WEBVTT 00:00:00.180 --> 00:00:03.820 Thank you, Bridget and Katie. Good morning, everyone. Really good to have you with us, 00:00:03.879 --> 00:00:08.019 whether you're here in the church or on YouTube. I know we have a few visitors in the church this 00:00:08.019 --> 00:00:13.480 morning. You are particularly welcome as we now come to consider God's word. 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:23.920 The year is 1830. The city is Dublin. And in a small hall on the south side of the city, 00:00:24.560 --> 00:00:29.600 a group of Christians are meeting together for the first time. They previously met in homes 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:36.340 and they're now meeting in a hall. Among them, there is one young man who has been refused 00:00:36.340 --> 00:00:41.520 communion at churches around the city because he wouldn't join their membership role. 00:00:42.660 --> 00:00:47.380 There are others who are concerned about the established church and the dominance of the 00:00:47.380 --> 00:00:54.600 clergy, and in particular, that many churches will only allow communion if there are clergy, 00:00:54.600 --> 00:01:01.640 ordained clergy there to lead it. Others are looking for simplicity in their worship, 00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:09.700 to get back to how it was at the beginning in the New Testament. And so they meet and very simply, 00:01:10.019 --> 00:01:17.740 they pray together, they read from the Bible, and they take bread and wine to remember the Lord Jesus. 00:01:17.739 --> 00:01:24.619 Now some of you will recognize that this is a description of one of the early groups of what 00:01:24.619 --> 00:01:29.699 later became known as the Brethren movement. There were others in Plymouth and Bristol and elsewhere. 00:01:30.979 --> 00:01:36.419 My purpose is not to promote Brethren ideals, although I would happily do that, but rather choose as an 00:01:36.419 --> 00:01:43.179 example, and there are many, of a circumstance where there were people who felt there is a need to get 00:01:43.180 --> 00:01:51.300 back to the New Testament church and the way it did things. Traditions have grown up, and we want to 00:01:51.300 --> 00:01:58.940 strip these away and simply be obedient to what the Bible says. I could equally have used as my example 00:01:58.940 --> 00:02:04.060 the Reformation, or one or two of the splits after that, the formation of the Methodist Church, 00:02:04.500 --> 00:02:10.180 or the free churches in Scotland, or indeed some of the churches around our city that have sprang up 00:02:10.180 --> 00:02:19.500 in recent years. There has been many times a desire to get back to worshipping as the New Testament 00:02:19.500 --> 00:02:27.860 church did. And churches inevitably as they grow and as they become more organized, there is more 00:02:27.860 --> 00:02:36.300 tradition built up, and perhaps, perhaps we get away sometimes from the basic teaching of Scripture. 00:02:36.300 --> 00:02:45.439 Now, why is that that that happens? Well, I think it's quite simple. The New Testament doesn't set out to be 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:52.620 a handbook on how we should do church in detail. We were looking recently at the book of Leviticus, 00:02:53.100 --> 00:02:59.320 and in Leviticus you get great detail about the sacrifices and offerings and the priests and the 00:02:59.320 --> 00:03:05.900 other things which were part of the Jewish faith. And they were prescribed, they were laid down in 00:03:05.900 --> 00:03:14.200 writing, this is how you will do it. There's very little of that in the New Testament about the church. 00:03:15.040 --> 00:03:21.379 We get some teaching, usually when something's gone wrong, and Paul or someone else is trying to correct it. 00:03:22.420 --> 00:03:27.300 We get snippets here and there which give us an insight into church life, particularly in the book of Acts, 00:03:27.300 --> 00:03:35.560 and how the early Christians did things. But there are not generally prescriptive details of this is how you must 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:43.640 do things as a church. And because of that, I would be hesitant to criticize others who do it differently 00:03:43.640 --> 00:03:51.020 from ourselves. If they are Bible-believing Christians seeking to follow the Lord Jesus and to be obedient to 00:03:51.020 --> 00:03:57.020 his word, the fact that they see things in terms of church and organization a little bit different from me 00:03:57.020 --> 00:04:06.000 doesn't necessarily mean that I'm right and they're wrong. On the other hand, we do need to use the New 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:12.860 Testament as the basis for everything we do. This is the word of God that has been handed down to us. 00:04:12.860 --> 00:04:20.080 And so it is good to look at what the New Testament says about church and to think, how does that apply 00:04:20.080 --> 00:04:27.400 to us today? Some things we can take directly and we can say we should do it the way the New Testament 00:04:27.400 --> 00:04:35.240 church did. Other things we might say, well, that is largely cultural or circumstances now are different. 00:04:35.740 --> 00:04:42.460 And so we will do things a little bit differently. That is largely why differences spring up between churches. 00:04:42.860 --> 00:04:49.379 But if we're thinking about how we should be and what we should do as a church, our starting point, 00:04:49.460 --> 00:04:56.740 I think, should be these verses that we've read in Acts chapter 2. This is what I've called church in the 00:04:56.740 --> 00:05:04.080 raw. It is the very beginnings of the Christians meeting together and sharing a common life together 00:05:04.080 --> 00:05:11.740 and seeking to worship and to glorify God. And it gives us lots of principles, I think, we can follow 00:05:11.740 --> 00:05:20.199 as we seek to obey the Lord and to live as his church in our time. So we're going to go through 00:05:20.199 --> 00:05:27.340 these verses and think about what they are to teach us about the church and the key things about it. 00:05:27.400 --> 00:05:32.280 But before we do that, let's just take a second to orientate ourselves and remind ourselves where we 00:05:32.280 --> 00:05:38.579 are in the book of Acts. So over the last three weeks, we've looked at the ascension of the Lord Jesus, 00:05:38.579 --> 00:05:44.680 the choosing of an additional apostle, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, 00:05:45.219 --> 00:05:52.819 and Peter's great sermon on the day of Pentecost. And then at the end of that, the Bible records 00:05:52.819 --> 00:06:01.799 that about 3,000 were added to the 120 existing Christians. So there was a great revival in Jerusalem 00:06:01.800 --> 00:06:09.639 on the day of Pentecost. And the question then is, well, what happens next? You've got all these new 00:06:09.639 --> 00:06:15.900 Christians. How do you organize yourselves? How do you help them to grow in their faith and in their 00:06:15.900 --> 00:06:24.040 knowledge of the Lord Jesus? And what happened next is what will occupy Luke from the end of chapter 2 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:32.040 through to the early verses of chapter 6. In the verses we're looking at today, we have, if you like, 00:06:32.080 --> 00:06:38.460 the basics of what the church did. And then in the remaining chapters, we have how it worked out 00:06:38.460 --> 00:06:45.920 in practice. Sometimes it worked well and the Holy Spirit really worked among them. Sometimes there 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:52.460 were problems and the church had to deal with them and to make sure that it remained obedient to the 00:06:52.459 --> 00:07:00.299 Lord and to his word. But the verses we have today are very much the foundation for what will follow 00:07:00.299 --> 00:07:08.759 in the next few chapters. This is how the early church met together and what they did. And then we 00:07:08.759 --> 00:07:15.859 get a few examples of how things worked out in