Acts 2:41-47
How Fellowship Helps me Grow
Here are some signs of the times, reported in the star.com though whether they’re permanent remains to be seen.
Friends are important: The television show Friends, despite lower than average ratings this time last year, has unexpectedly become TV’s most popular show this fall. Executives believe it’s because viewers crave familiarity in such a stressful time.
Mmm, Mmm Good: Campbell Soup Co., says sales surged after the September attacks, because soup is a comfort food. Perennial best sellers are Chicken Noodle and Tomato.
Rated R: The Blockbuster video rental chain is putting warning labels on all new movies and games that feature terrorism.
Breathing Easy: Demand in Canada, the U.S. and Britain for gas masks, chemical detectors and protective gloves is high. Toronto’s Army Navy store has sold more than 3,000 gas masks since Sept. 11.
Breathing Easy II: According to the weekly New York Observer, along with the gas masks, people in that city are snapping up canaries from local pet stores in the hopes they will warn them of any gas attacks.
Calming effect: IMS Health, an American pharmaceutical information company, reports that American pharmacies filled 1.9 million new prescriptions for antidepressants like Prozac in the last two weeks of September - up 11 per cent over the same time last year.
Fear of flying: Psychologists say terrorist attacks have heightened fears for many people who were already nervous about flying. A Leger Marketing survey found 48 per cent of Canadians who had flown in the last five years were more scared to travel by plane after the attacks than they were before.
Praying for Peace: Religious institutions are reporting increased attendance and participation in study groups since the attacks. An American Gallup poll says church going is up 6 per cent since the terrorist attacks.
Flag frenzy: American retailers can’t keep up with the demand for Old Glory, with many factories running 24 hours a day. In this country, American flags have begun appearing everywhere.
Airport security: New airport security measures mean travellers must carry a piece of photo identification. Electronic devices must be put in carry-on luggage and sharp objects checked with your baggage.
Bits & Bites: The president of the Canadian Confectionary Manufacturers says candy sales are up since the attacks. When people are sad they turn to junk food. A.C. Nielson Canada said snack food sales are up 12 per cent over this time last year.
Holiday deals?: Florida’s tourism industry is struggling. Officials say fall bookings are down 40 per cent year over year.
Go by rail: Via rail ticket sales increased more than 70 per cent in central and eastern Canada the week after the disaster. The increase has levelled off now, but VIA is still seeing a year-over-year increase of 20 per cent in the Windsor-Quebec City corridor.
A common thread through these signs of the times is this: people are looking for security, or what will comfort them. It’s a time of stress. It’s a time of need. It’s a time of sleepless nights. Numerous jobs are lost, economy is going south. Then we hear more bad news, as Canada 3000, our nation’s second largest airline, declared bankruptcy and ceased operations this past week. It’s a time of folks wondering what’s normal. When will we get peace as war on terrorism goes on and on? It’s time of a reported jump in people getting their wills written out, apparently lawyers are reporting more business in writing of wills. It’s a scary time. Is anything ever gonna be OK? How can we make it through life?
Let me suggest to you the context of the beginning of the book of Acts, which is part 2 of the Gospel of Luke, is very much the same as today. Jesus had just been crucified, an act of state terrorism by the authorities. It was a gross miscarriage of justice, just as it was felt here with the events of Sept.11. The Roman head guy Pontius Pilate, had earlier proclaimed Jesus not guilty of any charges. And yet under tremendous pressure and influence of the chief priests and the Jerusalem mob Pilate went against his own judgment and pass the death sentence which the crowd demanded. Now the disciples of Jesus, has a serious handicap, their founder is dead and they’re in a state of shock, and fear predominates. They had given up their livelihood to follow the young radical Rabbi. Are they now gonna die too? They too, are asking are things gonna turn out OK, what now? When will things be “normal” again? Do you feel their need, how frightened they were, that they were huddled together behind locked doors for fear of further hits ordered by the Jewish leaders (John 20:19)?
But here’s where the similarity ends. The disciples did not launch an air-strike, or begin a war against their enemies. They did not urge retaliation against the Taliban of the day, the religious authorities who incited hatred of Jesus and terrorized Jesus and His followers. They did not impose new security measures in their homes, in fact they open up their homes, instead of meeting behind locked doors.
