WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.080 We hope that you enjoy this teaching from Christ Church. 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:09.500 This material is copyrighted and no unauthorized duplication, 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:15.280 redistribution, or any other use of any part is permitted without prior consent from Christ Church. 00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:22.620 Please consider donating to this work in the San Francisco Bay Area online at ChristChurchEastBay.org. 00:00:27.080 --> 00:00:29.620 Good morning. I'm Jim Wieslowski. 00:00:29.620 --> 00:00:32.000 I'm a member of the North Berkeley Community Group. 00:00:32.700 --> 00:00:37.359 Today we're reading from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2, beginning at verse 42. 00:00:38.500 --> 00:00:45.240 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 00:00:46.179 --> 00:00:51.420 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 00:00:52.219 --> 00:00:55.680 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 00:00:55.679 --> 00:01:00.659 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 00:01:01.560 --> 00:01:04.680 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. 00:01:05.420 --> 00:01:10.260 They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 00:01:11.099 --> 00:01:13.780 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:18.359 And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 00:01:18.359 --> 00:01:24.900 One day, Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:30.500 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:35.379 where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 00:01:36.260 --> 00:01:40.180 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 00:01:40.180 --> 00:01:44.220 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. 00:01:45.180 --> 00:01:47.240 Then Peter said, Look at us. 00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:52.820 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:59.460 But Peter said, Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. 00:02:00.460 --> 00:02:03.440 In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. 00:02:03.439 --> 00:02:07.219 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up. 00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:10.800 And instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 00:02:11.359 --> 00:02:13.780 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:20.579 Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping and praising God. 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:24.099 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 00:02:24.199 --> 00:02:29.539 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful. 00:02:29.539 --> 00:02:34.120 And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 00:02:35.359 --> 00:02:39.799 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished 00:02:39.799 --> 00:02:43.419 and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. 00:02:44.060 --> 00:02:45.979 When Peter saw this, he said to them, 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:49.299 Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:55.899 Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 00:02:55.900 --> 00:03:02.819 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. 00:03:03.700 --> 00:03:07.240 You handed him over to be killed and you disowned him before Pilate, 00:03:07.580 --> 00:03:09.360 though he had decided to let him go. 00:03:10.140 --> 00:03:15.200 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 00:03:15.939 --> 00:03:20.780 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. 00:03:21.379 --> 00:03:22.920 We are witnesses of this. 00:03:22.919 --> 00:03:28.399 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man who you see and know was made strong. 00:03:29.399 --> 00:03:33.979 It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, 00:03:34.339 --> 00:03:35.299 as you can all see. 00:03:36.060 --> 00:03:37.479 This is the word of the Lord. 00:03:38.259 --> 00:03:39.379 Thanks be to God. 00:03:39.659 --> 00:03:40.500 Please take a seat. 00:03:40.500 --> 00:03:56.199 Good morning, Christ Church. 00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:57.860 It's good to be with you today. 00:03:58.539 --> 00:04:04.300 And last Sunday, someone asked my wife, Catherine, are you hugging yet? 00:04:04.639 --> 00:04:07.560 And that's such a great question right now. 00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:09.979 I met somebody for the first time this past Monday. 00:04:10.180 --> 00:04:11.819 We've both been fully vaccinated. 00:04:12.060 --> 00:04:13.460 And I shook his hand. 00:04:13.879 --> 00:04:16.600 And we both stood there like, okay, this is really strange. 00:04:16.660 --> 00:04:18.319 We haven't done this in a really long time. 00:04:19.720 --> 00:04:22.199 We had our soul care retreat last Saturday. 00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:26.800 And I said, hey, why don't we just mingle for a minute before lunch comes? 00:04:26.819 --> 00:04:29.459 And everybody kind of froze like, what is mingling? 00:04:29.459 --> 00:04:33.979 And it was like, hey, this is where you talk to the human beings around you. 00:04:35.060 --> 00:04:38.120 So back to this question, are you hugging yet? 00:04:39.799 --> 00:04:45.759 Yeah, we're all just kind of these awkward middle schoolers right now, right? 00:04:45.979 --> 00:04:51.759 We're trying to learn after a year of being so socially distanced, so socially disconnected, 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:53.459 how to be together again. 