the following chapters. Now our passage today divides 00:07:15.860 --> 00:07:23.319 very easily into two sections. The first section is a single verse. It's verse 42. They devoted 00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:31.300 themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And I've called 00:07:31.300 --> 00:07:39.120 these the priorities of the church. These were the things which were fundamental that they were eager 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:45.579 to follow. The word that's used in verse 42, they devoted themselves, is the same word that's used back 00:07:45.579 --> 00:07:52.579 in chapter 1, where it says that Christians were constantly in prayer to God. It was the thing they 00:07:52.579 --> 00:07:58.959 did. It was the things that they focused on. So we're going to look at these priorities. And then from 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:07.740 verse 43 down to verse 47, we have their practices. So how did the priorities work out in their everyday life 00:08:07.740 --> 00:08:16.019 as a church? What did they actually do? So we'll take these two sections and let's start out with the 00:08:16.019 --> 00:08:24.100 priorities. Now as we do that, I want to give you a question to think about. If you were setting the 00:08:24.100 --> 00:08:32.399 priorities for church life today, is there anything that you would add that is missing from verse 42? 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:39.039 I'll leave you to think about that and we'll come back to it later. Is there any priority for church 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:48.240 today that you don't find in verse 42 here? Well, let's look first at what we do find. And the first 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:56.720 priority was the apostles' doctrine or the apostles' teaching. So you have new Christians. New Christians, 00:08:56.960 --> 00:09:01.519 probably all if not, or certainly most of them, who would have grown up in the Jewish faith. 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:08.659 So they had the Old Testament background they would understand and would know, but they knew very 00:09:08.659 --> 00:09:16.259 little, most of them, about the Lord Jesus and what it really meant, this new faith that they had in him. 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:24.199 So a key priority for the apostles as they looked at this wonderful group of new Christianers, so excited 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:32.040 by those who had come to trust the Lord Jesus, a key priority was to make sure that they were taught 00:09:32.040 --> 00:09:40.040 well. And who better to teach them than the men who had been with Jesus for the three years of his 00:09:40.040 --> 00:09:45.320 ministry. Remember when they were choosing a new apostle, that was the key thing they required. 00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:55.200 It needed to be someone who had been with Jesus. And as these apostles set about leading this new church, 00:09:55.840 --> 00:10:04.580 then they had this reserve of all the experiences that they had walking alongside Jesus, all they had heard 00:10:04.580 --> 00:10:13.560 from him. They had brought to their recollection by the Holy Spirit, the things that they had heard and seen. 00:10:14.540 --> 00:10:20.379 And the things that the Spirit passed on to them were what had been passed to the Spirit by the Lord Jesus. 00:10:20.540 --> 00:10:24.100 That's what the Lord Jesus says in John chapter 16. 00:10:24.100 --> 00:10:32.320 So this Spirit-filled, Spirit-controlled group of men were able to teach those who were new in the faith 00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:39.580 and with authority, with the authority of the Lord Jesus, to help them to understand the truth. 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:48.720 And the Christians were eager to hear it. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching. 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:55.840 Now, we don't have the apostles in that sense today. We can't go to Philip and say, 00:10:56.220 --> 00:11:01.480 well, what did Jesus teach about this? We can't go to Matthew and say, well, what do you think Jesus 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:08.440 would have done in this situation? But we do have our Bible. And our Bible, our New Testament, 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:17.340 is the written down doctrine that the apostles have passed on to us. The human writers of the New 00:11:17.340 --> 00:11:23.360 Testament were apostles, or those who were writing with apostolic authority, often with assistance 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:29.180 from the apostles themselves. And of course, all of them were writing down as the Spirit led them 00:11:29.180 --> 00:11:35.639 and gave them the words. So when we think about the apostles' doctrine today, what we should think 00:11:35.639 --> 00:11:43.160 about is our relationship with the Bible. That we should spend our time, that we should devote ourselves 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:51.039 to understanding what it is that the Bible says and teaches us, and being obedient to it. 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:59.059 That is fundamental to living as a Christian. It is fundamental to living as the church of the Lord Jesus, 00:11:59.740 --> 00:12:01.679 the apostles' doctrine. 00:12:04.179 --> 00:12:11.199 The second thing that Luke tells us is that they devoted themselves to fellowship, or actually he says, 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:17.660 the fellowship. One translation I quite like was the New English Bible, which talked about the common life. 00:12:17.660 --> 00:12:22.680 And I think that gets across the meaning of the word that's used here. 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:31.120 This was a group of people who did things together and who supported and encouraged one another. 00:12:31.980 --> 00:12:37.900 There was a love for the Lord Jesus first, but that was reflected too in a love for one another. 00:12:37.899 --> 00:12:43.439 And they spent time together. And when one was happy, all were happy. 00:12:44.139 --> 00:12:47.899 When one was grieving, all would grieve with them. 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:52.600 When one was suffering, all would suffer alongside them. 00:12:53.100 --> 00:12:57.600 They had things in common. They supported one another. 00:12:57.699 --> 00:13:02.139 We'll come in a minute to the material side of things, which is covered later in the passage. 00:13:02.139 --> 00:13:06.919 But this was a group of people who were really committed to one another. 00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:13.720 They devoted themselves to the fellowship, to living together for the Lord Jesus. 00:13:14.600 --> 00:13:16.399 How important that is today as well. 00:13:16.460 --> 00:13:19.580 It's been a lot more difficult in some ways over the last year, 00:13:19.659 --> 00:13:22.659 when for long periods we haven't been able to meet together. 00:13:23.179 --> 00:13:27.799 And some people still don't feel able to come and meet at the church. 00:13:27.799 --> 00:13:34.199 And yet there have been lots of phone calls and lots of expressions of interest among church members, 00:13:34.319 --> 00:13:35.959 lots of support being given. 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:39.000 And that's absolutely right. 00:13:39.639 --> 00:13:44.179 We should at all times have the interests of our Christian brothers and sisters at heart 00:13:44.179 --> 00:13:48.819 and seek to support and build them up in their faith. 00:13:49.159 --> 00:13:52.339 We should devote ourselves to the fellowship. 00:13:52.340 --> 00:13:59.440 Then the third thing that Luke lists is the breaking of bread against the breaking of the bread. 00:13:59.660 --> 00:14:01.960 It is the term that is used. 