I have researched Sermon Central as well as many other sources in preparing this sermon.
BEING THE CHURCH GOD WANTS US TO BE:
WE DEPEND ON EACH OTHER
August 29, 2004 Jay Robison Acts 2:42-47
Sunday began sermon series leading to TBC B-day Sept 19
Looking at 1st few chapters of Acts finding out about church
“Being the Church God wants us to Be”
Last week We’re out to change the world 2nd trait in
being the church God wants, we depend on each other
Huge Ca. redwood trees amazing largest living things on earth
tallest trees in world. Some are 300 ft high & 2,500 years old. would think trees that large have a tremendous root system, reaching down 100s of feet into earth, but not the case
Redwoods have very shallow root system, but roots are
Tied in w\each other; when storms come & winds blow redwoods stand W\interlocking root system support\sustain They need one another to survive. So do we!
Church like Redwood roots we bound together in community
Belonging to Christ we belong to each other.
This is our God-given support system.
Wasn’t easy to follow Christ in 1st century.
Times tough & persecution rampant.
Early believers bound together as fellowship, a community. Today isn’t easy for us to follow Christ & truly live for Him. Discouragement Temptation Sin Apathy Failure Materialism. Unbelieving family\friends Doubts Rejection big questions. We face so many obstacles in our desire to live for the Lord. however God not left us on our own to run race\fight battle. God has given us each other
This week from Acts 2:42-47 We depend on each other
Turn to neighbor and say I am depending on you
Youth one side shout to adults we’re depending on you
Sr Adults back to youth
We’re depending on you for what? HELP
H OLINESS
1st thing that stands out about church was holy people
They recognized they were set apart by God live for God
Vs 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching
idea is habitually hearing & putting into practice teaching
As a church we have some bedrock beliefs
About who God is and what we must do
We are organized around those, we study those, shape lives
These are important because
We can leave holy lives, look at Gal 1:6-7 NRSV
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you & want to pervert the gospel of Christ
Holiness includes a commitment to Godly teaching
Means we are under submission to God
Because of their holiness, vs 43 says Miracles were being done
Because the people were committed to God’s holiness
The same can happen here, love for people to say
how’d they do that? About us, we didn’t God did
When John Wesley was asked secret of ministry “I ask God to set me on fire and let people watch me burn.”
Trouble is today we don’t have many examples
Cynical society says everybody has an angle
Everybody is a fake
TBC we depend on each other for holiness
We all need our spirits rallied
As we point to someone and say
They are living the life, I can too
Are you someone’s example?
Can someone look at you and see holiness
Did not say perfection, but life committed to God
We depend on each other for that example
E NTHUSIASM
Vs 42 end people committed to fellowship, liked being together
f-ship more than meeting & eating involved sharing closeness
common bond togetherness belonging to each other & God It’s "fellowship," caring about 1 another, that causes you to roll out of bed Sunday a.m. instead of rolling over to sleep
Vs 46 NCV tells us more The believers met together in the Temple every day. They ate together in their homes,
happy to share their food with joyful hearts.
Underline where it say happy & joyful
In Uganda word like to N. T. fellowship Harambe (ha/ram/ba) Ugandans use it when 2 men moving or carrying heavy burden, like we use words heave ho. To pull together
Fellowship occurs in church when I put my shoulder
beside yours underneath burdens
We depend on each other to do it enthusiastically
They were together w\joy and happiness
Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Romans 12:11 NLT
group of people coming together exciting\exhilarating to be a part of. When I hear them described in this way, I want to be a part of that group have experienced that here. Working enthusiastically draws others into work with you
Bob Russell in book When God Builds a Church, "The church exploded in growth because the people loved being together. When you get a group of people together who genuinely believe something & who really enjoy each other, it’s such
a contagious atmosphere that you can’t keep people away from it." [Howard Publishing, 2000, p. 199]
Word enthusiasm from greek meaning in or from God Also heard it breathing from God Thurs night 5 guys gathered for visitation built on each other Imagine if there had been 14
We depend on each other for enthusiasm Laughter and a can do attitude, future is bright I want to be a part of it
L ABORING TOGETHER
This is really what stands out most in description
Vs 44-45 NRSV All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.
Some have said this was like communism
One major difference - sharing was voluntary, not forced.
