Marks of a Growing Faith Community
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Marks of a Growing Faith Community- Introduction
Marks of a Growing Faith Community- Introduction
Introduction
Introduction
Today look at the outcome of Peter’s sermon after outpouring of God’s Spirit
This passage creates an idealistic picture of what early church looked like
But when reading passages like this - must always look at them in context
This was important special time in life of church - never to be repeated
Apostles & all believers who’d experienced & witnessed Jesus & His ministry, resurrection, ascension
Were all members & leaders of new faith community - freshly empowered / invigorated by SPirit
There were miracles, mass conversions, & they were mostly all Jewish - same culture & religious heritage
There’s no way any church today could replicate that time in history
But what we can do = learn from them what marks made them a growing faith community
The outpouring of God’s Spirit produced a growing faith community committed to God and one another
Who were committed to God and each other
That’s what we’re going to look at today - Worship, Community, & Witness
Marks of a growing faith community - Worship
Marks of a growing faith community - Worship
When you hear the word ‘worship’ what’s first thing you think of?
Music - right? Word worship has now become synonymous with church music
But true biblical worship is far more than just singing & music
Let’s see what Acts tells us
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
So here we see new Christian believers devoted themselves to 4 things
To learning about Jesus life, his ministry, his resurrection & ascension...
& how all that was God’s plan from very beginning - that’s what apostles were teaching
They also were devoted to regularly meeting together as a group - building relationships with one another
That’s what fellowship means - its more than just turning up once a week
They were spending time intertwining their lives together - sharing life together
Then there’s breaking bread - this could relate to two aspects
Firstly they shared their meals with one another
Sharing a meal was important part Jesus ministry
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people.
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And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.
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You can see from just these 3 readings
From feeding 4000 & 5000 people, staying in people’s homes all way to the last supper
You can see from just these 3 readings From feeding 4000 & 5000 people, staying in people’s homes all way to the last supper
From feeding 4000 & 5000 people, remember Jesus went in people’s homes & ate with them
All way to last supper with disciples & even after Jesus resurrected
He shared meals with disciples on road to Emmaus & on shores Sea of Galilee
After Jesus resurrected - shared meals with disciples on road to Emmaus & shores Sea of Galilee
But breaking bread also came to mean Eucharist - which was part of sharing meal
As in last supper - Christians gathered for meal - during - shared bread & wine remembering Jesus
This slowly evolved into Eucharist / Communion tradition we practice today
Lastly - early church spent time praying together
This was an important part of their worship of God
So each of these elements - teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, & prayer
They made up worship life of first Christian church community
But that’s not all...
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
& 46
This adds extra detail - they practised corporate worship all together - like we are today
Worshipping in temple would’ve involved singing, praying, & teaching all together
But notice also gathered together in small groups people’s homes & worshipped together
And what does it say - were genuinely grateful for all Lord provided them
draw out the elements of early church’s corporate worship - prayer, praise, eucharist, preaching / teaching - refer to Jesus e.g. special mention Luke - Emmaus road
breaking of bread - following Jesus example - ; ; :30abuse of shows quickly established as Christian tradition -
Illus - Who here likes eating healthy meals?
Illus - Who here likes eating healthy meals?
Doctors & dieticians tells us eating balanced diet = important for living longer staying healthy
Eating heathy = having meals made up of combination of goods foods -
lots vegetables, fruit, small bit of carbohydrates and some protien / meant
BUT - if we eat too much of just 1 or 2 things like this picture...
Creates unbalanced meal - keep eating over time will effect your physical & mental health
You’ll live shorter life / suffer from sickness & disease
Same thing happens when churches get too fixated on just 1 or 2 things
Churches can quickly get out of balance - people start suffering
People’s relationship with God starts suffering
This very same problem happened in church in Corinth - Paul had sort it out
for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!
So some people were coming to church just for a feed - big meal
They weren’t too interested in fellowship, or breaking bread, or teaching
So Paul had to pull them up & say - why are you behaving this way?? not right
If St Paul’s is to remain healthy church community - as well as leave heritage / legacy for next generation
We need to ensure we have balanced community life
Question - Do you think our worship at St Paul’s is healthy & balanced?
Do you think your worship has a healthy balance
Marks of a growing faith community - Community
Marks of a growing faith community - Community
The next important expect of early church - community
What I mean = early church believers behaved like a small family rural community
Perhaps like in Pasifika culture / Maori culture
Where people shared their food, material goods, shelter etc with each other
In Acts we see Christians who perhaps had bit more sell what they had for money
Then gave money to Apostles / leaders who gave money to those in need / poor
All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Acts 44-45
They were sharing with one another - ensuring every one taken cared of
All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
Early church wasn’t about just gathering together to worship & building relationships
It was also about caring for each other, looking out for people’s needs & meeting them
And they took care of each other willingly because they were grateful & sincere in heart
But this idea of sharing with others wasn’t just a NR thing
breaking of bread - following Jesus example - ; ; :30abuse of shows quickly established as Christian tradition -
Selling & giving to others not a new concept - e.g. when Elisha called follow Elijah ;
Draw out sense of willingness to share with one another to meet peoples needs, & sharing of meals at home - important aspect - includes worship element too with eucharist;
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
When Elijah called Elisha to follow follow him -
They also
He shared most important assets - his oxen - very imporatnt possession
But he willingly gave them to people of his village as food then followed Elijah
Draw out sense of willingness to share with one another to meet peoples needs, & sharing of meals at home - important aspect - includes worship element too with eucharist; refer to behaviour of sharing / giving - not just in offering basket - practical giving
So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.
