like Steve and Tom get together!

They love one another and experience true fellowship with one another.

Tom is a very intellectual man and Steve is the common man.

Tom is the office man, Steve the man in field!

But Christ in the gospel brings them together! These are two very different types of men.

I’ve heard them spar back and forth of various issues and they have enriched each other’s lives because of it.

This is because there’s something deeper than talking sports or politics.

I want to ask you a question: Do you have people in your life like they have in one another?

Do you have people, who the gospel has brought you int close connection, with what, you before would’ve paid no mind to, before?

You see? Black, white. Professional, blue collar. Liberal, conservative. Look who came together?

2. What?

What did they do when they came together? I don’t want to just see who came together, but what did they do?

They always did these things. I’m just going to run through the list. You could have a series of five sermons here.

Whenever they came together, they always did the same things.

Whether they were in a large group or in a small group, they always did the same things. Look carefully.

In verse 42, you see three things they always did when they met. You could put them into three P‘s. You could say Precepts “the apostles doctrine”, Participation “fellowship”, Partaking “breaking of bread, and in prayers”.

First, they studied the apostles’ teaching, the Precepts.

They devoted themselves to it. They studied it and reflected on it and digested it.

Secondly, they fellowshipped. That is they shared or Participated together, in what they shared with Christ. They loved each other.

It says they devoted themselves to the fellowship.

Now you say, “Wait a minute. What do you mean devoted themselves to the fellowship?”

Though they had this great thing in common (the new life),

they worked it out.

Here are your chocolate chips, and you have to work them into the dough to make chocolate chip cookies.

You have them, but you have to work what real fellowship is, in your life.

You have fellowship, but you have to work it in.

You have to work at that commonality you have.

They did that when they met together.

They bore each other’s burdens.

They were able to be honest with each other about their sins

in a way they could never have been honest to other people before.

You know, to somebody else who thinks basically the way you make it in life is by hiding your flaws, never letting them see you sweat, letting people think you’re in charge, that’s the way of the world. You’re not going to confess your sins. You’re not going have fellowship. You’re not going to say, “Here I am.”

You know, to somebody else who thinks basically the way you make it in life is by

hiding your flaws,

never letting them see you sweat, letting people think you’re in charge,

that’s the way of the world.

You’re not going to confess your sins.

You’re not going have fellowship.

You’re not going to say, “Here I am, a sinner.”

These new believers bore each other’s burdens. They confessed sins.

They welcomed and affirmed and yet

they admonished and they confronted.

That was the fellowship. They worked at it. They did it when they got together.

Their lives consisted in a regular intake of Precepts from God’s Word, Participating together, w/ what they shared together in Christ.

They Partook of food at one another’s table and prayed for one another!

They did that in small groups in their homes and

they did it in large groups in the temple courts!

3. Why?

One of the results was deed ministry, and you can see it in verse 44 “all who believed were together, and had all things in common”.

Down in verse 47, the other result was word ministry.

Do you see what verse 45 says? It says they were so generous with their goods, there was no poor Christian among them.

— and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

This was the regular practice of the community, selling possessions and they were distributing the proceeds to anyone who had need.

We know from church history they were generous with their goods outside.

One of the things that happened, the more they did the Precepts and Participating and Partaking, it turned them into generous people.

Then secondly, we’re told every day (v46) they continued with one accord, and then in (v47) the church grew. It says daily God was adding to them.

Why? Because they had favor with all the people (v47 says).

That means not so much that they had evangelistic programs,

but what they had, were such attractive lives and

such an attractive community that they found people becoming converted

because they wanted to know what was going on.

Here’s a story of a man who had just became a Christian and recorded what they did his first year in college.

It was fellowship that went from 15 to 100 in one year.

“Sadly, we had no preaching. We didn’t have any preacher. We had no programs. We didn’t have any kind of evangelistic program. I’ll tell you what we had. We were so excited with our new life. I was in a small group that met two hours a day. We did it for 45 minutes before a meal right outside the cafeteria in somebody’s room. We would meet and say, “What has God been teaching you in your time of devotions? What has God been teaching you in the Bible? How has your life been going?”

