Helping/ discipleship / Service
Acts 2:42-47 …in the Word…Break
Bread…Prayer
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
This is the first report of
the first Church. This is the foundation
of what they did, enjoy, acted upon: IT WAS WHAT THEY WERE ALL ABOUT. In the Word: The Apostle’s
Teaching ่จ่ใซใใใฆ：ไฝฟๅพใฎๆใ
As this phase of ministry at
ICCS comes to a close…and it is a chapter…what do we expect to see in the NEXT period? Something of the same and a lot more of
something new. Have you dreamed what it
will be like? Have you wondered what
ICCS will look like in one year…in five…in ten…in 20 years? We might all be different people but IF the
core of our DNA as a Church remains, it will look like this that is found in
Acts 2:42-47. A growing community. ๆ้ทใใๅ
ฑๅไฝ
I have asked the Lord to
teach us what it is that is necessary for us as a Body of Christ to know in the
next 10 weeks. What is it that I can
share with you that will help as you face 2014 and beyond? I believe He has been showing me this: Keep the Main Thing of the Gospel the Main Thing.
ไธญๅฟใจใในใใจใใใไธญๅฟใซ็ฝฎใ I believe that
advice was good for us when we started IC back in 1990 and I feel it will serve
us well as we move on.
What are the main things of
the Gospel? Apart from the Apostle’s
Creed, which we say every once in a while, what is MAIN? These verses give demonstration of them. The
Apostle’s teaching.
The early Church “DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO THE APOSTLE’S TEACHING.”
This shows me that the
central factor in this following was THE WORD OF GOD! That was central to their teaching. That God is: He is eternal and Holy. That Jesus is His Son: that He is all God and
all Man-who came to die on the Cross-to take away the sin of man. That the Holy Spirit –the third Person in the
God Head, was sent to indwell us and seal us for all eternity. And that is only the start. Paul, Peter, James and others continues this
teaching in Romans and elsewhere, as to how this all plays out.
What do you believe?
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; On the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. AMEN.ๆใฏๅคฉๅฐใฎ้ ใไธป、ๅ จ่ฝใฎ็ถใชใ็ฅใไฟกใ。ๆใฏใใฎ็ฌใๅญ、ๆใใฎไธป、ใคใจใน・ใญใชในใใไฟกใ。ไธปใฏ่้ใซใใใฆใใฉใ、ๅฆๅฅณใใชใคใใ็ใพใ、ใใณใใช・ใใฉใใฎใใจใซ่ฆใใฟใๅใ、ๅๅญๆถใซใคใใใ、ๆญปใซใฆ่ฌใใ、้ฐๅบใซใใ ใ、ไธๆฅ็ฎใซๆญปไบบใฎใใกใใใใฟใใใ、ๅคฉใซใฎใผใ、ๅ จ่ฝใฎ็ถใชใ็ฅใฎๅณใซๅบงใใใพใใ、ใใใใใๆฅใใฆ็ใใ่ ใจๆญปใญใ่ ใจใๅฏฉใใใพใใ。ๆใฏ่้ใไฟกใ、่ใชใๅ ฌๅใฎๆไผ、่ๅพใฎไบคใใ、็ฝชใฎ่ตฆใ、่บซไฝใฎใใฟใใใ、ๆฐธ้ ใฎ็ๅฝใไฟกใ。 ใขใผใกใณ
Questions need to be answered: Are you involved in the teaching and understanding
of the Apostle’s teaching? How is your
own Bible study doing? Are you reading
the Word each day? Would you know false
teaching if you heard it? Are you developing a solid foundation on the Word of
God? In short, how much of The Word do
you really know and follow? I am not
talking about can you recite a Bible verse or if you know who the brother of
Mary and Martha is. Is the Word of God
central in your life and life style?
The early church was excited about their new
Faith.