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:06.240 Now there's some debate about what the breaking of bread might mean. 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:09.720 The term is used in two senses in the New Testament. 00:14:10.660 --> 00:14:13.940 One is what we might call communion or the Lord's Supper. 00:14:14.379 --> 00:14:17.180 Meeting together to break bread. 00:14:17.820 --> 00:14:20.080 And the service that we'll be starting next Sunday morning, 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:23.500 we tend to call the breaking of bread service because that is what we do. 00:14:23.860 --> 00:14:28.860 We meet to remember the Lord Jesus, to break bread and to drink the cup together. 00:14:29.379 --> 00:14:31.400 And that's one meaning in the New Testament. 00:14:32.340 --> 00:14:35.759 The other meaning is simply meeting together for a meal. 00:14:36.580 --> 00:14:38.980 Because when the Jews would have a meal, 00:14:39.400 --> 00:14:43.000 one of the first things they would do is that someone, usually the host, 00:14:43.300 --> 00:14:45.379 would give thanks to God for the food 00:14:45.379 --> 00:14:53.039 and then would break bread and would pass it around as an expression of friendship and of fellowship. 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:55.799 You may remember in Luke chapter 24, 00:14:56.179 --> 00:14:58.919 when the Lord Jesus meets the couple going to Emmaus 00:14:58.919 --> 00:15:01.840 and they come to the house and the Lord Jesus, 00:15:01.899 --> 00:15:02.980 they invite them in for a meal, 00:15:03.320 --> 00:15:06.580 and the Lord Jesus gives thanks and breaks bread. 00:15:06.980 --> 00:15:11.000 And that's the point when they recognize him and realize who it is. 00:15:11.299 --> 00:15:14.840 Now there's no suggestion there that it's the Lord's Supper that's being celebrated at that point. 00:15:14.840 --> 00:15:19.780 It is simply they're having a meal and as part of that, bread is broken. 00:15:20.580 --> 00:15:22.440 So what does it mean in this passage? 00:15:22.580 --> 00:15:27.920 This expression is used twice in verse 42 and then again in verse 46. 00:15:29.019 --> 00:15:32.500 Well, I think the difficulty we have with that and understanding it 00:15:32.500 --> 00:15:36.759 is maybe a difficulty the first century Christians wouldn't have had. 00:15:36.759 --> 00:15:41.939 Because you met together for a meal and as part of that meal, 00:15:42.299 --> 00:15:45.600 you broke bread and you remembered the Lord Jesus. 00:15:46.819 --> 00:15:51.580 In the upper room with his disciples, as the Lord Jesus takes bread and breaks it, 00:15:51.819 --> 00:15:57.319 he's using something which was part of the Passover that they were celebrating at the time 00:15:57.319 --> 00:16:01.480 and he gives it a new spiritual significance. 00:16:01.480 --> 00:16:06.580 So as the Christians meet and in their homes, as they break bread, 00:16:06.680 --> 00:16:10.420 they say, let's remember the Lord Jesus together in the breaking of the bread 00:16:10.420 --> 00:16:14.320 and as we drink from the cup, let's remember him. 00:16:14.920 --> 00:16:16.279 So the two things went together. 00:16:16.379 --> 00:16:19.539 You had the meal of fellowship and friendship together 00:16:19.539 --> 00:16:23.700 and within that meal was perfectly natural and normal 00:16:23.700 --> 00:16:26.879 to break bread to remember the Lord Jesus. 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:29.139 And of course, things changed as the church went on. 00:16:29.139 --> 00:16:31.620 And there was still a meal in the time of the Corinthians, 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:34.799 but it was very much, I think, by that point that they met 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:37.960 and they had the breaking of bread as a separate thing within the meal. 00:16:38.360 --> 00:16:43.340 And of course, the meal gradually dropped off in terms of normal church practice. 00:16:43.980 --> 00:16:49.179 But in verse 42, I'm fairly sure that the specific reference from Luke 00:16:49.179 --> 00:16:52.899 is to remembering the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread, 00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:55.879 albeit as part of a meal. 00:16:55.879 --> 00:17:01.379 And how important it is that we too continue to remember the Lord Jesus. 00:17:02.439 --> 00:17:05.400 The normal context now is within a church. 00:17:06.680 --> 00:17:09.240 In the book of Acts, there were 3,000 odd Christians. 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:11.700 They couldn't all meet together in one place, 00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:13.940 so they broke bread in homes. 00:17:14.019 --> 00:17:18.940 The normal context now would be we would come together in church to break bread. 00:17:18.940 --> 00:17:22.680 But of course, over the last period, when that's not always been possible, 00:17:22.779 --> 00:17:25.279 it's been good that some have been able to join over Zoom, 00:17:25.640 --> 00:17:29.740 as we've remembered the Lord and the church, and they have joined with us. 00:17:29.779 --> 00:17:33.720 And I think that's perfectly right and perfectly scriptural. 00:17:34.120 --> 00:17:34.920 We break bread. 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:38.700 It is one of the priorities of the church. 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:41.400 And those of us who are in the building later on, 00:17:41.660 --> 00:17:43.660 we won't break bread because there's no bread to break. 00:17:43.660 --> 00:17:45.720 We'll be taking crackers and grape juice, 00:17:45.800 --> 00:17:47.180 and the breaking is only symbolic, 00:17:47.500 --> 00:17:50.200 but it will remind us of the death of the Lord Jesus 00:17:50.200 --> 00:17:53.060 and all that he has done for us. 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:57.680 And then finally, in the priorities of the church, 00:17:58.320 --> 00:17:59.519 there is prayer. 00:17:59.740 --> 00:18:02.279 Again, the original would say the prayers. 00:18:02.700 --> 00:18:04.380 So this isn't talking about the prayer, 00:18:04.500 --> 00:18:07.080 the pride time that we have at home. 00:18:07.600 --> 00:18:11.680 It's the church meeting together to pray with one another. 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:14.560 Probably from later on in the chapter, 00:18:14.680 --> 00:18:16.100 it was often in the temple courts, 00:18:16.420 --> 00:18:18.220 a place where Jews would go to pray, 00:18:18.500 --> 00:18:19.600 the Christians would go to, 00:18:19.860 --> 00:18:21.440 and they would find an area there, 00:18:21.660 --> 00:18:23.720 and they would pray together. 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:26.539 But the communal prayer, 00:18:26.660 --> 00:18:29.420 the coming together to lay hold on the Lord, 00:18:29.500 --> 00:18:32.620 to bring their thanksgiving and their request to him, 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:37.100 that was a core aspect of early church life. 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:40.060 And similarly, it should be today. 00:18:40.059 --> 00:18:44.799 Praying together is the powerhouse of the church 00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:48.240 and is the way we together can approach God 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:50.220 and be drawn closer to him 00:18:50.220 --> 00:18:53.059 and also drawn closer to one another. 00:18:54.339 --> 00:18:56.099 I think over the last year or so, 00:18:56.200 --> 00:18:57.819 when we've had the Zoom prayer meetings, 00:18:57.919 --> 00:19:00.200 many of us have found them really helpful 00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:03.399 in just getting together to pray 00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:06.400 and a very simple way to bring our requests 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:07.720 to the Lord Jesus. 