00:04:53.459 --> 00:04:58.939 And the answer for us is, yes, we are hugging again. 00:04:59.180 --> 00:05:01.339 And all the different kinds of hugs. 00:05:01.579 --> 00:05:05.539 You know, this morning I gave somebody the side hug, which is like the, hey, let's keep 00:05:05.539 --> 00:05:07.459 this brief, casual, and relaxed hug. 00:05:08.659 --> 00:05:11.199 You know, somebody gave me a quick hug earlier. 00:05:11.299 --> 00:05:13.179 It's like a quick tap out hug, you know? 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:17.319 And some of us give the T-Rex hug sort of right here. 00:05:17.319 --> 00:05:21.459 And some of us give the seventh grade dance hug, which is like out here. 00:05:21.860 --> 00:05:25.879 And some of us give the London Bridge hug where we kind of lean in and it's polite, but still 00:05:25.879 --> 00:05:26.800 a little formal and cold. 00:05:28.300 --> 00:05:33.199 All these hugs, we are willing to give the bear hug, the bro hug, where you come in, clasp 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:34.459 the double tap on the back. 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:41.800 Whatever hug you feel comfortable with, I just want to give us permission right now to ask 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:43.500 that question of each other. 00:05:43.500 --> 00:05:47.220 Because California is doing the best in the nation with COVID. 00:05:48.360 --> 00:05:49.379 Praise God, right? 00:05:50.300 --> 00:05:51.500 Vaccines are on the rise. 00:05:51.660 --> 00:05:52.980 Disneyland open on Friday. 00:05:53.480 --> 00:05:57.379 And we should be dancing in the streets, whether you like Disney or not. 00:05:57.420 --> 00:05:57.920 I don't know. 00:05:57.980 --> 00:05:59.800 But God has answered our prayers. 00:05:59.939 --> 00:06:01.579 We've asked him to help us with this. 00:06:01.939 --> 00:06:06.339 And I think that we can lean in and ask each other, are you hugging? 00:06:06.699 --> 00:06:07.819 Are you hugging yet? 00:06:07.819 --> 00:06:15.819 But speaking of hugging and of dancing in the street, we talked last week about Pentecost. 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:22.159 And we talked about what is it that happens when the Holy Spirit comes on his people. 00:06:23.139 --> 00:06:29.039 And what we saw is that the Holy Spirit launched a ministry of speaking about the wonderful works 00:06:29.039 --> 00:06:34.180 of God in ways that were understandable and relevant to everybody who heard them. 00:06:34.180 --> 00:06:39.980 And 3,000 people were converted on the day of Pentecost and brought into the church on day one. 00:06:40.060 --> 00:06:48.100 It was from that time, over the next three centuries, that the church grew explosively in Greco-Roman 00:06:48.100 --> 00:06:54.079 culture, Asian culture, African culture, Middle Eastern culture, totally upended and changed 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:59.019 the way everybody thought and everybody imagined reality to be. 00:06:59.019 --> 00:07:02.539 But Christianity, of course, was not just a new set of ideas. 00:07:02.699 --> 00:07:09.659 Christianity was a new community centered around one person, the living, resurrected Christ. 00:07:10.579 --> 00:07:15.279 And these first Christians were marked not by a momentary enthusiasm. 00:07:15.979 --> 00:07:19.560 There was kind of this flash in the pan that quickly faded away. 00:07:20.099 --> 00:07:24.459 And maybe you've had that experience where you had a spiritual high, but it never really 00:07:24.459 --> 00:07:27.419 materialized and took root in long-term commitments. 00:07:27.420 --> 00:07:34.259 But in this church, we see a portrait of how the Holy Spirit comes and becomes authentically 00:07:34.259 --> 00:07:37.140 embodied in the life of a community over time. 00:07:38.140 --> 00:07:40.340 And so what are the marks of a living church? 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:44.040 What does Jesus want his church to be like? 00:07:44.080 --> 00:07:49.680 As we go back to the beginning, go back to take a fresh look at this first spirit-filled 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:56.540 church in history in Jerusalem, I want to encourage us not to idealize or romanticize the church, 00:07:56.540 --> 00:07:58.120 but to be realistic. 00:07:58.500 --> 00:08:02.660 Not to look at it with tinted spectacles or speak of it in hushed tones. 00:08:04.260 --> 00:08:06.920 Because if we do that, we'll miss all of its problems. 00:08:07.760 --> 00:08:07.879 Right? 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:10.680 We'll miss all of its rivalries and hypocrisies. 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:16.500 All of its immoralities and its heresies that marred the early life of the church and 00:08:16.500 --> 00:08:17.920 which mars the church today. 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:22.840 But despite all of these failures, despite all of these blemishes, these men and women 00:08:22.840 --> 00:08:28.140 and children were filled with the Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:32.600 And what was the evidence that they had the presence of the Holy Spirit? 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:35.659 What were the marks of that living church? 00:08:36.519 --> 00:08:41.700 And how does that bear on Christ's church as we reopen and we reopen our doors? 00:08:41.700 --> 00:08:43.280 We reweave our community. 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:44.940 We relaunch our ministry. 00:08:46.020 --> 00:08:52.320 And what I want to say is that Acts chapter 2 tells us that spirit-filled Christians live 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:57.940 up to God, live into the church, and live out to the world. 