Before Acts 2, many of them were literally dead in their trespasses and
sin: they were dead spiritually. Once
they found salvation in the Person of Jesus, they were motivated to grow. They met daily to hear the Word and they lived
by that teaching. Have we become dull of
hearing? Have we become tired of putting
the Word of God first in how we deal with life’s issues? Have we—as we said on Resurrection
Sunday—remembered His Word? “Just as He said…”
Have we become laxed in our
study of the Word? Are you growing in
the Knowledge of the Lord? Is there a
hunger of His Word? I don’t mind getting
up close and personal here. Are you
reading your Bible? Could you tell if I
taught falsehood? Can you identify a
false teacher when you encounter one? KNOW
the Apostle’s teaching.
The second element that was
found in the Early Church was that they Broke Bread together. ใใณใใจใใซ่ฃใ Communion, Lord’s Table, the Lord’s Supper, partaking of the elements…
They did it at every encounter. Was it
necessary? IS the Bible teaching us to
do the very same thing---at every meeting, have communion? In one sense, it would be fantastic! Some have asked me to have Communion more
than once a month. They might be
thinking of these very same verses.
I really enjoy our Lord’s
Table. A time to remember…to take into
account my own need for forgiveness…of what Jesus did on the Cross. How He gave Himself for my sin. How He paid with HIS BLOOD the penalty of sin
for the whole world. Hearing Him say: “Do this in memory
of Me.” ๅใณๆฅใใใใพใงไธปใ่ฆใ Mark 14:17-27
Let’s do that right now. A Memorial. Right
now, in the middle of the sermon… let’s remember Him. “On the evening that Christ was betrayed… He took the cup,
saying ….”
Mark 14:17-2717 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. 25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
ใใซใณ14:17-27 17ๅคๆนใซใชใฃใฆ、ใคใจในใฏๅไบๅผๅญใจใใฃใใใซใใใซๆฅใใใ。18 ใใใฆ、ใฟใใๅธญใซใคใใฆ、้ฃไบใใใฆใใใจใ、ใคใจในใฏ่จใใใ。「ใพใใจใซใใชใใใใซๅใใพใ。ใใชใใใใฎใใกใฎใฒใจใใง、ใใใใจใใฃใใใซ้ฃไบใใใฆใใ่ ใ、ใใใใ่ฃๅใใพใ。」19 ๅผๅญใใกใฏๆฒใใใชใฃใฆ、「ใพใใ็งใงใฏใชใใงใใใ」ใจใใใใใใใคใจในใซ่จใใ ใใ。20 ใคใจในใฏ่จใใใ。「ใใฎๅไบไบบใฎไธญใฎใฒใจใใง、ใใใใจใใฃใใใซ้ขใซๆตธใใฆใใ่ ใงใ。21 ็ขบใใซ、ไบบใฎๅญใฏ、่ชๅใซใคใใฆๆธใใฆใใใจใใใซ、ๅปใฃใฆ่กใใพใ。ใใใ、ไบบใฎๅญใ่ฃๅใใใใชไบบ้ใฏใใใใใงใ。ใใใใไบบใฏ็ใพใใชใใฃใใปใใใใใฃใใฎใงใ。」22 ใใใใ、ใฟใชใ้ฃไบใใใฆใใใจใ、ใคใจในใฏใใณใๅใ、็ฅ็ฆใใฆๅพ、ใใใ่ฃใ、ๅฝผใใซไธใใฆ่จใใใ。「ๅใใชใใ。ใใใฏใใใใฎใใใ ใงใ。」23 ใพใ、ๆฏใๅใ、ๆ่ฌใใใใใฆๅพ、ๅฝผใใซไธใใใใ。ๅฝผใใฏใฟใชใใฎๆฏใใ้ฃฒใใ 。24 ใคใจในใฏๅฝผใใซ่จใใใ。「ใใใฏใใใใฎๅฅ็ดใฎ่กใงใ。ๅคใใฎไบบใฎใใใซๆตใใใใใฎใงใ。25 ใพใใจใซ、ใใชใใใใซๅใใพใ。็ฅใฎๅฝใงๆฐใใ้ฃฒใใใฎๆฅใพใง、ใใใใฏใใฏใ、ใถใฉใใฎๅฎใง้ ใฃใ็ฉใ้ฃฒใใใจใฏใใใพใใ。」26 ใใใฆ、่ณ็พใฎๆญใๆญใฃใฆใใ、ใฟใชใงใชใชใผใๅฑฑใธๅบใใใฆ่กใฃใ。27 ใคใจในใฏ、ๅผๅญใใกใซ่จใใใ。「ใใชใใใใฏใฟใช、ใคใพใใใพใ。『ใใใใ็พ้ฃผใใๆใค。ใใใจ、็พใฏๆฃใๆฃใใซใชใ』ใจๆธใใฆใใใพใใใ。
Getting back now to the question at
hand. How often should we do this? The early Church did it every time they got
together. Is the Book of Acts Descriptive or Prescriptive. In other words, does it showed us HOW they
lived the Christian life or that this is the way to live the Christian Life? Much of the material in the New Testament
falls into 2 groupings: Descriptive is a narration of what
took place (Acts 10:45-46). And Prescriptive,
