Gathered around the truth
Notes
Transcript
If you haven’t been with us before, we are looking at the book of Acts and we’ve been looking to see God at work, then His Spirit at work and right now we are looking at the “Acts of the Church” - the church at work.
So far:
Witnesses to the truth
Affected by the truth
Today I am looking at ”Gathered around the truth.” Truth is the basis for our unity.
It’s amazing to think that even in times like this, that today, around the world, people are meeting. Many are meeting in person, many are meeting online. There are people from every tribe and nation and language. On every continent and in every country. In public and in hiding.
That’s what I imagine this first church in Jerusalem to be like. It wasn’t about being cool - persecution and opposition was real. Here were people from many nations gathered together, united around the truth of Gospel and learning what it means to be the family of God.
Let’s look at what happens straight after Pentecost
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
What an amazing expression of being the church!
What do you think of when you think of church? I imagine that many people think a place to go to. Something that we do. A Sunday activity!
Whatever you think, there is always probably other people involved because it’s a corporate thing. So when Jesus says, “I will build my church,” He is saying that He is creating something where people separate themselves to Him and His purposes. So we could say it’s also right to think in terms of this, togetherness, commitment, family, impact.
I was challenged by some words from Alan Hirsh - "every revival in history has been a recovery of the people of God being the people of God." What this means is that the more we love Jesus, the more we understand who God has made us, and the more we love each other the more impact we have in this world. Our theology moves from theoretical to impact.
They devote themselves to 4 things:
The apostles teaching - Gospel foundations
The fellowship - a Gospel proclamation - noun - a proclamation of being God’s people/family
The breaking of bread - a Gospel reminder - also an expression of fellowship
Prayer - a Gospel privilege
It expanded their lives as God worked in their lives as the church became a living thing worshipping the living God and resulting in growth. They were together!
The Bible has a word for togetherness in the Greek - koinonia. The meaning of this word is made clear throughout the Bible when it is translated in various ways - partnership, fellowship, participation and sharing. Life together!
- This was something the new church was committed to – Acts 2:42. This was expressed in radical ways.
- They were in fellowship with each other because they were in fellowship with Jesus.
God is faithful; you were called by him into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?
- Because of what Christ’s had done, we enjoy fellowship with the Holy Spirit
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
- Because they were in fellowship with Jesus and each other, they trusted Jesus and served one another.
This was expressed radically and practically
they begged us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints,
Because of the proof provided by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone.
This koinonia (togetherness) wasn’t something that cluttered their lives but clarified their lives. Sometimes we think that the church, the fellowship of the saints, is something else to add to our already busy schedules, when in fact it is the hub around which all other activities revolve – it defines us and gives us Christlike shape to our lives.
What shapes this togetherness?
- The Gospel
- Our identity
- Our mission
1. Gospel-shaped togetherness
1. Gospel-shaped togetherness
I believe it is important for us to be this because our community will always be shaped by something but not always the right thing.
True biblical community comes out of who we are. It’s not from what we do. I have had the privilege of serving in churches where there was so much diversity that the world couldn’t comprehend how that is possible. When the Gospel shapes us, it’s possible.
Who we are informed by the Gospel
Jesus takes us back to what we were made for
In the Gospel we are led back to what were made for His glory. The Gospel gives a radical reorientation which takes the focus off me and places it back on Jesus. No wonder these early disciples made the church look so radical. This means that the church should be, if God has worked in our hearts, the most selfless place in the world. No wonder our love for each other is so radical because it's birthed in the supernatural work of Jesus. I have a feeling that we're just starting to come into this now.
2. Gospel shaped identity
2. Gospel shaped identity
As the Gospel shapes our focus, it shapes our identity. But let’s also think of other ways the Christ has shaped our identity.
- One new man
he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.
- Family of God – where God is our Father and other Christians are my brothers and sisters.
So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household,
- Temple of God
In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.
- Body of Christ -1 Cor 12
- Bride of Christ – Ephesians 5:25ff
In all this, we are the image bearers of God. The thing that makes the pattern of community in the Bible so compelling, is that the image of God is seen so clearly!
3. Gospel shaped action
3. Gospel shaped action
Grounds us in our identity as image bearers so that we disciples who made disciples, and children of God committed (covenanted) to each other.
3.1. Love
3.1. Love
They will know us by our love (John 13:34,35). People should see how we love one another. For that to be convincingly compelling, there must be something significantly supernatural. It’s easy to cultivate sameness, it’s the supernatural work of God through the Gospel that helps us to love where there was none.
Love would be the dominant characteristic in all the One another’s in the Bible.
- Members of one another Rom 12:5
- Devoted to Rom 12:10
- Honouring Rom 12:10
- Same mind Rom 15:5
- Accepting
- Admonishing
- Greeting’
- Serving
- Carrying one another’s burdens
- Bearing with
- Submitting to
- Encouraging
3.2. Hope
3.2. Hope
We are confident in hope
3.3. Mission
3.3. Mission
Through the Gospel all the barriers break down.
4. Keep the Gospel priorities clear
4. Keep the Gospel priorities clear
It is difficult to serve your team if you are aiming for the wrong goal. I am sure you have all seen that - someone scores a goal and is excited but the rest of the team is fuming because they know what he hasn't yet realised - it was the wrong goal.
- Jesus first in everything.
- Prioritises people.
- Enlarges the circle of people we embrace. Gospel-shaped togetherness breaks down the divisions.
- We even think of mission – unreached people around us and beyond
- The Gospel shapes us to be a people of God!