In a time of opposition & persecution, their concern for those who were in need resulted in an outpouring of love & sharing to meet those needs. put it into practice in their lives.
Some Christians have had common purse not necessary
They had mutual investment in each other’s lives
Not just lip service but really giving for others
Believed that Jesus owned them and all their stuff as well
Pastor Emerson Colaw working on church’s nonresident list Wrote a letter to 1 family that had been very active in church. A letter came back saying, “Mr. Colaw, we now live near a university campus & we go every Sunday to chapel service Have great music & nationally known preachers each week “We had not heard such preaching as that before.”
Our kids are being taught in SS by seminary students.”
Then she ended, “But the best of all there is no membership, no pledging, and no women’s society asking me to work.
So we’ll just leave membership in your church &
continue to enjoy what we have here.” No involvement,
no bother. No crosses.
First church people worked together
They gave to each other,
You and I have a responsibility to TBC
Nominating Committee Volunteer forms
God has given you gifts to be used at TBC
Our church not all it can be without you
All saddened to learn this week of death of one of our church’s most valuable members, Someone Else.
Someone’s passing created a vacancy will be difficult to fill. Else been w\us for many yrs, & for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person’s share of work Whenever leadership needed this wonderful person looked to for inspiration\results "Someone Else can work w\that group"
Whenever a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone’s lists- Someone Else!
"Let Someone Else do it" was a common refrain heard
Someone Else was among largest givers at TBC whenever was a financial need everyone assumed Someone Else would make up difference.
Someone Else was a wonderful person, almost superhuman; but person can only do so much really everybody expected too much of Someone Else Now Someone Else is gone! Wonder we’re going to do. Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it?
Who is going to do the things Someone Else did?
Remember- we can’t depend on Someone Else anymore!
P EOPLE PASSION
What business are we in? the people business
Church is not all about budgets and buildings
Those are important to be sure, but not institution
We are a movement
We do not live only for numbers
We put faces on numbers; we are passionate about people
Again they were connected together
Make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Philippians 2:2-3 NRSV
Inside be of one accord and one mind
Passion for people means we will respect one another
Phil says better than ourselves
Acts church was one that rushed along in unison
image is almost musical; a number of notes are sounded which, while different, harmonize in pitch & tone.
instruments of a great concert under direction of a HS blending together the lives of members of Christ’s church.
But I’m not good enough
1st church did not have perfect people
Henri Nouwen points out, “We are unified by our common weaknesses, our common failures, our common disappointments and our common inconsistencies.”
Christ gives us church to support, complement & cooperatively balance out our weakness w\spiritual gifts of other believers.
We can only accomplish great commission in body of Christ
Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the
Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Vs 47 NKJV
This is other side of people passion
Not just concern for those in the church but reached out
People passion means we will say pray for:
brother needs to know Christ, coworker, grouchy neighbor
Holiness leads us to world, enthusiasm draws world
Laboring together means as you bear witness TBC w\you
Passion for people expressed as in hearts to reach others
What would make people return to church? Gallup did survey 13000 people in 130 countries; more or less worldwide.
Surveyed people who used to go to church but no longer do. One questions on survey asked, What would need to happen for you to return to church?
#1 answer “Passion in the lives of the members & leaders.”
Are you part of a church or an audience?
Charles E. Jefferson, in Leadership says, “A sharp distinction ought to be made between a church and an audience. An audience is a group of unrelated people drawn together by a short-lived attraction. An audience is a crowd. A church is a family. An audience is a gathering. A church is a fellowship. An audience is a heap of stones. A church is a temple.” Leadership, Vol. 11, no. 4.
BEING THE CHURCH GOD WANTS US TO BE:
WE DEPEND ON EACH OTHER
August 29, 2004 Jay Robison Acts 2:42-47
The roots of a Redwood
H
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching
Vs 42 NRSV
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. Galatians 1:6-7 NRSV
Are you someone’s example?
E
The believers met together in the Temple every day.
They ate together in their homes, happy to share their food
with joyful hearts. Vs 46 NCV
Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Romans 12:11 NLT
L
All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Vs 44-45 NRSV
The passing of one of our church’s most valuable members
P
Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the
Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Vs 47 NKJV
Make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Philippians 2:2-3 NRSV
What would make people return to church?
Are you part of a church or an audience?
