Prayer and the Fundamentals of the Body of Christ

Introduction

Well it is Football season again. I am not a sports fanatic, but I am entrigued enough to follow from a distance. However Football has great memories for me and so I’m always paying a bit more attention to the sport than I do other sports.

The Seahawks are my team in the National Football League. This preseason (well let’s say it was preseason), but I tell you, the way they couldn’t tackle and wrap up the opposing offense was spectacular. It was so egregious, I thought, “maybe it’s me and I’m not seeing things correctly”… you start to doubt your own eyes… then, by the second game, head coach Pete Carroll said,

“I have to check on the tacklers. The guys that are missing. I think that’s the most important thing to me right now, I wanna see who’s missing tackles, and uh, fix that problem. I don’t think it’s an epidemic, it looked a little like that last week. We’ve got to clean some stuff up with some guys and you know, if they don’t get it right, then they won’t be able to be here and we’ll get guys that can.”

As an athlete when I was younger, I always just assumed that when you got to the pro-level in any sport, you left the elementary principles/fundamentals to focus on the professional level aspects… that’s what you do in school, right? (Blank) You spend your time learning 2+2=4 and you don’t cover that again… it’s just known. Not so in athletics. There is always time given, even at the pro-level, to focus on fundamentals and building on those.

In many ways, athletics are a beautiful metaphor for our life and journey following Jesus.

God and the world He has made is full of mystery and wonder… Moses wrote, Deuteronomy 29:29 “The hidden things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.”

There are many things that we do not understand that are a mystery to us, but the revealed things belong to us to stand on and give ourselves too. These are the things we find in God’s revealed word to us.

If you are willing and/or able, would you stand with me as I read our text this morning,

Acts 2:41-47 “So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them. 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.”

This is the word of the Lord.

Would you pray with me...

Thank you, please be seated.

Life Then & Now

I imagine it was a bit of chaos then...

Jesus had been crucified roughly 2 months prior (Acts 2 tells us this moment in our text is at Pentecost (Jewish Festival) which takes place 50 days after Passover, the festival in which Jesus was crucified). Luke, who also wrote the book of Acts, tells us in Acts 1:3 “After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 “For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me.”

Jesus is risen, shows Himself to His disciples (first to Mary), and then spends 40 days among them.

Religious leaders hadn’t all of a sudden thought… oh He is the messiah, the promised one of God, let’s go search Him out. We still see them beating the disciples from time to time, Paul would be plotted against in order to be killed for the message of Jesus.

Amazing things are happening, but there is still a tension in the air.

It’s a bit of chaos today. (Blank)

We were having dinner with our neighbors last night and one of them remarked how “the new normal” is a phrase that is like fingernails on a chalkboard for them.

Socially, politically, it’s all kind of a mess. In fact I debated for a moment whether or not to open up with my football observation this morning because there have been those in the church who in part have disfellowshipped because their political view of the NFL was not shared. It’s weird.

A friend recommended a podcast to me… “Truth over Tribe” podcast… S1ep47… two guys are talking about Church Celebrity Culture… but in the discussion they were giving social commentary on where we are as a culture. We have encountered some serious national tragedies in the last few years. Global Pandemic, Horrific gun violence, racial discrimination and abuse, global war, and in times past it drew our country together. When we encountered national tragedies in the past… we became more united and there was a real sense of solidarity. Now, these national and global tragedies fracture us more than they do in bringing us together.

Jesus told us it would be a bit chaotic. That we would be hated as He is. That we are to strive together as brothers and sisters for unity. That we would be one as He and the Father are one (cf. John 17 and Pastor Josh’s message last week). But the followers of Jesus couldn’t live victoriously then just like we can not live victoriously now without the aid, help, and empowerment of the Holy Spirit

Empowerment Then & Now

Jesus ascends after 40 days and tells the disciples to wait and in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes upon them, Acts 1:4-8 “While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””

There is a power that God gives us in order to live out our witness in the world. We can not do it apart from the all-sufficient power that comes from Him.

Then and now, we can not be a witness to the things of God in the world apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. This is fundamental for the follower of Jesus. (Blank)

Do we try to do it in our own ability, I think so. We, like the apostle Peter say… “Oh they may deny you, but I won’t”… or when they come to capture Jesus, there’s Peter again with his sword ready to inflict chaos to defend Jesus, only to find Himself misaligned with His master. Or maybe like James and John in Samaria wanting to call down fire (imagery of Sodom and Gomorrah) because proper behavior was not being shown by a few… neglecting the fact that many had come to believe in Jesus despite him not having done any miracles in Samaria.

But we need the power of the Holy Spirit to walk in the Spirit and fulfill the calling of God for our lives.

Empowerment then...

They waited. As they waited, they were united in prayer. Acts 1:12-14 “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”

Then after 10 days, the Holy Spirit fell in marvelous sign… little flames of what looked like fire came upon their heads and they started praising God in these dialects and languages that were not Hebrew or Aramaic.

Acts 2:1-11 “When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.”

Peter declares to all of those looking on that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the promised deliverer that they have all been looking for.

We are looking for a deliverer… that’s why we are here. We have been found by Jesus and we know that we need a deliverer.

We’re not the only ones that need a deliverer, there those around us looking for their deliverer. They are looking to relationships, social media, substances, work, accomplishment, status, material goods to deliver them. Just like we were at one point in time. But they make horrible gods because they can not deliver. They can not save, in fact all they do is consume us. Our politics, our lusts, our need for control only consumes us and leaves us empty… It is only Jesus who is the true and right deliverer.

