A United Church

gives us this charge, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

We are told to continue meeting together, yet for our health and safety we are locked in our homes.

And as a church how do we function?

We are learning that the way we continue in our relationships is changing.

How we study the Bible together is changing.

I hate having to preach a sermon from my living room.

How we give our offerings to the Lord is changing.

I hate that we are sitting in our living rooms, and saying this is our worship service.

How we worship together is changing.

By God’s grace, we have a bandaid, and that is how you are watching this service right now.

We are able to use technology.

We are watching this service live on Facebook.

We have used Zoom, to host a Bible study.

We will use it again for CU after church, and then again tonight for prayer.

But watching a service on the internet is not church.

We have the technology, which I’m thankful of, but this is not church.

This is a bandaid.

Church is physical.

Church is a people.

If all we think church is, is an hour and a half long show that we sit and watch on Sunday mornings, then we are lost.

Church must be more than that.

So, it’s a great time, while we are locked in our homes, struggling to find meaning, searching for what is important, it’s a great time to go back to the basics, and go back to what the church looks like, and how we are to function.

Hopefully, you’ve got your Bible handy.

Please open your Bible up to .

I know you’re sitting at home, and comfy.

Probably in your pajamas.

But don’t get lazy on me.

Please actively pay attention.

Take notes.

Let’s read together.

This is describing the very young church.

At this time, they’re located in Jerusalem.

The young church is running into trouble.

As people turn to Christ, they are pushed aside.

They lost their jobs.

They were thrown out of their homes.

The Romans accused the Christians of being atheists.

Not in the sense that we understand atheists to be today.

Not someone who denies that there is a God.

But Christians rejected the polytheism of the Romans.

And since the Christians said there was only one God, and denied the many gods that the Romans worshipped, the Romans called them atheists.

Which means they were also breaking the law.

The Christians become outcasts.

And its in this setting that we see what the church was and what it is.

gives 4 principles of unity for the church today.

And if we are going to remain a church, if we are going to remain a body of believers, a singular local body of believers, then these are 4 principles must be seen within us now.

First we see that they were United Members.

The church wasn’t a group of random people.

They weren’t people who randomly showed up at random buildings on Sunday mornings.

One time, I met a man, he said to be a Christian, and I asked him where he goes to church.

He rattled off 5 or 6 churches that he sporadically and occasionally goes to, but wasn’t connected to any of them.

Church was more like a roulette table, and he bounced around like the ball on that spinning wheel.

That’s not how this church is described.

The local church is a singular body.

It’s many people.

But they are one.

And they belong to each other.

When someone became a believer, he became a part of the actual church.

In a world where people are lost and disconnected, the church is for those who have been saved by God, and they have a home.

The world outside pushes them away, but within the church they belong.

It’s biblical, because

Doesn’t matter what their race is, socio-economic status, or nationality.

They were welcomed within the body.

Paul reaffirms the words of Hosea, in , “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ”

You have a home within the church.

And that’s what makes this so hard.

That’s what makes this so hard, is we are separated.

Christ has not saved you to be isolated.

He has saved you to be a part of something, His church.

Notice that it says they were of one heart and soul.

We share the same passions.

We have a single heart, which yearns to give God glory.

This is one of the promises of the New Covenant.

- “I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.”

And the joy, the promise is to be around people who also have this new heart.

The church is therefore a group of people who share this same heart, and a same desire to bring God glory.

This same body demonstrated commitment to each other.

They were a body, and they cared about others within this body.

They shared with one another.

This means that church membership, being a part of the church means that you are connected to others.

You have relationships with one another.

You have a single heart for the glory of God.

And you long to care for each other.

Imagine a church that is described this way?

The early church was accused of turning the world upside down.

It’s a church that

This of course is describing a church that is not under quarantine.

Those in were still free to travel.

There was no social distancing.

So how do we do this while not being able to see each other, or be around each other? That’s the challenge.

I hear many thinking that this period of time is like a home vacation.

We are to look inward.

Watch lots of movies.

Play lots of video games.

Entertain ourselves only.

A united body, filled with united members is one that looks out for each other.

This means if we are going to be a united body, a church that God desires and approves of, then we are going to have to stay in touch with each other, and be aggressive about it.

Normal relationships often just happen.

Think about when you were in high school.

Who were your friends?

They were the people that you were around.

And your relationships with those people were unbreakable, at least you thought they were.

But when you graduated, what happened to those relationships?

They gradually slipped away.

I’m sure, there were some relationships that persevered the test of time.

Then the reality of time kicked in.

As time went on, those relationships dissolved.

They were relationships because you happened to be around each other.

Your relationship with the church body must be different from just being people that you associate when you are in a common building.

You can’t let your church relationships exist just because you see them once a week.

Especially now.

We don’t get to see each other.

If we are going to be a church of united members, in this hour, we are going to have to be aggressive in this relationship.

Text messages are useful, but there are even better ways.

Pick up the phone.

Call people.

It’s nice to have a conversation.

To hear the other persons voice.

Use Facetime.

What an amazing time to see someone’s face as you talk to them.