00:19:08.320 --> 00:19:09.940 I would encourage you, if you're able to, 00:19:10.140 --> 00:19:12.220 join us on the Monday evenings in May 00:19:12.220 --> 00:19:13.720 for our prayer times. 00:19:13.780 --> 00:19:14.940 We're not having Thursday ones in May, 00:19:14.980 --> 00:19:15.700 just on Monday. 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:18.600 Once a week, let as many of us as possible 00:19:18.600 --> 00:19:20.360 get together to pray 00:19:20.360 --> 00:19:22.140 and to bring our thanksgiving 00:19:22.140 --> 00:19:24.840 and our requests to the Lord. 00:19:24.839 --> 00:19:27.579 So four priorities of the church. 00:19:28.579 --> 00:19:29.939 The apostles' teaching, 00:19:30.679 --> 00:19:31.740 the fellowship, 00:19:32.579 --> 00:19:33.619 the breaking of bread, 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:35.179 and prayer. 00:19:35.720 --> 00:19:38.240 And these very much should be four priorities 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:40.839 of every church today. 00:19:41.879 --> 00:19:43.699 Then what about the practices? 00:19:43.859 --> 00:19:44.819 If these are the principles, 00:19:45.199 --> 00:19:47.359 how did they work out in practice? 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:51.699 And that's what verses 43 to 47 are all about. 00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:57.019 And the first thing we see in verse 43 is power. 00:19:58.059 --> 00:19:59.719 God is at work. 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:03.639 And God is very evidently at work. 00:20:04.579 --> 00:20:07.039 Everyone was filled with awe, it says, 00:20:07.500 --> 00:20:09.359 at the many wonders and signs 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:11.799 performed by the apostles. 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:14.599 Different between wonders and signs, 00:20:14.679 --> 00:20:15.619 I think with wonders, 00:20:15.619 --> 00:20:17.199 you ask how did that happen? 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:18.539 With signs, you ask, 00:20:18.819 --> 00:20:19.979 why did that happen? 00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:23.279 Signs are God speaking in a way 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:26.219 that will teach us more about himself. 00:20:27.139 --> 00:20:28.099 But one way or another, 00:20:28.539 --> 00:20:31.939 the apostles were doing wonderful things. 00:20:32.279 --> 00:20:33.819 We see a bit of that in chapter three, 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:35.859 when there's a lame man in the temple 00:20:35.859 --> 00:20:38.000 and Peter, through the Spirit, 00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:42.240 is able to perform a miracle of healing on him. 00:20:42.839 --> 00:20:45.559 And that apparently was not a one-off event. 00:20:45.559 --> 00:20:48.639 That was something that happened very regularly 00:20:48.639 --> 00:20:50.339 in the early church. 00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:52.500 We might then ask, 00:20:52.839 --> 00:20:56.039 well, is that something that we should be looking for 00:20:56.039 --> 00:20:58.220 in our churches today? 00:20:58.740 --> 00:21:00.440 And this is where we get into questions 00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:02.759 about what is relevant today 00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:05.339 and what is different today. 00:21:05.339 --> 00:21:08.559 Our God hasn't changed. 00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:11.039 Our God is still powerful 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:13.500 and is in control of all things 00:21:13.500 --> 00:21:17.659 and can do whatever he chooses to do. 00:21:17.660 --> 00:21:20.340 And yet in many of our churches, 00:21:20.860 --> 00:21:21.960 in our day, 00:21:22.300 --> 00:21:24.640 we don't see miraculous signs 00:21:24.640 --> 00:21:28.000 in the sense that Luke is talking about here. 00:21:29.240 --> 00:21:31.019 I think as we look through Scripture, 00:21:31.140 --> 00:21:32.180 as we look through the Bible, 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:34.500 there were particular periods 00:21:34.500 --> 00:21:38.040 when signs and wonders were quite common. 00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:40.580 So we look at the time of Moses, for example, 00:21:40.720 --> 00:21:42.840 and the Israelites going through the wilderness 00:21:42.839 --> 00:21:47.119 and quite a number of miraculous things happening then. 00:21:47.659 --> 00:21:49.859 We look at the time of Elijah and Elisha. 00:21:50.359 --> 00:21:52.240 And again, in a national crisis, 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:53.819 when the nation of Israel had gone 00:21:53.819 --> 00:21:55.639 as low as it possibly could 00:21:55.639 --> 00:21:57.879 under Ahab and Jezebel, 00:21:58.279 --> 00:22:00.619 God worked in miraculous ways 00:22:00.619 --> 00:22:03.220 to demonstrate his power. 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:06.199 And we have it again in the New Testament, 00:22:06.720 --> 00:22:08.539 both with the apostles here 00:22:08.539 --> 00:22:11.339 and later on with Paul. 00:22:11.339 --> 00:22:13.419 And I think, 00:22:13.779 --> 00:22:15.959 and I'm not going to say this too firmly, 00:22:16.059 --> 00:22:19.879 but I think that it is right to say 00:22:19.879 --> 00:22:21.059 that through history, 00:22:21.199 --> 00:22:21.879 there have been times 00:22:21.879 --> 00:22:23.759 when there have been a great deal of miracles. 00:22:23.919 --> 00:22:25.679 God has been working miraculous ways 00:22:25.679 --> 00:22:28.099 at key points in human history 00:22:28.099 --> 00:22:29.779 and the plan of salvation. 00:22:30.459 --> 00:22:31.699 And there have been other times 00:22:31.699 --> 00:22:33.579 when miraculous things have been 00:22:33.579 --> 00:22:35.679 at least less common. 00:22:36.279 --> 00:22:37.740 And perhaps we're in one of these 00:22:37.740 --> 00:22:39.959 less common times just now. 00:22:39.960 --> 00:22:41.720 But if you want to discuss math with me later, 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:43.400 I'll be very happy to. 00:22:44.259 --> 00:22:45.059 But the key thing, 00:22:45.140 --> 00:22:47.160 I think the key lesson from it is, 00:22:47.700 --> 00:22:49.720 what the apostles were doing 00:22:49.720 --> 00:22:52.079 with their wonders and signs 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:54.299 was validating to people 00:22:54.299 --> 00:22:57.039 the reality of their message. 00:22:57.900 --> 00:22:58.640 They could say, 00:22:58.819 --> 00:23:02.000 here is God working with power among us. 00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:03.700 This is the evidence 00:23:03.700 --> 00:23:06.220 that what we are doing is from God. 00:23:06.220 --> 00:23:08.319 Now listen to our message 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:09.839 and change your ways 00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:11.539 and come to put your trust 00:23:11.539 --> 00:23:13.299 in the Lord Jesus. 00:23:13.500 --> 00:23:14.480 And I think that is why 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:16.559 the apostles mentioned in verse 42 00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:17.640 in terms of their teaching, 00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:20.620 verse 43 in terms of their power, 00:23:21.160 --> 00:23:24.160 the one helped to validate the other. 00:23:26.059 --> 00:23:27.279 Let's move on though 00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:29.680 and talk about what I've called provision. 00:23:30.900 --> 00:23:32.960 So verses 44 and 45 say, 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:34.759 all the believers were together 00:23:34.759 --> 00:23:36.920 and had everything in common. 00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:39.500 They sold property and possessions 00:23:39.500 --> 00:23:43.440 to give to anyone who had need. 00:23:44.299 --> 00:23:48.180 The believers had everything in common. 