Selling & giving to others not a new concept - e.g. when Elisha called follow Elijah ;
Illus - Now who’s heard of Give a little, Fund Me, Kickstarter?
These all websites on internet that ask for people to share their wealth to help others
From new products being made, new businesses starting, to people needing expensive medical treatments
People generously give of their material wealth to help others
Then there’s millions of dollars raised to help victims of Christchurch terror attack
Then there’s millions of dollars raised to help victims of Chch terror attack
I believe that’s evidence Kiwi’s can be really generous people - pretty amazing
But in first few centuries after Jesus was resurrected - Church known as generous & selfless
They gave time, resources, practical help, even their lives to help others
refer to behaviour of sharing / giving - not just in offering basket - practical giving
Not just Christians but non-Christians too - e.g.famous quote by Roman historian Tacitus
There’s famous quote by Roman historian Tacitus
Tells of time when plague hit Rome & people started dying
All wealthy & powerful left Rome - but Christians stayed to care for sick & infirmed
Even loosing their own lives from catching plague while caring for others
And they did it willingly & joyfully - with love, compassion, mercy
Often when we talk about giving for needs of others - immediately jump to giving money
BUT NT talks about giving in much broader terms - in order to help others & build community
there’s many ways we can help others & build community
We’re really talking about nurturing behaviour of sharing with others
Sharing time, sharing a listening ear, sharing a meal, sharing your washing machine
Picking some up in car for a ride - there’s all different ways can demonstrate sharing
Every act of sharing & meeting needs of others builds community
Question - Does St Paul’s encourage & build community
Marks of a growing faith community - Witness
Marks of a growing faith community - Witness
Lastly we find early believers naturally sharing their faith with those around them
Apostles & first believers were witness to Jerusalem of power of gospel & of faith in Christ
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
Power of Spirit of God was at work in apostles - people of Jerusalem were amazed
And there was level of fear too power demonstrated through Apostles
These miracles added authority & authenticity to what Apostles were saying
Those miracles & signs drew attention to what apostles were saying
So then we read later in passage...
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Ac47
So people in Jerusalem city - non-believers - were thinking at this point...
These new Christians pretty amazing - look at what’s happening...
People being healed, they seem really happy / joyful
And their sharing their money & food with poor & needy
Wow I think we should really check out what these guys are saying!
No longer were early believers hiding away in upper room
They’re out on streets, in public places, engaging with people in Temple / city centre
They’re active in community helping people, sharing with people
& Spirit was working alongside them
I.e. Early church believers were active exactly where God was active & working
Public worship, teaching, engaging at temple - were active in community, possibly shared with those non-believers in need, miracles/signs = confirmation of work of Spirit in midst
Refer back to from Peters sermon - continuing fulfilment
Illus - When you’re walking or driving around Papamoa & suddenly see a police car on roads...
Or when see police police officers patrolling streets - What do you think when see it?
How do you feel when see lot’s of police officers around when something tragic / major happens?
If you’re law abiding citizen - seeing police makes you feel safe
If you’re breaking law - when you see police you panic!
Presence of police effects way we think & behave - doesn’t it?
Their presence helps to make us feel safe & reminds us of over civic responsibility
We must obey law otherwise there’s consequences - police help us!
If police aren’t out & about people forget about them, thinking & attitudes remain same - their presence changes way people behave & think - Church should be same, if we’re not carrying Christ into our communities how will they know who we are & what we’re about?
But what would happen if we never saw police out & about?
People would forget about them - people’s thinking & attitudes would become selfsish
We’d start feeling unsafe, insecure, things would deteriorate
Now what would happen if suddenly all Churches & Christians disappeared?
Would people miss St Paul’s if we suddenly disappeared? Would they even know we’ve gone?
Mark of growing - when Christians are actively witnesses for Christ in their communities
if we’re not carrying Christ into our communities how will they know who we are & what we’re about?
Church is having positive impact upon lives of those in their community
Through sharing, giving, helping, being the Christians God’s called us to be
Question - Is St Paul’s a witness in the Papamoa community?
So as we - St Paul’s church community - consider our future & legacy we want to leave...
What sort of legacy do we want to leave?
Do we want to leave a heritage of healthy worship, loving community, strong witness?
Let’s begin to pray from today
God will help us lay strong foundation of worship, community, witness
So that
For those who will come after us - Let’s pray