I realize that some of you might not be comfortable with technology.

But God has provided it for this time, so that we can use it to stay in contact with each other.

Use every means available.

Write letters.

Join us for prayer meetings and bible study.

The second principal of a church is that they have a United Message.

You see this in verse 33, “And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.”

The world around us seems to think that church is a group of people, coming together just to be around each other.

To celebrate our humanity.

To do community service.

That’s really

First notice where this united message came from - it says it was from the apostles and the testimony that they gave.

And this continues today.

These same apostles under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote down the words of the New Testament.

Back in , on the day of Pentecost, says that they “devoted themselves to the apostles teaching ...”

And we see that a true church, it’s going to find truth within the pages of Scripture.

What has been recorded in the Bible is meant to be taught.

It’s meant to be preached.

This is what we do.

This is what a church does.

The preaching of Scripture, it defines us.

Are you familiar with the unofficial motto of the United States Postal Service?

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed round.”

A few years ago, Amanda and I traveled to New York City.

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed round

We took a tour of the city.

We passed this massive white building, the General Post Office in New York City.

Just massive.

And there, inscribed on the outside of that magnificent building, was that slogan, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night ...” those are good words.

The preaching of Scripture must be our motto.

Some of Paul’s last words to Timothy were the same.

Timothy was a young pastor, who needed boldness.

He was a pastor in a rough town, that was going to face dark days ahead.

Paul’s words to Timothy were to be like postal service, but with the word of God.

says, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”

In season and out of season.

Preach the word.

This is a difficult time.

Our routine is off.

We aren’t in our church building.

Some of you, most of you are probably in your pajamas right now.

I’m in my living room.

I can’t see your face.

I don’t know if I’m making sense to you.

And yet, this charge remains, preach the word.

In season.

When it’s easy.

When it’s a Sunday morning, and you come to church, and you sit down in front of me.

And out of season.

When the coronavirus has shut down the nation.

When we can’t gather.

When we have to do church on the internet.

Preach the word.

This is what we do.

Back in , Paul told timothy, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.”

This is what we do.

2 weeks ago, when talk of limiting the size of crowds first began, there was talk of having to stop meeting together.

And I wondered what we would do.

Would we skip everything?

Would I record a sermon, and just put it up on youtube or something?

And I thought of these passages.

Preach in season and out of season.

Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture.

I can’t imagine not preaching on a Sunday.

A united church is committed to a united message that comes from the Bible.

And not only did they preach, but it says, they were “giving their testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ”

They preached.

And they preached the resurrection.

This early church was having a hard time.

They were suffering.

They were hungry.

They were lacking.

They were persecuted.

And what did they need hear?

What was it they needed to hear more than anything else?

They didn’t try to negotiate peace with the Roman Government.

They didn’t try to push for Roman approval.

The apostles preached the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That is what a church going through hard times needs.

You are going through hard times.

I know you are.

The elders and I have made phone calls all week.

We have families that are hurting financially.

We have people who are wondering what is going to happen.

You are scared.

And what is it you need?

What is your hope?

A vaccination?

A flattened curve?

A federal stimulus package.

That isn’t your biggest need.

You need to hear of the resurrection.

Jesus Christ went to the Cross.

But death could not hold Him down.

And He conquered the grave.

Sins are forgiven.

He has all authority over heaven and earth.

And now He sits at the Father’s right hand side.

You are scared, concerned, worried, anxious.

Yet, the Lord is sovereign.

Jesus is on His throne.

There is something worse than a coronavirus, that is death without a savior.

But with Christ, there is forgiveness of sins.

And now death has no threat over those who belong to Christ.

Because there is a resurrection.

When the apostles preached the resurrection things happened.

They preached with power, and great grace was upon them.

Something happens when we preach the Gospel.

We are extremely limited in what we can and can’t do right now.

But we have not lost the ability to speak the Gospel.

We might not be able to be around each other.

I might not be able to give you a hug.

But I can give you the Gospel.

I can give you Christ.

As we talk to each other, and check in on each other, let’s not forget our hope of the Gospel, in the resurrection.

The third principal of a united church is they had United Materials.

We may be in the beginning stages of something terrible.

I don’t know how bad things are going to get.

But this audience in Jerusalem, was worse than ours.

They were losing their jobs.

They were an isolated group.

Their resources were limited.

And what did they do?

Verse 34 says, “There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.”

They sold what they had.

They sold their land.

They sold their homes.

They saw their possessions as just stuff.

They saw their possessions as resources to help others.

They saw their brothers in sisters in need, they took inventory of what they had and they acted.

They sold what they had, then they brought and laid it at the apostles feet.

It was placed at their feet.

It was an act of humility.

It was them acknowledging the authority of the apostles.

Saying, “Here you go; do with it as you please.”

And then what was laid there was distributed.

Our situation is not so different.

We are in a fragile state.

Our resources are limited.

And yet, we must see Christ as our treasure.

He is the treasure.

He is eternal.

Everything else is just stuff.

This ministry depends on your generosity.

I know it’s hard.

It’s hard to give when you don’t know if there’s more coming.