which are commands about how we should indeed follow to live out the Christian
life (2 Tim 4:2 and Col 2:9).
John R.W. Stott wrote in Baptism and Fullness, IVPress
1975, pp.15-17:
“What is described in Scripture as having happened to others is not necessarily intended for us, whereas what is promised to us we should appropriate, and what is commanded us we are to obey . . . What is descriptive is valuable (in determining what God intends for all Christians) only in so far as it is interpreted by what is moral . . . We must derive (develop) our standards of belief and behavior from the teaching of the New Testament . . . rather than from the practices and experiences which it portrays.”
If we wanted to follow ALL that the Book of Acts
showed us, would some of us die after giving collection because we had lied to
the Holy Spirit? Would we watch one of
our own being stoned? Would we welcome
persecution for His Name sake? We would
want the closeness the early church had but not the cutting and beatings. So,
to keep it clear, Acts is both prescriptive & descriptive.
Let’s not forget the sermon title: Community. ๅ
ฑๅไฝ This was the first time since Israel was a
nation that The People who lived in
that land felt like they were One People. They were experiencing real community based
on Historical Biblical predictions. And
with the community came the problems of interpersonal relationships. The Gentile widows felt slighted from getting
what was their due while the Hebrew widows were getting more of their fair
share. (Acts 6). That happens in
a community. We don’t excuse it, but we
expect it and we need to deal with it as they did. (Vs.7 numbers
increased rapidly.)
And this memorial่ฆใใฆwas given to us to keep doing
until He returns. It is not a blank
ceremony. It is not just actions
but it IS the reality of the Promise Jesus made to us. “I
will return. Do this until I return.” When
will that happen? No one knows the
time. No one! If someone says he knows, he is a liar. The Word of God tells us to keep watch. Look up into the heavens! He will come back the same way He left. Visible.
Physical. He will do this—just as
He said.
Our third point: Prayer. ็ฅใ
We need to be deeper in our
prayers. We need to pray more. We need to be in prayer more often.
Prayer in community and in private.
ไบคใใใฎไธญๅฟWhen my Dad was a young man, he felt that prayer was
too personal to be heard by others. In fact, the whole Christian experience was that way: “It is a private thing!”
But the Scriptures shows us time and time again—both prescriptively and
descriptively that God’s People are called to prayer.
Prayer is talking to God and
it goes both ways. ็ฅใใฏๅๆนๅใซ It has words and there is silence. Both are needed. Open hearts—that are made
that way because of the cleansing from The Word—are open to The Lord and there
is healing in all that. God is well pleased when He hears His Body respond
to issues in prayer. And we want
to please Him. We want to please Him because we love Him and He loves us…so later in the service, let us pray…thanking God for Biblical
teaching, for communion and for prayer. Still later in May,
we will join the World in prayer during the GDOP. Part of the Church Movement that is
called into Community. Amen.