00:23:49.059 --> 00:23:50.100 Now there's something again 00:23:50.100 --> 00:23:52.360 that's different from how we would 00:23:52.360 --> 00:23:54.660 see things as a church. 00:23:55.079 --> 00:23:58.039 We don't have all things in common. 00:23:58.940 --> 00:23:59.799 By and large, 00:23:59.799 --> 00:24:01.299 we live our own lives 00:24:01.299 --> 00:24:02.480 and we are responsible 00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:04.799 for our own finances. 00:24:05.940 --> 00:24:07.220 So is that wrong? 00:24:07.879 --> 00:24:09.200 Should we be going back 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:12.059 to what the early Christians did? 00:24:13.180 --> 00:24:14.579 I don't believe so. 00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:16.680 I think this was something 00:24:16.680 --> 00:24:18.720 that was specifically relevant 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:19.919 and important 00:24:19.919 --> 00:24:23.139 in the very early days of the church. 00:24:23.819 --> 00:24:25.119 And we don't see it happening, 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:25.799 I don't think, 00:24:26.059 --> 00:24:27.460 as the church progresses. 00:24:27.639 --> 00:24:29.279 In Paul's epistles, for instance, 00:24:29.279 --> 00:24:31.259 the church would certainly support 00:24:31.259 --> 00:24:32.139 one another, 00:24:32.139 --> 00:24:34.200 but it wasn't that they had 00:24:34.200 --> 00:24:36.539 everything in common. 00:24:37.859 --> 00:24:38.619 However, 00:24:39.160 --> 00:24:41.619 I think perhaps we have got away 00:24:41.619 --> 00:24:44.139 from some of the underlying significance 00:24:44.139 --> 00:24:46.220 of these verses. 00:24:46.839 --> 00:24:49.259 Because we do tend to treat each other 00:24:49.259 --> 00:24:51.700 as being financially independent. 00:24:52.579 --> 00:24:54.240 And some of us are well off 00:24:54.240 --> 00:24:55.759 in material terms. 00:24:56.379 --> 00:24:58.200 Some of us are less so. 00:24:58.200 --> 00:25:00.380 And there are many Christians 00:25:00.380 --> 00:25:01.200 around the world 00:25:01.200 --> 00:25:03.200 who are in real poverty 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:04.700 and who don't know 00:25:04.700 --> 00:25:05.799 where their next meal 00:25:05.799 --> 00:25:07.319 is coming from. 00:25:08.600 --> 00:25:09.559 And perhaps we have 00:25:09.559 --> 00:25:10.700 too much of a mindset 00:25:10.700 --> 00:25:12.180 that what I have, 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:13.080 what I've earned 00:25:13.080 --> 00:25:14.680 through my work or whatever, 00:25:15.160 --> 00:25:15.960 that is mine. 00:25:16.059 --> 00:25:17.140 I will give some of it 00:25:17.140 --> 00:25:18.640 to the Lord's work. 00:25:18.860 --> 00:25:19.580 But essentially, 00:25:19.740 --> 00:25:20.920 that's my income 00:25:20.920 --> 00:25:22.460 and it's mine to do 00:25:22.460 --> 00:25:24.519 what I want to with it. 00:25:24.519 --> 00:25:27.420 have we lost that sense 00:25:27.420 --> 00:25:29.299 of if someone's in need 00:25:29.299 --> 00:25:31.599 and I'm able to meet that need, 00:25:31.980 --> 00:25:34.779 then my duty before the Lord 00:25:34.779 --> 00:25:36.799 is to do it. 00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:39.740 If I see someone 00:25:39.740 --> 00:25:42.359 who is struggling financially 00:25:42.359 --> 00:25:45.019 for reasons that are 00:25:45.019 --> 00:25:46.440 beyond their control, 00:25:46.900 --> 00:25:48.220 is it not my duty 00:25:48.220 --> 00:25:49.700 to help them in any way 00:25:49.700 --> 00:25:51.519 that I can? 00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:54.099 Perhaps these days 00:25:54.099 --> 00:25:55.519 we're too private, 00:25:56.379 --> 00:25:57.720 we're too proud 00:25:57.720 --> 00:25:58.960 to ask for help. 00:25:59.639 --> 00:26:00.559 And maybe many of us 00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:01.279 are too greedy 00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:02.940 to offer that help 00:26:02.940 --> 00:26:04.180 when we should. 00:26:05.339 --> 00:26:06.420 So let's take the challenge. 00:26:06.519 --> 00:26:07.519 If there are people 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:08.519 we're aware of 00:26:08.519 --> 00:26:11.220 who are in physical need, 00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:13.319 what can I do, 00:26:13.420 --> 00:26:14.819 what can we as a church do 00:26:14.819 --> 00:26:16.519 to be able to help them 00:26:16.519 --> 00:26:18.480 and to give them 00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:19.920 the physical support 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:21.059 that they need. 00:26:21.139 --> 00:26:22.139 The believers had 00:26:22.139 --> 00:26:23.720 everything in common. 00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:25.680 They sold and gave 00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:26.779 to anyone 00:26:26.779 --> 00:26:28.819 who had need. 00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:30.200 We'll come back to that again 00:26:30.200 --> 00:26:31.579 in later chapters of Acts. 00:26:31.639 --> 00:26:32.539 I won't say any more 00:26:32.539 --> 00:26:33.700 just now. 00:26:36.160 --> 00:26:37.220 Then the third thing 00:26:37.220 --> 00:26:37.900 that they did 00:26:37.900 --> 00:26:39.680 I've called participation. 00:26:39.900 --> 00:26:41.740 This is verse 46. 00:26:42.519 --> 00:26:44.019 Every day they continued 00:26:44.019 --> 00:26:44.779 to meet together 00:26:44.779 --> 00:26:45.899 in the temple courts. 00:26:46.539 --> 00:26:47.180 They broke bread 00:26:47.180 --> 00:26:47.899 in their homes 00:26:47.899 --> 00:26:49.099 and ate together 00:26:49.099 --> 00:26:49.819 with glad 00:26:49.819 --> 00:26:51.920 and sincere hearts. 00:26:52.899 --> 00:26:53.960 Every day 00:26:53.960 --> 00:26:55.160 they continued 00:26:55.160 --> 00:26:57.160 to meet together. 00:26:57.680 --> 00:26:58.220 We may wonder 00:26:58.220 --> 00:26:59.019 why they still went 00:26:59.019 --> 00:26:59.579 to the temple 00:26:59.579 --> 00:27:00.180 or the temple 00:27:00.180 --> 00:27:00.980 was the place 00:27:00.980 --> 00:27:01.940 where Jews went 00:27:01.940 --> 00:27:02.460 to worship. 00:27:03.099 --> 00:27:03.700 And I'm sure 00:27:03.700 --> 00:27:04.500 the early Christians 00:27:04.500 --> 00:27:05.139 were thinking 00:27:05.139 --> 00:27:06.899 well as the Jews see us, 00:27:06.940 --> 00:27:07.619 those who are not yet 00:27:07.619 --> 00:27:08.619 Christians see us 00:27:08.619 --> 00:27:09.700 and we can explain 00:27:09.700 --> 00:27:10.740 to them more 00:27:10.740 --> 00:27:11.599 about what the Lord 00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:12.599 Jesus has done, 00:27:12.599 --> 00:27:13.839 perhaps they too 00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:15.099 will come to know him. 00:27:15.099 --> 00:27:16.159 It was a natural place 00:27:16.159 --> 00:27:16.699 to go 00:27:16.699 --> 00:27:18.359 but equally there were times 00:27:18.359 --> 00:27:19.019 when it was better 00:27:19.019 --> 00:27:19.959 to meet in homes, 00:27:20.299 --> 00:27:21.519 to share a meal together, 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:23.480 to share the Lord's Supper 00:27:23.480 --> 00:27:24.980 and to enjoy fellowship 00:27:24.980 --> 00:27:26.299 with one another. 00:27:27.019 --> 00:27:28.039 But the point is 00:27:28.039 --> 00:27:29.500 they were all participating 00:27:29.500 --> 00:27:32.059 in each other's lives. 00:27:32.679 --> 00:27:34.159 There were no hangers-on. 00:27:34.859 --> 00:27:35.619 There were no people 00:27:35.619 --> 00:27:35.939 who said 00:27:35.939 --> 00:27:36.859 well I'll come to church 00:27:36.859 --> 00:27:37.480 on a Sunday 00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:38.459 but that's all 00:27:38.459 --> 00:27:39.299 I'm going to do. 00:27:39.299 --> 00:27:40.519 The rest of the week 00:27:40.519 --> 00:27:41.099 is mine 00:27:41.099 --> 00:27:42.359 and I'm not going 00:27:42.359 --> 00:27:43.299 to have any contact 00:27:43.299 --> 00:27:44.779 with my Christian brothers 00:27:44.779 --> 00:27:46.019 and sisters. 