For 45 minutes, we would meet. We’d share those things, and we’d pray. Then we’d go eat together. Two hours a day, and then one whole evening a week we met together for the same things: learning and loving and eating and praying. Do you know what happened? That place exploded, because we had a bunch of those groups that were doing that kind of thing.”

They reinforce each other. The learning, the loving, the worship, the deed ministry, the integrity of lives, the Word ministry, the evangelism, the favor with all the people … they come together.

You take one out, and it all falls apart. Signs of life. That’s what they did.

We need to look at ourselves here.

Look right into God’s mirror that He’s holding up to your spiritual life. It’s so complete.

You need to look right into God’s mirror that He’s holding up to your spiritual life. It’s so complete.

It’s so complete. Do you have both large group and small group experiences in your life? They did. Do you? Do you have both doctrinal and relational aspects? In other words, do you really study the resources, the theology, the Bible? Are you a cognitive type and you really don’t like people? Maybe you’re doctrinal but not relational.

Do you have both large group and small group experiences in your life? They did. Do you?

Do you have both doctrinal and relational aspects? In other words, do you really study the Bible?

See, the sign of life is they’re all together. These things reinforce each other. These things breed each other.

Maybe you’re doctrinal but not relational.

Or, on the other hand, are you relational but you really don’t like all the doctrinal? “Who knows? I hate to be dogmatic.”

No, the sign of life is they’re all together. These things reinforce each other. These things breed each other.

We said who met together, and we’ve said what they did when they met together.

But there was a power, and there’s an engine driving this.

That you see at the end, and this is the most important thing to see as we conclude.

4. How?

It says here in — So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God....”

Now that is actually what they were doing when they were studying the apostles’ doctrine.

That’s what they were doing when they were loving each other.

That’s what they were doing when they were learning, when they were worshiping.

That’s even what they were doing when they were evangelizing and telling people about the good news.

Praising God is the dynamite. Praising God is the engine.

We delight to praise what we enjoy because

the praise not merely expresses

but completes the enjoyment.

It’s not out of compliment that I tell Niki how beautiful she is;

my delight in her is incomplete until it is expressed!

If you’re a baseball fan, when you watch a short stop chase down a grounder and turn that double play, barely beating the runner to first base,

when you see something that you think is awesome and beautiful,

there something in you that makes you want to grab somebody, pull them in, and say, “Look! Watch this double play!”

Why? Because awesome things demand praise!

Every beautiful object demands praise, and the joy you get from a beautiful object has to get out.

It has to liberate itself in praise.

You have to praise. You say, “Look how great that is! Look at that incredible catch. Look at that diving catch!”

You’re praising it. You have to do it.

You do not find your joy is completed until it utters itself and it’s conveyed to somebody else.

Some, (even religious church members) who don’t understand doing these things when we come together

do not understand that we aren’t coming to give expression to our joy,

but we come together to complete our joy.

Do you know why we get together? Do you know why we have to get together?

The more beautiful an object, the more the joy you have in it, surges and needs to get out in praise.

The more it needs to be visited with other people who praise it too.

So here’s what we do.

When we have fellowship, we’re getting other people who see the same beauty and say,

“Look at Him!” and the more perfect our praise is from week to week.

What do you think I’m doing up here every week?

I’m trying to get it out. I see Beloved Precious Jesus, and I’m saying, “Look!”

That’s why we’re going to do it. That’s what drives us. That’s how you work on fellowship, my dear friends.

Do you notice how it says they were devoted to fellowship? Devoted. Are you devoted to fellowship?

Are you devoted to being one with people who are Christians?

Do you know how you do it?

Some of you are bitter against some other Christian right now.

You have to be devoted to fellowship. How do you do it? You praise the broken Lord.

Get rid of your bitterness. It’s inconsistent with our Lord Jesus.

Some of you are indifferent. You look around a Christian church, and you say, “Some of these people are my kind of people.”

Other people aren’t your kind of people. “I’m older, so I like older kinds of people. I don’t like this kind of people.”

Listen. You can’t praise the sacrifice of Christ who died to make ONE people and

have your heart divided against another people group.

You cannot praise His dying for you and be indifferent to other people at the same time. You can’t!

All those man-made barriers go away because we’ve praised the one who was broken for you. Do that.

Be devoted to fellowship. Stir up this sign of new life in you and in this church. Let’s pray.