Secrets of the Early Church

Act 2:42 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.

Act 2:43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

Act 2:44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.

Act 2:45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.

Act 2:46 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—

Act 2:47 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.

INTRODUCTION

Good Morning! Southpointe!!

How many of you like secrets? See I don’t think too many people like secrets, But I do think that everybody likes to hear a secret.

In fact if you really want o get someone to listen in. When you are having a conversation with someone public, Just say, Whatever you do not share this with anyone. It is a secret.

And everybody’s ears will perk up. We all like to know inside information.

So this morning, I would like to describe to you some things that are the secrets of the early church, and I hope that you will listen.

So understand this they are not secrets in that they are hidden. The fact of the matter is they are plain as day.

But they are secrets in that they are either ignored or apparently unknown by many in the church today.

I am amazed at how many people missed the memo of what we are about to read.

Because it is really very simple and easy to understand. I believe this is God’s blueprint for the church and how God wants the church to run.

You know there are some saying today that we need to re-envision the church for today. I disagree.

I don’t think we need to re-envision it. I think we need to rediscover it. We don’t need to redefine what God has already defined.

We need to get back to the church the way it was in the beginning.

Because the results was awesome, They turned the world upside down.

Here in Chapter 2 of Acts this is a story about the church that changed the world. What was their secret? I believe that the Word of God spelled it out for us: Every Christian believed they were called to their part and every person matter.

There is a famous story from Sparta. You remember those 300 Spartans that faced the Persian army, the movie that was made from this real life event. “The 300”

As this story goes that the Spartan king was bragging to a visiting king about the walls of Sparta. And the visiting king was looking around and he said “I don’t see no walls”

The Spartan king said, “ You see in Sparta every man is a brick. These are the walls of Sparta and the king pointed to his army.

Every man was part of the wall.

The same way in the church every one of us are brick.

1 Peter 2:5 And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple.

You should not be a spectator in the church, but you should be a participator.

What I have found is that it is easy to play armchair quarterback. But it is another thing to be down of the field. And that is where God wants all of us to be.

President Theodore Roosevelt said this: “It is not the critic who counts. Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood who strives valiantly who errs and comes up short again and again but there is not effort without error or rather he concluded, There is not error without shortcomings.”

So what he was saying is simply it is easy to stand back and criticize but the credit goes to the man or the woman who gets out there and does the work of the kingdom of God.

We may make mistakes but I would have been at least trying and make a mistake than never try at all.

We at Southpointe, believe in hands on ministry. We encourage everyone to get involved in what we are doing.

Eph 4:16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

So the key is for every one of us to do our part.

Now let me take us back to our text: We are at the day of Pentecost. The Spirit of God has just pour out on Christ’s disciples. They see supernatural power of God, They are speaking in a new heavenly language.

A huge crowd has gathered and Peter preaches a message and 3000 give their lives to Christ.

This church was in a perfect place to turn the world upside down, because it was a healthy, vibrant church.

So I want to describe them as the Well Church. They were W>E>L>L.

Four principles for the church to pattern.

W— Worshiping Church

E- Evangelistic Church

L-Learning Church

L- Loving Church

Everyone of these principles where in play when the early church changed the world.

But I am going to change the order and follow the pattern that laid out in Acts 2.

Learning church

Act 2:42 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.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching.

The Spirit of God works through the Word of God in the hearts of the people.

Think about this “these people were empowered by the Spirit and the way they showed it was by studying the Bible.

You see, A spirit filled church will be a Bible studying Church.

The sad thing is that I had heard people make statements like this: Service was great!! The Spirit was being poured out and there was no preaching and there was no message from the Word.

What so amazing on this is that Luke the author of the book of Acts could have brought a lot of things to our attention about this church.

He could have said, they were vibrant, joyful, and growing. But He make a point to tell us they studied together.

And It could have been a temptation for the believers to look back and say, Why can’t every service be like Pentecost,

Remember the Spirit came down and we had people being filled and saved.

But it was about getting into the Word of God.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

Martin Luther said, “The Bible is alive, It speaks to me. It has feet. It runs after me. It has hands. It lays hold of me.”

2 Tim 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2. Loving Church

Act 2:42 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.

The word fellowship comes from the Greek word: Koinonia, which translated partnership, communion, fellowship.

But the idea that is being communicated here is they were being taught the Word of God and they wanted to share it with others.

You know fellowship is more than just socializing. Fellowship is praying together, serving together, it is growing and aging together.

It is developing a relationship, one that is based on the love for God and love for each other.

1 John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

You see, when you are walking with God you will want be with God’s people. And if you are not walking with God you probably won’t want to be around God’s people.

We are to spend our time together and it will work into a loving, sharing and care relationship.

John 13:34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

John 13:35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.

The early church got into the Word of God and they had fellowship together.

3. They were a worshiping Church

Act 2:46 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.

Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

This phrase gladness and sincerity of heart literally means with unaffected joy.

So there was joy. There was vibrancy. But there was also reverence.

look at:

Act 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

These are elements that should be in our worship. There should be reverence and joy.

The Spirit filled church will be a worshiping Church. The Spirit filled Christian will be a worshiping Christian.

You see, something wonderful happens when God’s people get together and sing His praises.

God inhabits the praise of His people.

Worship is not a style of music or really has anything to do with worship.

Worship— To honor with unrestrained love and extreme submission.

Unrestrained means uncontrolled excitement or emotion. Extreme submission means above and beyond in obedient.

4. Evangelistic Church

They were a worshiping church, they were loving church and they were learning church.

But look what is so, so important:

Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

The Lord added to the church daily those that were being saved. Do you know that the world watch this in amazement.

This is what should be happening in churches that are doing it the way that God want them to do it.

Because New believers are the lifeblood of the church.

If a church doesn’t have a flow of new believers coming in then that church is stagnated.

You see, new believers will help us older believers stay on our feet spiritually.

Matt 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Matt 28:20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

In this Great Commission it is not to just go out and preach the gospel. It is to go out and make disciples of all nations teaching them to observe all things that Christ has commanded.

And He promised to be with us. We are to make disciples!!

What does that mean? It means you go out and to the best of your ability.

You seek to lead a person to Christ and help them to grow up spiritually. Take them under your wing.

Help people grow in their faith.

Proverbs 11:25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

As we give out to others God will replenishes us.

The early church understood this and they gave out. They helped young believers grow in their faith.

This is a church that turn the world upside down.

Southpointe we can do this, God has placed us in this time, right down to be the Church.

But not just a church but a WELL Church and a well church will turn their world upside down.