00:27:46.940 --> 00:27:47.980 And how important it is 00:27:47.980 --> 00:27:49.339 if we are part of a church 00:27:49.339 --> 00:27:50.720 that we are active 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:52.480 participants in it. 00:27:53.119 --> 00:27:53.879 That we're not just 00:27:53.879 --> 00:27:54.720 those who turn up 00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:55.480 and go away 00:27:55.480 --> 00:27:56.599 and perhaps you almost 00:27:56.599 --> 00:27:57.319 wouldn't notice 00:27:57.319 --> 00:27:59.240 if we weren't there. 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:01.279 That we're engaged 00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:02.079 in the life, 00:28:02.500 --> 00:28:03.220 the fellowship, 00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:04.200 the service, 00:28:04.500 --> 00:28:05.139 the witness 00:28:05.139 --> 00:28:06.399 of the church. 00:28:06.879 --> 00:28:08.019 And we're engaged 00:28:08.019 --> 00:28:09.139 in the lives of others 00:28:09.140 --> 00:28:09.740 that we have 00:28:09.740 --> 00:28:11.620 opportunities 00:28:11.620 --> 00:28:13.040 to meet with them, 00:28:13.140 --> 00:28:13.700 to serve, 00:28:13.820 --> 00:28:14.400 to support 00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:17.040 and to encourage them. 00:28:18.040 --> 00:28:18.420 Again, 00:28:18.500 --> 00:28:19.060 the last year 00:28:19.060 --> 00:28:19.740 has made that 00:28:19.740 --> 00:28:20.680 very difficult 00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:22.220 in many ways. 00:28:23.060 --> 00:28:23.560 And perhaps 00:28:23.560 --> 00:28:24.200 there are some 00:28:24.200 --> 00:28:25.180 who have almost 00:28:25.180 --> 00:28:25.900 dropped off 00:28:25.900 --> 00:28:26.880 from church. 00:28:27.420 --> 00:28:28.300 You may be watching 00:28:28.300 --> 00:28:29.100 this morning 00:28:29.100 --> 00:28:30.300 but actually 00:28:30.300 --> 00:28:31.120 you've had very little 00:28:31.120 --> 00:28:32.380 contact with the church 00:28:32.380 --> 00:28:33.820 and very little involvement 00:28:33.820 --> 00:28:35.360 over the last year. 00:28:36.259 --> 00:28:37.080 Please consider 00:28:37.080 --> 00:28:38.259 what your participation 00:28:38.259 --> 00:28:39.619 in church 00:28:39.619 --> 00:28:40.579 should be. 00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:42.640 What you can do 00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:44.200 to enjoy fellowship 00:28:44.200 --> 00:28:44.799 with others 00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:46.000 and to build them up 00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:47.279 as you build yourself up 00:28:47.279 --> 00:28:48.460 and to serve 00:28:48.460 --> 00:28:49.559 the Lord Jesus. 00:28:50.720 --> 00:28:51.440 We have scope now 00:28:51.440 --> 00:28:52.200 to have more people 00:28:52.200 --> 00:28:52.900 at our services. 00:28:53.039 --> 00:28:54.000 Great to have some extras 00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:54.839 this morning 00:28:54.839 --> 00:28:55.579 from what we've had 00:28:55.579 --> 00:28:56.140 in the past. 00:28:56.240 --> 00:28:56.940 There is still room 00:28:56.940 --> 00:28:57.519 for more 00:28:57.519 --> 00:28:59.039 if you would like to come. 00:28:59.140 --> 00:28:59.900 Please consider 00:28:59.900 --> 00:29:01.460 getting more involved 00:29:01.460 --> 00:29:02.759 in the church 00:29:02.759 --> 00:29:03.500 if you have largely 00:29:03.500 --> 00:29:04.279 dropped off 00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:05.639 in recent months. 00:29:07.639 --> 00:29:08.799 And then the last thing 00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:09.440 under practice 00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:11.039 is that the church 00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:13.139 was praising God. 00:29:13.559 --> 00:29:16.079 It was a joyful church. 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:18.139 Now we have two things 00:29:18.139 --> 00:29:19.039 to balance things here. 00:29:19.139 --> 00:29:19.899 Verse 43 00:29:19.899 --> 00:29:20.799 it says 00:29:20.799 --> 00:29:21.480 they were filled 00:29:21.480 --> 00:29:22.500 with awe. 00:29:23.240 --> 00:29:24.200 So on the one hand 00:29:24.200 --> 00:29:25.220 there was a great awe. 00:29:25.339 --> 00:29:26.240 There wasn't a flippancy 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:27.500 about church. 00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:28.359 There was a recognition 00:29:28.359 --> 00:29:29.440 of what a great God 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:30.139 we have 00:29:30.140 --> 00:29:32.180 and how a great privilege 00:29:32.180 --> 00:29:32.740 it is 00:29:32.740 --> 00:29:33.620 to be able 00:29:33.620 --> 00:29:34.920 to approach Him. 00:29:35.980 --> 00:29:37.180 But on the other hand 00:29:37.180 --> 00:29:38.220 there were glad 00:29:38.220 --> 00:29:39.380 and sincere hearts 00:29:39.380 --> 00:29:40.660 and there was 00:29:40.660 --> 00:29:42.360 praising God. 00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:44.820 Being a Christian 00:29:44.820 --> 00:29:46.020 and knowing the Lord Jesus 00:29:46.020 --> 00:29:47.840 should be a joyful 00:29:47.840 --> 00:29:49.000 experience 00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:50.280 for us. 00:29:51.000 --> 00:29:51.780 Yes there are bumps 00:29:51.780 --> 00:29:52.460 in the road. 00:29:53.220 --> 00:29:54.120 Yes there are times 00:29:54.120 --> 00:29:55.020 when life is 00:29:55.020 --> 00:29:56.500 really difficult. 00:29:57.720 --> 00:29:58.440 But we should 00:29:58.440 --> 00:29:58.980 if we know 00:29:58.980 --> 00:29:59.680 the Lord Jesus 00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:00.340 we should be 00:30:00.340 --> 00:30:01.240 reflecting on 00:30:01.240 --> 00:30:02.360 all the great blessings 00:30:02.360 --> 00:30:03.160 that we have 00:30:03.160 --> 00:30:04.000 in Him 00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:05.640 and the great future 00:30:05.640 --> 00:30:07.080 that He has planned 00:30:07.080 --> 00:30:08.080 for us. 00:30:08.420 --> 00:30:09.720 And we should be 00:30:09.720 --> 00:30:11.000 rejoicing in Him. 00:30:11.160 --> 00:30:11.920 Praise should be 00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:12.580 very much 00:30:12.580 --> 00:30:13.500 a feature 00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:15.660 of our times 00:30:15.660 --> 00:30:16.440 together. 00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:17.620 And praise is 00:30:17.620 --> 00:30:18.519 partly music. 00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:19.880 Music can really help us 00:30:19.880 --> 00:30:21.140 in praise. 00:30:21.580 --> 00:30:22.380 But it is also 00:30:22.380 --> 00:30:23.340 just appreciating 00:30:23.340 --> 00:30:23.799 together 00:30:23.799 --> 00:30:25.060 all that the Lord 00:30:25.060 --> 00:30:25.940 Jesus has done 00:30:25.940 --> 00:30:26.580 for us 00:30:26.580 --> 00:30:27.700 and all that He 00:30:27.700 --> 00:30:28.220 continues 00:30:28.220 --> 00:30:29.200 to do 00:30:29.200 --> 00:30:30.200 for us. 00:30:31.059 --> 00:30:31.779 So we have 00:30:31.779 --> 00:30:32.400 power, 00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:33.500 provision, 00:30:34.460 --> 00:30:35.019 participation, 00:30:36.180 --> 00:30:36.680 praise. 00:30:38.079 --> 00:30:38.920 Let's come back 00:30:38.920 --> 00:30:39.539 to the question 00:30:39.539 --> 00:30:41.059 that I asked 00:30:41.059 --> 00:30:41.680 you earlier. 00:30:42.680 --> 00:30:43.480 Is there 00:30:43.480 --> 00:30:44.559 a priority 00:30:44.559 --> 00:30:45.579 missing 00:30:45.579 --> 00:30:46.660 in verse 00:30:46.660 --> 00:30:47.620 42? 