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:03.680 That's what we see in this story, that spirit-filled Christians live up to God, live into the church, 00:09:03.740 --> 00:09:05.420 and live out to the world. 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:08.900 And when you read the Gospels, you see this in Jesus' life on every page. 00:09:08.899 --> 00:09:10.799 He had three great loves. 00:09:10.899 --> 00:09:15.459 He was living his life up to the Father, in with his disciples, and out with the crowds. 00:09:15.559 --> 00:09:20.899 And so it's no surprise that we see the loves of Jesus and the life of Jesus being imitated 00:09:20.899 --> 00:09:25.179 and being replicated and reproduced in the life of his disciple community. 00:09:25.319 --> 00:09:29.639 So first of all, spirit-filled Christians live up to God. 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:30.299 What does that mean? 00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:34.939 Well, we're told in verse 42 that they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching. 00:09:34.940 --> 00:09:42.940 So this was a learning church that desired the deep truths of God and the wonderful works 00:09:42.940 --> 00:09:46.560 of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that came through the apostles. 00:09:47.420 --> 00:09:53.340 When the Holy Spirit came, it's like he opened a school there in Jerusalem, and the teachers 00:09:53.340 --> 00:09:57.520 of that school were the apostles whom Jesus chose and trained, and the students of that 00:09:57.520 --> 00:10:04.660 school were all these 3,000 converts that enrolled in the kindergarten there on the day of Pentecost. 00:10:04.940 --> 00:10:11.140 Spirit-filled Christians were not just enjoying mystical experiences with God that caused them 00:10:11.140 --> 00:10:15.540 to neglect their intellect or stop thinking or to despise theology. 00:10:16.100 --> 00:10:22.420 But the fullness of the Spirit had them engaging their minds in the truth of divine revelation 00:10:22.420 --> 00:10:24.820 that we find in the Holy Scriptures. 00:10:26.140 --> 00:10:28.360 Do you know Jesus' favorite name for the Holy Spirit? 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:31.860 He loved to call the Spirit the Spirit of truth. 00:10:32.800 --> 00:10:38.899 And you know that you have the Holy Spirit when you spend time seeking the truth about Jesus. 00:10:39.820 --> 00:10:44.120 But these early Christians, they didn't say, well, we have the Holy Spirit now as our only 00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:47.700 teacher, and so we don't need any human teachers any longer. 00:10:48.700 --> 00:10:53.560 No, they sat at the feet of the apostles, eager to learn all that they could. 00:10:53.559 --> 00:10:59.099 If the apostles had podcasts and YouTube, these Christians would have been gobbling up all 00:10:59.099 --> 00:11:04.279 that content, and not just for the sake of information, but for the sake of imitation. 00:11:05.219 --> 00:11:05.359 Right? 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:11.419 If Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, then please teach us how to walk in the way, 00:11:12.059 --> 00:11:15.459 how to trust the truth, how to live his life. 00:11:15.460 --> 00:11:23.180 The apostles are the authoritative teachers that Jesus taught, and so to sit at their feet 00:11:23.180 --> 00:11:28.860 is to have Jesus teaching us through his apostles and through the Holy Spirit. 00:11:28.940 --> 00:11:33.740 Don't you wish you could have been there to be a part of these sessions as the apostles 00:11:33.740 --> 00:11:39.019 interpreted the Bible and as they talked about the works of Jesus and all the words of Jesus 00:11:39.019 --> 00:11:40.800 and the ways of Jesus? 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:47.439 Jesus, but in many ways we can be there because all of that has been written down for us in 00:11:47.439 --> 00:11:48.159 the New Testament. 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:51.479 And what is this apostles' teaching all about? 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:55.599 It's about the love of God the Father. 00:11:56.539 --> 00:11:59.179 It's about the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:11:59.299 --> 00:12:01.479 It's about the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. 00:12:02.179 --> 00:12:07.859 What the apostles teach us is that the Father who made us, sent his Son to deliver us, who sent 00:12:07.860 --> 00:12:10.300 the Spirit to transform us. 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:16.259 The apostles teach us how to have a living relationship with the living God. 00:12:17.940 --> 00:12:25.519 And so Christians submit our reason, we submit our experience to these scriptures, to the special 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:31.460 revelation of God to guide us in interpreting history, to guide us in how to live our lives, 00:12:31.539 --> 00:12:35.519 to guide us in the way we engage with our culture. 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:41.980 So what we see here is the Spirit of God leads the people of God to submit to the Word of 00:12:41.980 --> 00:12:42.259 God. 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:47.000 That's the first mark of an authentic, living church. 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:51.799 I read this from N.T. Wright this week, who's a great New Testament scholar. 