Those witnessing the Holy Spirit falling on the men and women united in prayer, being obedient to the direction of Jesus to wait, are cut to the heart of the message that Peter declares… "repent and be baptized”… turn from your ways of aligning yourself and being allegiant to the systems of the world (doing what everyone else thinks you should do), align yourself and let your allegiance be to Jesus first and foremost, let Him be your identity, and demonstrate outwardly that you are going to follow Jesus through the act of baptism.

That day Acts 2:41 tells us, “three thousand people were added to them”.

The Fundamentals Then & Now

Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.”

These are each what we call spiritual disciplines. In that we give/devote ourselves to them, we are formed and become mature, healthy, effective, and fruitful followers of Jesus. We go from spiritual infants to mature, reproducing, victorious, empowered followers of Jesus… being enriched by the goodness of God.

Going from milk (which is fascinating that an infant grows and needs only milk for a time)… but then to enjoy the benefits of spiritual wine, Greek Salad, with a 9hr smoked steak with a custom southern rub, and homemade bread fresh out of the oven… you see what I’m sayin’?

Apostles teaching: The Bible. Read it. Memorize it. Become familiar with it. See that it is a unified story written over hundreds of years, that the Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus. It’s why we give ourselves to it. (opportunities: Sunday morning gatherings, ReST before our gathering, will be relaunching our small groups in the near future, Bible Project, daily morning/evening reading.)

Fellowship: κοινονια in the Greek (remember that the NT is in Greek and OT is in Hebrew/Aramaic)… this isn’t just hanging out… but it is when the Lord is the bond between those together. When you walk away from the conversation or the time together you feel built up, encouraged, refreshed, ready for what’s next. This is the importance of gatherings. While I know there are those who have to watch online for various reasons, those who are able bodied and are only doing it out of convenience are losing out on the fellowship/κοινονια. It is a fundamental to the part of the follower of Jesus to be in community with the local church.

Breaking of Bread: this is not only in reference to the sacrament of communion that Jesus gave us, sometimes called the Lord’s supper, but it is also in sharing meals together in each others homes. It is part of the follower of Jesus to be generous in their lives… this looks like inviting and being invited into homes where meals are shared and enjoyed. It is a way of service, love, communion, and demonstrating the oneness of the body of Christ. Haven’t been invited by someone, invite someone to your place or to share a meal at a restaurant.

Prayer: Giving themselves to communion, relationship with God. We have access to God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The Jews had the Temple, but a veil was placed between them and God. When Jesus was crucified and in the hour He died, the gospel writers record how there was a great earthquake and the veil in the temple split in two… so any person could look into the Holy of Holies where the ark was, where God came down to speak with the High Priest. Hebrews 4:14-16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”

Those in the past who have had an experience growing up in the church but was always made to feel that there needed to be a priest or pastor as the intercessor. As they participated and attended here, they could sense the desire of God for them to seek the Lord personally, without an intermediary.

These are the fundamentals of the Christian Faith. As we abide and focus on these things we start to see the fruit of living in the Holy Spirit come about in our lives. Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.”

What this means for us

We are going to focus on different components of this throughout the year. We have some of these things going already, but I want to encourage you to lean in to these fundamentals.

Maybe you are new to faith, this is a great way to grow in your relationship and walk with Jesus. Give yourself to these four things. I am confident the Lord will work great and glorious things in and through your life as you give yourself to these things.

Maybe you are older in the faith… examine your life. Maybe you are like the Seahawk defensive team who can not tackle. You should be able to, but there is a neglect (intentional or unintentional) of the fundamentals. How is your scripture reading/memorization? How is your commitment to being with body of Christ on a consistent/regular basis? How is your generosity towards the church and others? How is your prayer life and communing with God? Be reminded to give yourself to these things.

Apostles Teaching: Sunday morning, ReST, Women’s Bible Studies, Small Groups coming soon, Bible Project, Kitsap School of Ministry, Alpha.

Fellowship: Sunday mornings, work parties, serving in ministry together (City Kids, City Youth, City Women, City Men), going out together for meals, coffee, or to encourage one another. Heb 10:24-25 “And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”

Breaking Bread: Communion, reflecting the work that Christ has done. Alpha (sharing a meal), meet someone new and invite them to a meal, talk about how you came to faith in Jesus, or if you don’t have faith in Jesus, what sort of things are you thinking about as you consider Jesus.

Prayer: Communing and speaking with God. Prayer is one of those great mysteries. God hears, knows, understands the deep things of our hearts. That prayer is about conforming our will to God’s will. It’s not reading off a grocery list of things for God to do, but it is a relationship that when steeped in the other three disciplines/fundamentals, is rich and transformative as He changes us from the inside out.

Sunday Night Prayer Meeting: Starting at 7pm, beginning Sept. 18, we will come together, pray for each other, pray for our church, pray for our community, and pray for the work of God in the world.

Mining the Vision: We are going to have 4 weeks of prayer where we come together and ask the Lord what He would have us to do in our community. Sign-ups will be coming in the next couple weeks. We will pray together in small groups, for those who are interested, and we will listen for what the Lord would have us to do. Sign up sheets in the foyer if you are interested in being a part of that.

Would you stand.

I want to invite the team up to lead us in song. If you need prayer this morning, there are those on staff and our elders who are here moving to the back of the room who would be happy to pray with you, whatever your need is.

If you would like to yield your life to Jesus this morning, they would love to pray with you.

If you would like prayer to recommit to the fundamentals of the Christian life, they would love to pray with you.

If you would like prayer for circumstances or things in your life that are outside of your control, they would love to pray with you.

You may go up to them anytime between now and before your leave.

Let us pray… amen.

Announcements:

Prayer meeting

Prayer signups

Our benediction this morning is from Hebrews 10:19-23 “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)—and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.”

Amen.