In fact, what they did was simply, coming together and celebrated life and they did life together.
Examine with me Acts 2:41-47
41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church—about three thousand in all. 42 They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord’s Supper and in prayer.
The Believers Meet Together
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. 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—47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.
There was transformation! They were 3,000 new souls coming out for church! There was joy! They had fellowship, and it was a sweet one. They have found friends, not the TV show, but the real deal in each other. What was it that sparked all of this celebration? Let me submit to you, it was because of Jesus’ resurrection and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:4-5 (NLT)
4 In one of these meetings (after His resurrection) as he was eating a meal with them, he told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised. Remember, I have told you about this before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Thus, the impossible happened, the dead founder of Christianity came back alive and well, eating with them and promised them His Spirit. Hope was restored in their hearts after the disaster of the crucifixion of Christ. Joy came back. They knew the sweet reality of the forgiveness of sins as they each were restored for deserting their founder as he hung on the cross.
Larry Crabb wrote in his book Connecting, “We have made a terrible mistake! For most of this century we have wrongly defined soul wounds as psychological disorders and delegated their treatment to trained specialists. Damaged psyches aren’t the problem. The problem is disconnected souls. What we need is connection. What we need is a healing community.” He’s right! Hit the button on the nose. What Jesus did was connect people back to God and to another. This was what the people in Acts 2 experienced, a healing community. A community, fellowship of believers that knew sins are forgiven in Jesus’ name. It was not merely a club, it was not a potluck supper! It was the life-changing Jesus that made a difference.
Realization hit me as I led Bible studies on Wednesday nights. Going through whole book of Genesis now into Ex. 20 into the 10 commandments. Sin is really disconnectedness, Adam Eve, Cain and Abel… all of them sinned because they disconnected with God and each other.
When Enoch walked with God… when he really connected with God, what happened, “then he was no more because God took him away.” Gen.5:25 (NIV) Enoch is different from others of Adam’s line who are described “Then he died”. This is not God taking him out, or in our vernacular, killing him. But God took him to Himself. God liked the guy so much, He did not wait till He died but just got Him away from the mess, that’s connection! History of man is one sorry story of disconnectedness after another. Till the day we see Jesus connected to God His Father revealed to us in the NT.
That God is calling together a community reflects His image which is Three in One, the relationship of love and dependence between the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Spirit. That is why we sense something is right about church, even when it is imperfect, it seems innate that it is good and wholesome, to be in church, we somehow know God is here. As Jesus said: “I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you.” Matt.18:19,20 There is something wonderfully powerful in fellowship, being together. Want to experience something of God? Be in the fellowship of believers who know the sweet forgiveness of sins, who want to do life together, knowing that the power of the Spirit is real as 2 or 3 are gathered in Jesus’ name. God is there when we deliberately gather in God’s name!
That is why when the church was first established, people were added to church, to the fellowship, to community, not to a building, not to a program, not even to training sessions. First and foremost, people were made to connect to God, feel free and sins forgiven, connected because of God’s grace sensed renewal, cry freedom… again, why common denominator – faith in Jesus… Development
1. From day one of the church’s existence, God’s intention was this intentional fellowship called the church.
41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church—about three thousand in all. 42 They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord’s Supper and in prayer.
This is game plan folks! See what happens when they joined with other believers in community…
Do things come naturally when common connection is Jesus, you want to get into God’s Word, get together with others who share same personal experience, eat together, pray together… Nothing forced, no one was there now u have to sign up for behavioral management classes, learn the rules how to behave, they just joined in with gusto, so natural in a supernatural way, fully alive in the living God, hungry. I tell ya, that we’ve gotta question a faith that feels like a straight jacket and a pair of handcuffs… Do u sense freedom, joy that drives you to be a devoted follower of Christ, just like the 3,000 and more who devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching?
Most of my desire for Christian growth occurred in context of other excited believers who were changed, transformed by the love of Christ and enjoyed the stuff of v.42. I would not have met the God of the Bible if there were others who experienced God’s love and transformation in their lives. “42 They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord’s Supper and in prayer.” They were passionate, not run of the mill, ho-hum stuff, they enjoyed church, they won’t miss it.