00:12:51.980 --> 00:12:52.360 He says, 00:12:52.360 --> 00:13:18.779 And that's a grave danger for us, living in the secular Bay Area, to become secularists 00:13:18.779 --> 00:13:20.679 with a little bit of Jesus sprinkled on top. 00:13:21.379 --> 00:13:27.059 But what we see is that Spirit-filled Christians devote their time to the deep truths, to learn 00:13:27.059 --> 00:13:31.419 the truths, to digest the truths that Jesus gave to these apostles. 00:13:32.220 --> 00:13:38.459 And I'm not sure we could call ourselves apostolic Christians or call ourselves an apostolic church 00:13:38.459 --> 00:13:43.500 if we spend zero to five minutes every day in the apostles' teaching. 00:13:43.500 --> 00:13:49.480 But what I do want to suggest is that we all committed ourselves to spending 30 minutes 00:13:49.480 --> 00:13:49.860 a day. 00:13:50.340 --> 00:13:55.840 Dare I say, 60 minutes a day in the apostles' teaching, we would have a revival breakout. 00:13:56.200 --> 00:14:00.980 We would have a massive spiritual awakening breakout among us. 00:14:01.980 --> 00:14:05.639 But this is not just a church that's learning about the triune God. 00:14:06.259 --> 00:14:08.840 They're also worshiping the triune God. 00:14:08.840 --> 00:14:10.120 Because it says, 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:15.000 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of the bread 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:16.660 and the prayers. 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:19.940 And then it goes on in verse 46, and it says, 00:14:20.180 --> 00:14:22.700 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. 00:14:23.500 --> 00:14:28.899 They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God. 00:14:29.800 --> 00:14:35.100 The prayers there are not private prayers, but they're prayer services, prayer meetings. 00:14:35.100 --> 00:14:39.560 And they met to do that both in the temple and in their homes. 00:14:40.600 --> 00:14:45.220 And so we see the church had this balance of the structured and the unstructured, the formal 00:14:45.220 --> 00:14:49.779 and informal, the organized and organic, the traditional and the spontaneous. 00:14:50.220 --> 00:14:51.899 And really we need both. 00:14:52.620 --> 00:14:59.759 If all you have is your community group at home, you really, really need the whole of the congregation 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:00.920 gathered at the temple. 00:15:00.919 --> 00:15:07.259 If all you have is the congregation of the temple, you really, really need a smaller group of people 00:15:07.259 --> 00:15:14.439 gathered together studying God's word and praying together in a home, or in our case, on a Zoom screen. 00:15:16.919 --> 00:15:19.259 When they gathered together, they worshipped God. 00:15:20.019 --> 00:15:23.360 And that worship was marked by a reverent rejoicing. 00:15:23.979 --> 00:15:27.000 We're told they had glad hearts as they praised God. 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:32.080 That word there means that they had an exuberant, unfiltered joy. 00:15:32.200 --> 00:15:38.659 Because God the Father has sent His Son and sent His Spirit to save us, so how could we not be joyful? 00:15:39.299 --> 00:15:42.000 The fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy. 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:46.320 Sometimes, have you ever been to a Christian worship service and you think, 00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:49.940 oh no, I think I've come into a funeral by accident. 00:15:49.940 --> 00:15:57.140 You know, nobody's smiling, nobody's laughing, the music is way too slow, in the minor key. 00:15:57.560 --> 00:16:01.440 It's just this mournful lamentation and dirge. 00:16:01.820 --> 00:16:04.420 And I think to myself, man, cheer up. 00:16:05.720 --> 00:16:08.320 Jesus died, but guess what? 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:12.440 Jesus is risen from the dead, so where's your joy? 00:16:13.140 --> 00:16:14.320 Where's your enthusiasm? 00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:19.600 They were rejoicing, it says, but they were also filled with awe. 00:16:20.600 --> 00:16:26.940 They were filled with awe because the presence and the power of this high and holy God had come among them 00:16:26.940 --> 00:16:32.020 and was doing great works to transform the lives of people in their very midst. 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:35.760 And so the fear of God fell upon them. 00:16:36.700 --> 00:16:43.500 You should know that on Tuesdays at 11 a.m., our staff gathers for our worship planning meeting. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:50.159 And right now, the main question on our minds is, okay, we haven't sung together in over a year. 00:16:50.500 --> 00:16:52.340 That's like a muscle we haven't exercised. 00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:55.519 So what are the heart songs of Christchurch? 00:16:56.440 --> 00:17:00.000 The songs that are going to get us to sing together and not just sing timidly, 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:05.880 but to sing boldly and robustly and loudly and joyfully and with one voice. 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:10.900 What are the songs that are just going to free us up a little more to clap our hands? 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:12.420 I know a couple of you did that this morning. 00:17:12.420 --> 00:17:13.200 We clapped our hands. 00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:14.600 We raised our hands. 