Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction:
Over the course of the last few weeks, we have looked at our calling from God, the transformation that happens in our new life; we’ve looked at how we need to keep moving forward.
Last week, we looked at our part in missions.
Now if you’ve been following along, you might have noticed that while this sermon series has been entitled “Starting with me” that we have been moving from us as individuals to how we interact as a group.
Following Jesus is a group activity; a team sport; and it’s not to be done alone.
But it often starts out in a personal encounter with Jesus.
But it never stays that way.
God has called us to something bigger than ourselves; a bigger story with with a bigger mission that we can’t do on our own.
There are no lone rangers.
It starts with me, but ends with we.
It st
Transition to the Text: Turn with me in your Bibles to
Now this is one of the most imporant passages in all of scripture.
But you need some background to this.
If you were to just read this it would be like walking in on a friend or spouse watching a tv show in the middle.
You are going to have questions.
Who’s that guy?
What’s happening?
Why did He do that?
Well that’s weird.
Now unlike your spouse or friend, we won’t get annoyed if you ask these questions.
So let me give you the cliffnotes:
: God created the Adam and Eve.
Innocence and in perfect relationship with Him.
Only one rule and they coulnd’t follow it.
They sinned and from then on all of their children all the way down to you and me are burdened by sin.
Yes throughout all of the Old Testament, God promised to send a savior who would save His people from their sins.
The Jews looked forward this Messiah.
And there are hundreds of prophecies related to that person.
Where he would be born, who His parents would be.
What he would do.
And eventually that he would die and yes that he would rise again.
God talked about a New Covenant
Mixed with this was the also a prophecy about God dwelling in His people.
So fast forward to beginning of Acts.
Jesus died on the cross to save you and me from our sins.
He send His disciples to change the world by telling people about Him, but said wait until the Holy Spirit comes.
Because they can do nothing on their own.
And in , the Holy spirit comes and it is awesome.
And through the power of the Holy Spirit the church begins.
And on day 1, they go from 120 people to over 3,000.
The church began as a group and continues to this day.
4.
So as we read , we read it in light of everything that came before it.
Otherwise it doesn’t make sense.
And it’s not possible apart from the power of the Holy Spirit moving among them.
Read:
Transition to the Big Idea: There is power in togetherness only where the Holy Spirit is.
So when the Holy Spirit comes into your life to give you power, it naturally pushes you and draws you to the church.
Big Idea: It may start with me but it ends with we.
Transition to the Points: A key word in this passage is the word devoted.
This is not mere adherence.
Its not casual acceptance.
This is sitting on the edge of your seat hanging on every word cant get enough.
People are devoted to a lot of things.
And far too often, they are devoted to the wrong things or even good things that aren’t the main thing.
We could list them but my guess is that you know there are things in your life of the life of others that are not worth it.
What we learn from the early church is that we shouldn’t devote ourselves to just anything...
Point #1: Devote yourself to the right things.
(Acts 2:42)
Explanation: This passage tells us that they devoted themselves to 4 things: 1) to the Apostles teaching; 2) to fellowship.; 3) the breaking of bread; and 4) to prayer.
Apostle is a Christian word we sometimes take for granted that it referred to a group of people in the Bible.
But literally apostle just means “one who is sent.”
But it came to be associated specifically with those who began the church.
There were a minimum of 14 Apostles.
Jesus sent these 12 guys into the world.
A question worth asking would be, what was the apostles teaching?
That’s easy, it was what they learned from Jesus.
You think about that for a minute.
Many times today, if a pastor or religious leader tells us anything, we might say, “well who says?” “By what standard?”
Even today many might get into an argument about spiritual matters might say, “well my pastor says” as if that ends any discussion.
Illustration: You ever get into an argument on the playground about your favorite sports team.
In my case it would usually devolve into shouts of, “well my dad says that Roger Craig cost the 49ers their 5th superbowl.”
“Well my dad says that one play never decides a game.”
Well my dad could beat up your dad!
For the apostles, when they said to do something and people asked, “who says?”
They were like, “uh Jesus…Jesus said…we spent 3+ years with him.”
Yeah that’s kind of hard to argue with.
It not based on opinion or conjecture.
They were literally with Jesus.
Which begins to make a whole lot of sense.
So what did Jesus say?
Well I remember this one time this Rich guy comes up to Jesus and says, “what must I do to be saved?
And Jesus says, you know the commandments, do them.
And the guy’s like, I’ve done that.
And then Jesus say, you’re missing one thing.
…Go and sell all your possessions and give to the poor and come follow me.” and the people are like no way.
And the apostles are like Yahweh.
Is it any surprise that a few verses later we will see the early church doing just that?
Now eventually they would write this all down in what we call the New Testament but back then these were just stories.
The Apostle’s Teaching became the New Testament.
Now we read all of these passages now and try to figure out how to live it out.
And back then they were doing the same.
This was brand new and they had a strong desire to get it right.
So they hung on every word of the apostles.
Another time they might have asked, tell us that time Jesus gave the new commandment: And John speaks up, it was on the night “he who shall not be named” betrayed Jesus.
Matthew 19:16-23
The apostles teaching let them to embrace fellowship.
This is so important.
Too often we embrace the doctrines of a group because we want to be a part of that group.
For thse early believers, they devoted themselves to each other because of Jesus and what he taught.
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