2. It is because of this shared experience in community, they felt God’s presence.
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders
It is in this community, sense of awe came over them all. Awe and reverence perhaps can be felt alone, but there is nothing like feeling it with others who know the sweet forgiveness of Christ. Who enjoy what it means to have joy in Him. Who enjoy passion for God. Who enjoy that their greatest hangups, their personal sins are washed away in the blood of the Lamb. Who enjoy knowing the presence of God by the Spirit who lives in each follower of Christ. I remember some my own awesome experiences gathered with believers who has a passion for Jesus. They were electric only because we forgot who we are, and just concentrate on the magnificent presence of a loving Father, who dared to love us so radically, who dared to identify with us human beings with the human face of Jesus. Matt. 18:20 is right for 2 or three gather, Jesus is there.
When this presence is felt, I believed miracles can happen. I believe reason why we don’t see more miracles is there is no sense of awe. This no sense of awe comes from not having a sense of common experience of grace and forgiveness and acceptance in Christ. Centre stage is given to our problems, not Jesus, so the bright light of His gospel is dimmed.
When we come together we feel we can’t foul up, no room for mistakes, people look funny at you when you dress wrong, sing wrong key, lift up hands… see how the focus is shifted subtely to us, where is God in there? Don’t u see God forgives, cleanses, heals? Don’t u see the mercy of God to us? Don’t u see the gift of grace?
And so there is no sense of freedom therefore no natural movement in the supernatural, church becomes joyless and no sense of awe and wanting to come together and thus no sense of natural disposition of hungry devoted believer like Paul who said “I want to know Christ and power of His resurrection” or “I want to forget what’s behind, straining toward what is ahead, I press on… hungry for more of God” So passion dissipates, when rules dominate as we measure up to what’s gonna make me look good. But where grace dominates, oh how sweet it is, where sins are forgiven in Jesus’ name!
3. It is because of this constant meeting together they felt each other’s needs.
. 44 And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had.45 They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need.
As deep sense of awe pervades, just want more… no need to say we gotta have church, they just wanted church, resulted in changed people… when Jesus is there…people change… not programs… not worship music…, resulted in practical ministry. See how they practically met needs (v.45).
Because they’re no longer strangers, they’re family, they’re kindred!
4. Church growth boom!
Lastly resulted in great worship in big celebration centers…and small groups in homes… illogical 3,000 met in one house… met in HOMES… and great friendships! Fellowships big and small, that’s game plan for the church!
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—47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.
Can you see how this fellowship, this community of faith brought about more changed lives.
Can you see how a real connection with God through faith in Christ and by His power connecting with other with like-faith, helps you and I to grow as a human being?
Great thing is when authentic Christ- centered community is alive and well, enjoyed, celebrated, admitted sinners received grace, not feel judged, favor is felt, friendships real and where God is worshipped, miracles happen, presence of God is felt, naturally coming from a supernatural encounter… results are explosive church growth. Evangelism naturally occurs when people genuinely connect with God and each other. When there is this sweet fellowship it helps me it helps you, it changes me, changes you!
And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved! Do u see?
PBC, this is what I envision… authentic felowship in community of faith, my dream is folks being transformed first with grace of meeting God through Christ, and then meeting each other in Christ… this game plan has worked for 2000 years and I believe it will work till He comes again.
Stationed here in Vancouver, the world has come to us, God has strategically placed us to make I believe a global impact. Who would be better suited to be disciple-makers than us, who can cross cultures and adapt the message of the cross in ways churches 20 or 30 years would not have been able to even dream of. Who can be more relevant, real and bring about the changing transforming message of Christ than us?
Will you now glorify God, in this community of faith by being a DISCIPLE
1. Daily pursuing God, relying on His empowering presence. Connect with Him, He is more than willing to connect with you, see Him more in the Bible and talk (pray) to Him who lives forever and wants to connect with you, God loves you!
2. Involvement with other believers
3. Sharing life through life-changing groups that multiply
4. Corporately worship God celebrating Him
5. Involvement with non-churched friends, sharing Jesus with them.
6. People centered, mission driven, not program centered
7. Loving others that they grow to be fully devoted followers of Christ
8. Encourage and equip our members to be effective team players
Have you receive Jesus to get into this joy of connecting with God and each other in fellowship, thus help yourself grow as a person?