00:17:15.539 --> 00:17:20.640 What are the songs that will cause us to bow our heads before God or to get our feet moving 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:25.480 or to grasp our heart in just awe and wonder for God? 00:17:26.539 --> 00:17:29.660 And Christchurch, just as I want to give you permission to ask, are you hugging yet? 00:17:29.700 --> 00:17:32.980 I give you permission to worship with reverent rejoicing. 00:17:33.820 --> 00:17:35.460 With rejoicing reverence. 00:17:35.460 --> 00:17:38.819 That's what our souls really, really need right now. 00:17:39.640 --> 00:17:43.420 So what we see is the spirit-filled Christians, they live their life up to God. 00:17:44.620 --> 00:17:46.220 But we don't just live our life up to God. 00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:48.500 We live our life into the church. 00:17:49.059 --> 00:17:51.259 We live our life into the church. 00:17:51.319 --> 00:17:53.740 And I want you to note all the plurals of this passage. 00:17:54.960 --> 00:17:59.640 They, they, they, they, they, together, together, together, everyone, all, anyone. 00:17:59.640 --> 00:18:05.800 These first Christians were not living in isolation, but they said, we need each other. 00:18:06.800 --> 00:18:16.660 And so when they devoted themselves, what that means is that they committed that most precious resource of their time to be together. 00:18:17.620 --> 00:18:20.280 Not just one morning on a Sunday. 00:18:20.500 --> 00:18:23.060 Not just one evening during the week. 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:25.840 We're told that every day they met together. 00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:28.560 And what were they doing when they gathered? 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:33.000 They had these consistent, continual, persevering patterns. 00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:36.740 It's no wonder that they had such a resilient faith. 00:18:37.460 --> 00:18:40.639 And that they turned the Roman Empire upside down. 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:48.759 This church said, this group of people, this community is more important than any other potential time investment. 00:18:49.379 --> 00:18:50.659 More than entertainment. 00:18:51.299 --> 00:18:52.319 More than sports. 00:18:52.319 --> 00:19:00.359 Yes, we are resolved among ourselves to discipline our time so that the people of God are our top priority. 00:19:01.139 --> 00:19:04.879 And they made predictable patterns to be sure that was the case. 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:09.779 And when they came together in the morning, in the evening, before and after church, what did they do? 00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:12.619 Well, we already saw they engaged in the word and prayer. 00:19:12.619 --> 00:19:16.859 But now we're also told they devoted themselves to the fellowship. 00:19:17.639 --> 00:19:18.319 To the fellowship. 00:19:19.259 --> 00:19:26.099 And that word koinonia is so often misunderstood as hanging out over coffee. 00:19:26.479 --> 00:19:27.500 And that's what fellowship is. 00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:30.239 But fellowship is something much deeper than that. 00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:31.779 It means sharing in common. 00:19:32.819 --> 00:19:34.219 And what were they sharing together? 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:37.779 They were sharing the grace of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:19:37.779 --> 00:19:42.039 They were sharing in the divine, eternal life of God himself. 00:19:42.339 --> 00:19:45.980 They were sharing in the abundant life of the resurrected Jesus. 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:52.059 And it was that common participation in God that gave them a common life together. 00:19:52.940 --> 00:19:57.059 It was the tuning fork of Jesus in their lives. 00:19:57.879 --> 00:19:59.579 And Jesus' love in their lives. 00:19:59.579 --> 00:20:09.619 That then worked out among themselves a common love for and care for and support and service toward each other. 00:20:10.379 --> 00:20:12.339 And that's what we see in verse 44. 00:20:13.619 --> 00:20:16.419 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:21.359 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 00:20:22.019 --> 00:20:24.119 The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love. 00:20:24.119 --> 00:20:29.319 And when needs would arise, they practiced radical, voluntary generosity. 00:20:30.059 --> 00:20:33.219 Thinking to themselves, you know, the Father shared His Son. 00:20:34.279 --> 00:20:36.379 And the Son shared His life with us. 00:20:37.219 --> 00:20:45.000 And so we are going to mirror God's gracious generosity by sharing our gifts to care for our brothers and sisters in Christ. 00:20:45.819 --> 00:20:47.839 And I think that's a question for us right now. 00:20:47.959 --> 00:20:50.000 Do we know Christ Church? 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:56.259 Not just our little slice of Christ Church, but do we know the family of Christ Church well enough to know her needs? 00:20:57.140 --> 00:21:05.940 And are we positioned in such a way that we say, you know, God has given this gift to me in order to be able to meet your need? 00:21:07.180 --> 00:21:12.859 Part of their caring was sharing meals together as the family of God. 00:21:12.859 --> 00:21:19.799 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship and to the breaking of the bread, it says. 00:21:20.579 --> 00:21:22.479 And they would practice the Lord's Supper. 