00:30:49.299 --> 00:30:49.960 We have 00:30:49.960 --> 00:30:50.480 for those 00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:50.880 who are interested 00:30:50.880 --> 00:30:51.299 in becoming 00:30:51.299 --> 00:30:52.279 members of the church 00:30:52.279 --> 00:30:52.400 here, 00:30:52.440 --> 00:30:53.200 we do have membership 00:30:53.200 --> 00:30:53.720 though everyone 00:30:53.720 --> 00:30:54.339 is welcome 00:30:54.339 --> 00:30:55.880 to join the communion 00:30:55.880 --> 00:30:56.400 if they love 00:30:56.400 --> 00:30:57.080 the Lord Jesus. 00:30:57.460 --> 00:30:57.820 But we have 00:30:57.820 --> 00:30:58.260 a membership 00:30:58.260 --> 00:30:58.780 booklet 00:30:58.780 --> 00:30:59.700 and within 00:30:59.700 --> 00:31:00.220 that there's 00:31:00.220 --> 00:31:00.660 a little bit 00:31:00.660 --> 00:31:01.440 about the history 00:31:01.440 --> 00:31:02.460 of the church. 00:31:02.540 --> 00:31:03.120 I actually wrote 00:31:03.120 --> 00:31:03.580 that because 00:31:03.580 --> 00:31:04.100 I've been here 00:31:04.100 --> 00:31:05.140 forever so I 00:31:05.140 --> 00:31:05.920 know what's 00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:06.700 been going on. 00:31:07.360 --> 00:31:07.800 And within 00:31:07.800 --> 00:31:08.900 that I write 00:31:08.900 --> 00:31:09.580 something about 00:31:09.580 --> 00:31:10.380 the heritage 00:31:10.380 --> 00:31:11.220 which is still 00:31:11.220 --> 00:31:12.340 important for 00:31:12.340 --> 00:31:13.500 us in church 00:31:13.500 --> 00:31:13.980 today. 00:31:15.020 --> 00:31:15.440 So I say 00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:16.120 as part of that 00:31:16.120 --> 00:31:16.620 in accordance 00:31:16.620 --> 00:31:17.060 with Acts 00:31:17.060 --> 00:31:17.780 2.42 00:31:17.780 --> 00:31:18.820 we give 00:31:18.820 --> 00:31:19.620 priority to 00:31:19.620 --> 00:31:20.420 Bible teaching, 00:31:21.040 --> 00:31:21.400 fellowship, 00:31:22.020 --> 00:31:22.480 the Lord's 00:31:22.480 --> 00:31:22.700 Supper, 00:31:22.860 --> 00:31:23.220 communion, 00:31:23.220 --> 00:31:24.500 and prayer. 00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:25.420 They are the 00:31:25.420 --> 00:31:26.539 priorities that 00:31:26.539 --> 00:31:27.440 are listed here. 00:31:28.980 --> 00:31:29.400 I then have 00:31:29.400 --> 00:31:29.980 another bullet 00:31:29.980 --> 00:31:30.620 that says 00:31:30.620 --> 00:31:31.559 we also 00:31:31.559 --> 00:31:32.380 give priority 00:31:32.380 --> 00:31:33.759 to personal 00:31:33.759 --> 00:31:34.360 witness, 00:31:35.140 --> 00:31:35.500 corporate 00:31:35.500 --> 00:31:36.440 evangelism, 00:31:36.900 --> 00:31:37.680 and mission 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:38.960 both local 00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:40.380 and worldwide. 00:31:41.120 --> 00:31:41.600 And I hope 00:31:41.600 --> 00:31:42.160 you would agree 00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:43.079 that reaching 00:31:43.079 --> 00:31:43.799 out to others 00:31:43.799 --> 00:31:44.579 should be 00:31:44.579 --> 00:31:45.420 a priority 00:31:45.420 --> 00:31:46.860 of the church. 00:31:47.740 --> 00:31:48.519 So why then 00:31:48.519 --> 00:31:49.160 is it not 00:31:49.160 --> 00:31:50.400 listed in Acts 00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:50.759 2? 00:31:51.460 --> 00:31:52.220 Why doesn't 00:31:52.220 --> 00:31:52.740 Luke have a 00:31:52.740 --> 00:31:53.400 fifth thing 00:31:53.400 --> 00:31:54.140 that says 00:31:54.140 --> 00:31:54.559 they sought 00:31:54.559 --> 00:31:55.000 to reach 00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:56.059 out to 00:31:56.059 --> 00:31:56.480 others? 00:31:57.640 --> 00:31:58.240 I think 00:31:58.240 --> 00:31:58.599 the answer 00:31:58.599 --> 00:31:59.059 to that 00:31:59.059 --> 00:31:59.759 is probably 00:31:59.759 --> 00:32:00.579 that they 00:32:00.579 --> 00:32:01.240 didn't need 00:32:01.240 --> 00:32:01.799 to be doing 00:32:01.799 --> 00:32:02.960 anything special 00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:04.019 to reach 00:32:04.019 --> 00:32:04.380 out. 00:32:05.120 --> 00:32:05.640 It wasn't 00:32:05.640 --> 00:32:06.079 something they 00:32:06.079 --> 00:32:06.400 said we 00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:07.039 really need 00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:07.299 to have 00:32:07.299 --> 00:32:08.120 an evangelistic 00:32:08.120 --> 00:32:08.579 effort. 00:32:09.039 --> 00:32:09.299 We need 00:32:09.299 --> 00:32:09.500 to have 00:32:09.500 --> 00:32:09.900 a gospel 00:32:09.900 --> 00:32:10.279 meeting 00:32:10.279 --> 00:32:10.579 or an 00:32:10.579 --> 00:32:11.120 evangelistic 00:32:11.120 --> 00:32:11.740 campaign 00:32:11.740 --> 00:32:12.339 or Christianity 00:32:12.339 --> 00:32:13.059 Explored 00:32:13.059 --> 00:32:13.920 or whatever 00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:14.920 so that we 00:32:14.920 --> 00:32:15.359 can help 00:32:15.359 --> 00:32:16.259 people to 00:32:16.259 --> 00:32:16.720 become 00:32:16.720 --> 00:32:17.519 Christians. 00:32:17.839 --> 00:32:18.099 Now all 00:32:18.099 --> 00:32:18.480 these things 00:32:18.480 --> 00:32:18.779 are good. 00:32:18.859 --> 00:32:19.120 I'm not 00:32:19.120 --> 00:32:19.620 knocking them. 00:32:19.700 --> 00:32:20.140 They're good 00:32:20.140 --> 00:32:21.200 and they're 00:32:21.200 --> 00:32:21.740 in many ways 00:32:21.740 --> 00:32:23.140 necessary in 00:32:23.140 --> 00:32:23.799 our time. 00:32:24.779 --> 00:32:25.579 But for 00:32:25.579 --> 00:32:26.079 the early 00:32:26.079 --> 00:32:26.599 Christians 00:32:26.599 --> 00:32:27.559 it was 00:32:27.559 --> 00:32:28.220 simply the 00:32:28.220 --> 00:32:29.200 case as 00:32:29.200 --> 00:32:29.779 they lived 00:32:29.779 --> 00:32:30.620 as Christians 00:32:30.620 --> 00:32:31.680 people could 00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:32.220 see that 00:32:32.220 --> 00:32:32.940 their lives 00:32:32.940 --> 00:32:33.920 were different 00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:35.000 and they 00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:35.319 were able 00:32:35.319 --> 00:32:35.700 to use 00:32:35.700 --> 00:32:36.380 opportunities 00:32:36.380 --> 00:32:37.500 to explain 00:32:37.500 --> 00:32:38.000 to them 00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:38.880 why their 00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:39.420 lives 00:32:39.420 --> 00:32:40.660 were different. 00:32:41.640 --> 00:32:42.039 So we have 00:32:42.039 --> 00:32:42.880 again examples 00:32:42.880 --> 00:32:43.640 in the following 00:32:43.640 --> 00:32:44.140 chapters 00:32:44.140 --> 00:32:44.680 particularly as 00:32:44.680 --> 00:32:45.140 Peter gets 00:32:45.140 --> 00:32:45.759 the opportunity 00:32:45.759 --> 00:32:46.339 after the 00:32:46.339 --> 00:32:46.819 healing of the 00:32:46.819 --> 00:32:47.339 lame man 00:32:47.339 --> 00:32:48.220 to talk about 00:32:48.220 --> 00:32:48.660 the power 00:32:48.660 --> 00:32:49.000 that he 00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:49.340 has 00:32:49.340 --> 00:32:49.860 through 00:32:49.860 --> 00:32:50.259 the Lord 00:32:50.259 --> 00:32:50.640 Jesus 00:32:50.640 --> 00:32:51.840 and to 00:32:51.840 --> 00:32:52.360 present the 00:32:52.360 --> 00:32:52.720 gospel 00:32:52.720 --> 00:32:53.860 through that. 00:32:54.779 --> 00:32:55.240 The early 00:32:55.240 --> 00:32:55.800 Christians 00:32:55.800 --> 00:32:56.360 it is the 00:32:56.360 --> 00:32:57.160 natural thing 00:32:57.160 --> 00:32:57.759 to do 00:32:57.759 --> 00:32:58.440 was to 00:32:58.440 --> 00:32:59.000 talk about 00:32:59.000 --> 00:32:59.700 their faith 00:32:59.700 --> 00:33:00.440 and to 00:33:00.440 --> 00:33:00.840 share it 00:33:00.840 --> 00:33:01.380 with others 00:33:01.380 --> 00:33:02.060 and to 00:33:02.060 --> 00:33:02.519 be very 00:33:02.519 --> 00:33:03.060 visible 00:33:03.060 --> 00:33:04.019 in the 00:33:04.019 --> 00:33:04.519 way that 00:33:04.519 --> 00:33:04.900 they 00:33:04.900 --> 00:33:05.880 did it. 00:33:07.320 --> 00:33:07.980 And it 00:33:07.980 --> 00:33:08.540 was effective. 