I love the example of these people in .

It’s not like they had a steady income.

Once you sell land … that land is gone.

Yet they sold it.

And then what did they do with it?

They laid it at the apostles’ feet.

This shows us how we give.

We don’t give with strings attached.

We give, and we give it up.

It’s no longer yours.

It’s the Lords.

Giving isn’t just for times of prosperity.

And so we use the stuff that we have to care for each other.

Paul gives the example of the Macedonians.

They were not a wealthy people.

says, “for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—”

They gave out of joy.

They gave from an overflowing “wealth of generosity.”

In fact, they “begged” to give.

Where do you get such an attitude?

When you see that what you have is just stuff.

And you give.

You give without strings attached.

A united church, has united materials.

We see what we have as resources given by God and used for His glory.

Finally, a principal of the united church is that they have a United Ministry.

In the final verses of this chapter we are introduced to Barnabas.

We learn in verse 36 that Barnabas isn’t his real name.

That’s a nickname.

His real name is Joseph.

Remember that for the next time you are on Jeopardy!

Barnabas is only a nickname.

Many times nicknames describe a person.

John the Baptist had one of the most creative nicknames in the Bible - The Baptist.

Why was he called John the Baptist?

Because he baptized people.

Barnabas means “son of encouragement”.

He’s the very definition of someone who encourages.

If John was called John the Baptist because he baptized people, Joseph was so encouraging he was called son of encouragement, Barnabas, and it’s a name that stuck, because it described his life.

We learn in these opening verses how the Gospel transformed Barnabas’ life.

We learn that he was a Levite.

Levites weren’t always known for their friendliness.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan there was a man going from Jerusalem down to Jericho.

He was beaten and left for dead.

There was a priest and a Levite who saw the man lying, dying on the road.

And what did they do?

They passed by on the other side of the road.

He was also from Cyprus.

Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean.

It was a pagan island.

But the Gospel transformed Barnabas’ life.

He did not fit the stereotype of a Levite or a Cyprian.

Under the Law, Levites were not supposed to own land.

Somewhere along Israel’s history, they abandoned that commandment, and began gathering property.

And Barnabas is an example of a Levite who owned land.

But under the transformation of the Gospel and with His conversion, he demonstrated the principles of what it means to be in the church, and a part of the church.

He was a part of the full number, he was a united member of the church.

He believed the Gospel, he held to truth, he held to the united message of the church.

He saw his possessions as being given to him by God, and used them for God’s glory, he had a view of united materials, and he sold the land that he had.

And he brought it and laid the money at the feet of the apostles.

If we had more time, we’d go into , and see the comparison to Barnabas, Ananias and Sapphira.

Barnabas was a man who when converted, loved the church.

He desired to encourage, and build up those in the church.

He wanted more than anything else to see those in the church be used by God.

In , he defended Paul before the young church.

He spoke of Paul’s conversion.

Desiring to see the church grow and see the mighty power of God, saving the most hardened of sinners.

In , Barnabas was sent back to Cyprus.

The church there was experiencing persecution, and he went to encourage them and to help them remain faithful to the Lord, through hardship.

He didn’t give them more reason to suffer.

He didn’t wallow in self-pity.

He reminded them of the purpose of God, and encouraged endurance.

Barnabas was a picture of a church that has a united ministry.

We may not be able to meet together, but we are still the church.

And we want to see others join the church.

We want to see others come to Christ.

We want to see others join the body of the redeemed.

We want to see others be used by the Lord.

It’s looking like we’ve got weeks of this.

You have nothing but time.

Use this time, to the glory of God.

Use your time, to encourage the saints.

Use this time to encourage your brothers and sisters.

Think of the different people in the church and the situations that they face.

We’ve got moms who are going to have to become homeschooling moms.

Maybe you’ve got some advice.

We’ve got dads, who suddenly have lots of time at home.

Maybe you can encourage them to lead their family.

All you have is time.

Let’s not waste these weeks.

In fact I trust in the sovereignty of God.

He uses all things for His glory and the good of those who are His.

Southwest Christian Church, we’ve been given a gift.

Weeks of time to build relationships.

To make phone calls.

To encourage one another.

We may be on lockdown, quarantine, or a “stay at home” order, but we still have a responsiblity to be the church.

Your commitment to the body remains even if you are ordered to stay in your home.

Our commitment to the Gospel and the message is as strong as ever.

Economically, things are going to be tight.

And like the Macedonians, may be remain committed and united in how we use what God has given us.

And with your time, don’t become inward focused.

Instead, look to encourage the body.

Again, , “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

This mission does not end until we are brought to the Lord.

You may be watching this, but never identified with Christ.

You are trapped in your house.

You can be saved, if you call on the name of the Lord.

You repent today.

In fact, an amazing thing, is these promises are even for you if you are in Christ.

If you’d like to know more about Christ, send us a message on Facebook, and someone will contact you to help you know who our Savior is.

Maybe you’re realizing you are missing out on the body of Christ, and you’d like to be a part of the church, let us know. Send us a message and I’ll help you out.

We’ll be creative.

But I want to welcome you.

Pray

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