00:21:23.439 --> 00:21:31.079 And they would experience that as the living Lord inviting them, saying, you are welcome and you are wanted into a personal relationship with me. 00:21:31.079 --> 00:21:43.039 And then they would extend that welcome and that hospitality out into what they called agape feast or love feast, where they would say, you and you and you. 00:21:43.139 --> 00:21:47.539 You are welcomed and you are wanted into a personal relationship with me. 00:21:47.539 --> 00:21:56.799 This is Jesus' entire ministry, really, is going from one meal to the next meal to the next meal. 00:21:56.920 --> 00:22:01.759 Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, from a drink with this person to a snack with this person. 00:22:01.879 --> 00:22:07.399 This is how Jesus welcomed people into the new family of his father. 00:22:08.579 --> 00:22:14.759 You know, some people say that the greatest miracle that Jesus performed was having 12 close friends in his 30s. 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:15.639 Right? 00:22:15.640 --> 00:22:17.380 And how did he do that? 00:22:17.600 --> 00:22:18.920 He did it by breaking bread. 00:22:19.540 --> 00:22:24.780 And every meal was a sign of unity, solidarity, and deep friendship. 00:22:25.700 --> 00:22:33.740 I want to suggest to Christchurch that as vaccinations rise and California is going to reopen very soon in June, 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:37.220 and we're rebuilding our post-COVID lives, 00:22:37.640 --> 00:22:41.120 I want us to be asking ourselves, what are our predictable patterns? 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:48.500 We're going to be asking ourselves on Wednesday nights or on Saturday nights to whatever night of the week to open up our patio, 00:22:48.679 --> 00:22:52.099 to open up our table to break bread with our church family. 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:57.599 And if you're thinking right now of only your circle of friends at Christchurch or the people you like, 00:22:58.179 --> 00:23:04.759 I want to say that God has people here for you that you don't know or that you don't like that he wants you to break bread with. 00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:10.879 When Jesus commands us in the New Testament to welcome one another, 00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:17.000 what that means is to aggressively receive one another into our lives like Jesus did for us. 00:23:17.940 --> 00:23:18.299 Right? 00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:27.859 When Jesus took hold of you with initiative, when he expressed special interest and concern for you and brought you in with acceptance and affection, 00:23:28.259 --> 00:23:32.419 that's what we're doing when we're breaking bread with one another. 00:23:33.399 --> 00:23:41.319 Given the deep disconnection, the deep, deep disconnection that this pandemic has brought into our lives, 00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:48.279 I think we need to take a page from Jesus' playbook, to take a page from the regular rhythms of these first Christians 00:23:48.279 --> 00:23:56.599 and make as our summer project at Christchurch to eat as many meals as we can with as many people as we can. 00:23:57.319 --> 00:23:58.200 You guys up for that? 00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:01.299 Now some of you introverts are like, no! 00:24:03.319 --> 00:24:05.559 But look at Jesus, look at the church, yes! 00:24:07.299 --> 00:24:09.519 I want you to pull out our church directory. 00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:12.420 It's on our website, you can pull it up on your church center app. 00:24:13.079 --> 00:24:16.920 You can scroll through all the people that you don't know at Christchurch. 00:24:17.460 --> 00:24:21.539 Maybe some of you start down at the bottom end so we don't just invite the A's. 00:24:22.379 --> 00:24:24.599 But say, Lord, who do you want me to invite to coffee? 00:24:25.779 --> 00:24:27.480 Who should I get together with for lunch? 00:24:27.579 --> 00:24:31.019 Lord, who needs to come and share our pizza and our wine this week? 00:24:31.099 --> 00:24:34.819 Who should take part in our tacos and beer night? 00:24:35.500 --> 00:24:38.160 And as you do that, think about mixing and matching. 00:24:38.160 --> 00:24:39.980 Who doesn't know each other? 00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:43.340 If we're going to be a family, we've got to act like a family. 00:24:43.420 --> 00:24:46.779 And families that stick together eat together. 00:24:47.540 --> 00:24:50.140 When you do that, I would encourage you to say a blessing. 00:24:51.080 --> 00:24:54.320 And say, God, would you make this table into a holy place? 00:24:55.300 --> 00:24:58.340 Lord, would you make this bread breaking into a sacred act? 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:03.200 Lord, would you give us here and now a foretaste of what you were talking about 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:08.700 when you said, one day you're going to eat and drink with me at my table in my kingdom? 00:25:09.539 --> 00:25:14.080 Because every time we break bread together, that's what we're looking forward to. 00:25:14.600 --> 00:25:17.039 That's what we're building our lives around. 00:25:18.819 --> 00:25:22.019 Spirit-filled Christians live our lives up to God. 00:25:22.519 --> 00:25:24.900 And we live our lives into the church. 00:25:24.900 --> 00:25:28.220 But we don't just live our lives up to God and into the church. 00:25:28.300 --> 00:25:30.140 We live them out to the world. 00:25:31.259 --> 00:25:34.519 So far, I've talked about the biblical teaching of the Presbyterians 00:25:34.519 --> 00:25:38.019 and the worshiping of the Pentecostals and the Catholics. 00:25:38.180 --> 00:25:42.300 I've talked about the caring of the Lutherans and the bread breaking of the Anglicans. 00:25:42.400 --> 00:25:43.880 But you know what we're missing so far? 00:25:44.740 --> 00:25:46.780 The evangelizing of the Baptists. 00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:50.700 We're missing the mercy ministry of the Methodists. 00:25:50.700 --> 00:25:54.660 If all we talk about is the interior life of the church, 00:25:54.759 --> 00:25:57.940 we will have said nothing about the compassionate outreach of the church 00:25:57.940 --> 00:26:00.059 to those beyond our community. 00:26:02.140 --> 00:26:04.500 If you isolate this verse, 42, 00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:08.400 and you think that you have a comprehensive view of the church, 00:26:08.700 --> 00:26:12.640 you will have said nothing about the world and all of its pain and all of its tragedy. 00:26:12.759 --> 00:26:14.420 But listen to what verse 47 says. 00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:14.720 It says, 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:18.600 The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 00:26:18.599 --> 00:26:20.980 Without that verse, 00:26:21.899 --> 00:26:25.459 without this story of healing and proclamation that comes in Acts 3 00:26:25.459 --> 00:26:27.399 and the whole rest of the book of Acts, 00:26:28.259 --> 00:26:30.419 the church is like the Dead Sea. 00:26:31.379 --> 00:26:34.539 All input with no outlet. 00:26:35.439 --> 00:26:39.480 A church that's devoted only to nurturing her interior life 00:26:39.480 --> 00:26:41.819 becomes a privatized cul-de-sac. 00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:45.299 A one-way, dead-end street. 00:26:45.299 --> 00:26:49.500 Now, some people overcorrect that and focus only on the exterior life of the church, 00:26:49.599 --> 00:26:53.000 which I promise you that leads only to burnout and exhaustion, 00:26:53.879 --> 00:26:55.839 like a body without food. 00:26:56.759 --> 00:26:59.440 But what I want you to see for just a minute as we close 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:04.419 is that the Lord added to their number those who were being saved, 00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:06.159 those who were being rescued. 00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:07.740 What does that mean? 00:27:07.899 --> 00:27:08.779 Saved from what? 00:27:08.919 --> 00:27:10.519 Rescued to what? 00:27:10.519 --> 00:27:14.819 We said last week that the risen, living, contemporary Christ 00:27:14.819 --> 00:27:18.879 looks at us in our bondage and in our weakness. 00:27:19.599 --> 00:27:22.240 He looks at us who are bound up in sin 00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:24.680 and under the weakness of the shadow of death. 00:27:25.420 --> 00:27:27.779 And He makes two promises to us. 00:27:27.879 --> 00:27:31.160 He promises to give us freedom and power. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:35.619 He promises to give us the freedom of being forgiven 00:27:35.619 --> 00:27:37.720 because of His life and death in our place. 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:40.940 And He promises to give us the power of the Holy Spirit 00:27:40.940 --> 00:27:43.779 who can come in and do what we can't do for ourselves, 00:27:44.120 --> 00:27:45.860 to give us life, 00:27:46.299 --> 00:27:53.160 to give us the fruit of love and joy and peace and patience 00:27:53.160 --> 00:27:54.480 and all of those things. 00:27:55.420 --> 00:27:57.259 And so, Christchurch, I want us to think about, 00:27:57.360 --> 00:27:58.620 as we go through the book of Acts, 00:27:58.660 --> 00:28:01.880 I want us to look at all the people around us in our lives 00:28:01.880 --> 00:28:05.840 through these two lenses of freedom and power. 00:28:06.780 --> 00:28:08.460 Freedom and power. 00:28:10.600 --> 00:28:13.220 God has intentionally placed you in the lives of friends, 00:28:13.360 --> 00:28:16.620 neighbors, and co-workers that think they don't need God. 00:28:18.300 --> 00:28:23.500 And it's no accident that you may be the only Christian in their lives, right? 00:28:23.780 --> 00:28:24.720 And here they are. 00:28:24.800 --> 00:28:26.200 They're made in the image of God. 00:28:26.200 --> 00:28:28.580 They're living in the creation of God. 00:28:29.160 --> 00:28:33.860 They are on an intense quest for freedom and power. 00:28:34.460 --> 00:28:36.480 A freedom and power that's beyond this world 00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:39.279 that no one, nothing can give them but God alone. 00:28:40.360 --> 00:28:43.660 And God has put you in their lives to help them discover that. 00:28:44.600 --> 00:28:47.580 And so the first step of evangelism is just to believe this. 00:28:48.299 --> 00:28:51.640 To trust that God is at work in their lives 00:28:51.640 --> 00:28:53.520 and in your life and their lives. 00:28:54.500 --> 00:28:56.740 And the second step of evangelism, I would say, 00:28:56.840 --> 00:28:58.500 is to begin to pray for them, 00:28:59.240 --> 00:29:00.200 our Father in heaven. 00:29:01.240 --> 00:29:03.720 May your kingdom come and your will be done 00:29:03.720 --> 00:29:05.540 in this neighbor's life, 00:29:06.220 --> 00:29:07.560 in this co-worker's life, 00:29:07.640 --> 00:29:09.420 in this friend's life, 00:29:09.620 --> 00:29:11.560 as it is in heaven. 00:29:12.740 --> 00:29:14.759 Lord, would you open a door of opportunity 00:29:14.759 --> 00:29:18.440 to build a relationship of trust with this person? 00:29:18.440 --> 00:29:21.519 Lord, would you open my mouth at some point 00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:25.140 to just speak the powerful name of Jesus to this person? 00:29:25.880 --> 00:29:28.000 Lord, would you open their heart to see 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:30.279 that the freedom and power they want 00:29:30.279 --> 00:29:31.960 comes through Christ? 00:29:33.140 --> 00:29:35.820 And I would say the third step of evangelism 00:29:35.820 --> 00:29:38.600 is to just invite those people to our tables 00:29:38.600 --> 00:29:41.559 and ask them good questions and be good listeners. 00:29:42.740 --> 00:29:44.120 Hey, where do you think most people 00:29:44.120 --> 00:29:46.059 are trying to find freedom and power 00:29:46.059 --> 00:29:47.120 in their lives these days? 00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:49.699 In what ways are you seeking 00:29:49.699 --> 00:29:51.939 liberation and empowerment? 00:29:53.000 --> 00:29:54.299 How's that working for you? 00:29:55.079 --> 00:29:56.959 How's that going in your life? 00:29:57.779 --> 00:30:00.439 And then I would say the fourth step of evangelism 00:30:00.439 --> 00:30:03.779 is to step out with boldness 00:30:03.779 --> 00:30:05.739 and to say, you know what? 00:30:05.819 --> 00:30:07.719 Jesus has given me a freedom 00:30:07.719 --> 00:30:10.159 to know God as my Father 00:30:10.159 --> 00:30:12.059 who accepts me and forgives me. 00:30:12.159 --> 00:30:14.299 And so I'm no longer walking around 00:30:14.299 --> 00:30:16.740 wondering if I'm good enough 00:30:16.740 --> 00:30:19.139 or if I am doing enough 00:30:19.139 --> 00:30:20.960 or if people are going to like me 00:30:20.960 --> 00:30:22.159 or like what I do 00:30:22.159 --> 00:30:23.940 because that's already been settled for me. 00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:25.940 I'm just, I've been liberated 00:30:25.940 --> 00:30:28.759 by the love of God as my Father. 00:30:29.639 --> 00:30:30.279 And what's more, 00:30:30.419 --> 00:30:32.740 I have a new power that I didn't have before. 00:30:33.419 --> 00:30:35.559 Before I could never say no to myself, 00:30:35.639 --> 00:30:37.899 but now the Holy Spirit's come into my life 00:30:37.900 --> 00:30:39.820 and I can not only say no to me, 00:30:39.880 --> 00:30:42.480 I can say yes to people I used to despise 00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:43.280 and look down on 00:30:43.280 --> 00:30:45.000 and think that were beneath me. 00:30:45.720 --> 00:30:47.259 I serve Trump supporters now. 00:30:47.960 --> 00:30:51.019 I mean, I serve people that like Joe Biden 00:30:51.019 --> 00:30:53.340 as if, you know, everything he says is great. 00:30:54.280 --> 00:30:58.080 I'm amazed at what God is doing in my life 00:30:58.080 --> 00:30:59.940 to give me freedom and power 00:30:59.940 --> 00:31:02.480 and just say, hey, I'd love to talk with you more about that 00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:03.340 if you're open to that. 00:31:03.339 --> 00:31:07.220 But Christ Church, I just, I wonder. 00:31:08.619 --> 00:31:11.059 I wonder what would happen if we began to act 00:31:11.059 --> 00:31:14.899 and to talk with a little more of the boldness, 00:31:15.659 --> 00:31:16.740 a little more of the faith 00:31:16.740 --> 00:31:19.279 that we see in these first Christians 00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:23.459 because this pandemic has people around us 00:31:23.459 --> 00:31:25.799 that are starving for love, 00:31:26.919 --> 00:31:28.459 starving to be loved by us. 00:31:29.299 --> 00:31:31.879 This pandemic has people in a search mode, 00:31:31.880 --> 00:31:34.260 a spiritual search mode for a freedom and power 00:31:34.260 --> 00:31:36.400 that they know they haven't found yet 00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:39.100 and that probably doesn't lie 00:31:39.100 --> 00:31:41.200 within the bounds of this world. 00:31:41.320 --> 00:31:43.700 And Jesus, Jesus has given us freedom 00:31:43.700 --> 00:31:45.500 and he's given us power 00:31:45.500 --> 00:31:46.620 and he's given us the ability 00:31:46.620 --> 00:31:48.320 to share that with other people. 00:31:48.420 --> 00:31:49.760 So if we would humble ourselves, 00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:53.220 if we would seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit, 00:31:53.380 --> 00:31:55.520 seek the direction of the Holy Spirit, 00:31:55.680 --> 00:31:57.820 seek the energy of the Holy Spirit, 00:31:57.880 --> 00:31:58.520 I believe, 00:31:58.519 --> 00:32:01.500 I believe that God would do the amazing things 00:32:01.500 --> 00:32:02.460 that we see him doing 00:32:02.460 --> 00:32:04.559 here in this first church, 00:32:04.700 --> 00:32:07.480 adding to their number on a regular basis, 00:32:07.619 --> 00:32:09.579 adding to our number on a regular basis, 00:32:10.379 --> 00:32:11.559 those like us 00:32:11.559 --> 00:32:13.440 who are being rescued, 00:32:14.480 --> 00:32:15.339 who are being saved. 00:32:16.639 --> 00:32:18.319 This is a spirit-filled church. 00:32:19.500 --> 00:32:20.440 Isn't this what we want? 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:22.720 To be a spirit-filled church 00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:25.339 that lives our lives up to God 00:32:25.339 --> 00:32:27.460 and into the church 00:32:27.460 --> 00:32:29.220 and out to the world. 00:32:30.319 --> 00:32:31.500 If that's what we want, 00:32:31.579 --> 00:32:32.940 I pray that God would give us 00:32:32.940 --> 00:32:35.220 the deepest desires of our heart. 00:32:35.920 --> 00:32:37.880 In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:32:38.700 --> 00:32:38.960 Amen. 00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:39.100 Amen. 00:32:39.100 --> 00:32:39.160 Amen.