00:33:09.720 --> 00:33:10.200 They didn't 00:33:10.200 --> 00:33:11.140 need an evangelistic 00:33:11.140 --> 00:33:11.960 campaign because 00:33:11.960 --> 00:33:12.460 it says in 00:33:12.460 --> 00:33:13.380 verse 47 00:33:13.380 --> 00:33:14.500 the Lord 00:33:14.500 --> 00:33:15.280 added to 00:33:15.280 --> 00:33:15.980 their number 00:33:15.980 --> 00:33:16.820 daily 00:33:16.820 --> 00:33:18.220 those who 00:33:18.220 --> 00:33:18.960 were being 00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:19.920 saved. 00:33:20.600 --> 00:33:20.980 Wouldn't be 00:33:20.980 --> 00:33:21.500 wonderful if 00:33:21.500 --> 00:33:21.900 we could say 00:33:21.900 --> 00:33:22.320 the Lord 00:33:22.320 --> 00:33:22.740 is adding 00:33:22.740 --> 00:33:23.080 to our 00:33:23.080 --> 00:33:23.400 number 00:33:23.400 --> 00:33:24.020 daily 00:33:24.020 --> 00:33:24.700 even 00:33:24.700 --> 00:33:25.140 weekly 00:33:25.140 --> 00:33:26.140 those who 00:33:26.140 --> 00:33:26.760 are being 00:33:26.760 --> 00:33:27.760 saved. 00:33:28.700 --> 00:33:29.060 I think that's 00:33:29.060 --> 00:33:29.640 a reminder to 00:33:29.640 --> 00:33:30.280 all of us 00:33:30.280 --> 00:33:32.040 that witness 00:33:32.040 --> 00:33:32.760 is something 00:33:32.760 --> 00:33:33.180 that should 00:33:33.180 --> 00:33:34.720 come naturally 00:33:34.720 --> 00:33:35.160 to us. 00:33:35.260 --> 00:33:35.740 I say naturally 00:33:35.740 --> 00:33:36.100 with some 00:33:36.100 --> 00:33:36.820 hesitancy because 00:33:36.820 --> 00:33:37.300 many of us 00:33:37.300 --> 00:33:37.820 find it very 00:33:37.820 --> 00:33:38.820 difficult but 00:33:38.820 --> 00:33:39.560 our relationship 00:33:39.560 --> 00:33:40.080 with the Lord 00:33:40.080 --> 00:33:40.580 Jesus should 00:33:40.580 --> 00:33:40.980 be something 00:33:40.980 --> 00:33:41.360 that we're 00:33:41.360 --> 00:33:42.260 happy to 00:33:42.260 --> 00:33:42.920 talk about 00:33:42.920 --> 00:33:43.680 and to 00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:44.160 share with 00:33:44.160 --> 00:33:45.100 others and 00:33:45.100 --> 00:33:45.700 to explain 00:33:45.700 --> 00:33:46.180 to them 00:33:46.180 --> 00:33:46.759 what it 00:33:46.759 --> 00:33:47.560 is that 00:33:47.560 --> 00:33:47.960 he has 00:33:47.960 --> 00:33:49.019 done for 00:33:49.019 --> 00:33:49.420 us. 00:33:50.200 --> 00:33:50.519 And yes 00:33:50.519 --> 00:33:51.420 evangelism is 00:33:51.420 --> 00:33:51.880 a priority. 00:33:52.019 --> 00:33:52.420 Reaching us 00:33:52.420 --> 00:33:53.039 to church is 00:33:53.039 --> 00:33:53.480 a priority. 00:33:53.680 --> 00:33:54.120 Great we've 00:33:54.120 --> 00:33:54.340 got a 00:33:54.340 --> 00:33:54.680 Christianity 00:33:54.680 --> 00:33:56.019 explored course. 00:33:56.100 --> 00:33:56.480 Please do 00:33:56.480 --> 00:33:57.440 consider who 00:33:57.440 --> 00:33:57.759 you could 00:33:57.759 --> 00:33:58.779 invite to 00:33:58.779 --> 00:33:59.200 that. 00:33:59.900 --> 00:34:00.340 But it's 00:34:00.340 --> 00:34:00.860 also the 00:34:00.860 --> 00:34:01.840 case that 00:34:01.840 --> 00:34:02.259 people should 00:34:02.259 --> 00:34:02.640 just be able 00:34:02.640 --> 00:34:03.200 to look at 00:34:03.200 --> 00:34:04.120 us and 00:34:04.120 --> 00:34:04.539 listen to 00:34:04.539 --> 00:34:04.960 us in a 00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:05.660 natural course 00:34:05.660 --> 00:34:06.460 of conversation 00:34:06.460 --> 00:34:07.680 and learn 00:34:07.680 --> 00:34:08.440 something about 00:34:08.440 --> 00:34:08.840 the Lord 00:34:08.840 --> 00:34:10.059 Jesus and 00:34:10.059 --> 00:34:11.180 faith in 00:34:11.180 --> 00:34:11.480 him. 00:34:11.980 --> 00:34:12.460 We need 00:34:12.460 --> 00:34:12.920 to be 00:34:12.920 --> 00:34:13.619 witnesses 00:34:13.619 --> 00:34:14.619 to him 00:34:14.619 --> 00:34:15.099 alongside 00:34:15.099 --> 00:34:15.980 the 00:34:15.980 --> 00:34:16.559 priorities 00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:17.659 that Luke 00:34:17.659 --> 00:34:18.579 lists. 00:34:19.860 --> 00:34:20.260 Now I 00:34:20.260 --> 00:34:20.720 started by 00:34:20.720 --> 00:34:21.380 talking about 00:34:21.380 --> 00:34:22.159 a group 00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:23.059 that separated 00:34:23.059 --> 00:34:23.960 from the 00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:24.340 established 00:34:24.340 --> 00:34:24.820 church. 00:34:25.460 --> 00:34:26.220 I want to 00:34:26.220 --> 00:34:26.639 end with 00:34:26.639 --> 00:34:27.300 someone who 00:34:27.300 --> 00:34:27.840 didn't 00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:28.920 separate from 00:34:28.920 --> 00:34:29.539 the established 00:34:29.539 --> 00:34:30.039 church. 00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:31.599 If you 00:34:31.599 --> 00:34:32.099 have the 00:34:32.099 --> 00:34:32.360 monthly 00:34:32.360 --> 00:34:33.119 newsletter or 00:34:33.119 --> 00:34:33.420 the paper 00:34:33.420 --> 00:34:33.880 copies in 00:34:33.880 --> 00:34:34.300 the church 00:34:34.300 --> 00:34:34.559 or it's 00:34:34.559 --> 00:34:35.059 online, 00:34:35.460 --> 00:34:35.760 you'll see 00:34:35.760 --> 00:34:36.079 that in 00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:36.619 his article 00:34:36.619 --> 00:34:37.179 Graham has 00:34:37.179 --> 00:34:37.960 reminded us 00:34:37.960 --> 00:34:38.460 that it 00:34:38.460 --> 00:34:38.699 would have 00:34:38.699 --> 00:34:39.179 been John 00:34:39.179 --> 00:34:39.800 Stott's 00:34:39.800 --> 00:34:40.740 100th birthday 00:34:40.739 --> 00:34:41.919 last week. 00:34:42.819 --> 00:34:43.119 John 00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:43.619 Stott 00:34:43.619 --> 00:34:44.099 throughout 00:34:44.099 --> 00:34:44.699 his life 00:34:44.699 --> 00:34:45.059 was an 00:34:45.059 --> 00:34:45.659 Anglican, 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:46.779 an Anglican 00:34:46.779 --> 00:34:47.099 bicker, 00:34:47.699 --> 00:34:49.039 and came 00:34:49.039 --> 00:34:49.539 under pressure 00:34:49.539 --> 00:34:50.079 a lot of 00:34:50.079 --> 00:34:50.819 times to 00:34:50.819 --> 00:34:51.439 move from 00:34:51.439 --> 00:34:51.979 the church 00:34:51.979 --> 00:34:52.599 and people 00:34:52.599 --> 00:34:52.819 saying, 00:34:52.939 --> 00:34:52.979 well, 00:34:53.000 --> 00:34:53.419 how can 00:34:53.419 --> 00:34:53.839 you stay 00:34:53.839 --> 00:34:54.099 in the 00:34:54.099 --> 00:34:54.439 church of 00:34:54.439 --> 00:34:54.559 England? 00:34:54.679 --> 00:34:54.859 John 00:34:54.859 --> 00:34:55.039 Stott 00:34:55.039 --> 00:34:55.479 was very 00:34:55.479 --> 00:34:55.979 convinced 00:34:55.979 --> 00:34:56.639 that was 00:34:56.639 --> 00:34:57.319 what God 00:34:57.319 --> 00:34:58.139 had called 00:34:58.139 --> 00:34:58.879 him to 00:34:58.879 --> 00:34:59.239 do. 00:34:59.779 --> 00:35:00.079 One of 00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:00.439 his last 00:35:00.439 --> 00:35:01.299 books is 00:35:01.299 --> 00:35:01.799 called 00:35:01.799 --> 00:35:02.559 The Living 00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:03.119 Church. 00:35:04.079 --> 00:35:04.839 The 00:35:04.839 --> 00:35:05.619 subtitle is 00:35:05.619 --> 00:35:06.159 Convictions 00:35:06.159 --> 00:35:06.699 of a 00:35:06.699 --> 00:35:07.319 Lifelong 00:35:07.319 --> 00:35:08.199 Pastor. 00:35:09.279 --> 00:35:09.639 And then 00:35:09.639 --> 00:35:10.139 as you see 00:35:10.139 --> 00:35:10.480 John 00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:11.339 Stott sharing 00:35:11.339 --> 00:35:12.139 something of 00:35:12.139 --> 00:35:12.539 what he's 00:35:12.539 --> 00:35:13.519 learned over 00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:14.420 many years of 00:35:14.420 --> 00:35:15.259 Christian ministry 00:35:15.259 --> 00:35:16.420 about what it 00:35:16.420 --> 00:35:17.219 is to be the 00:35:17.219 --> 00:35:18.319 church and 00:35:18.319 --> 00:35:19.019 to serve the 00:35:19.019 --> 00:35:19.599 Lord Jesus 00:35:19.599 --> 00:35:20.679 in it. 00:35:21.199 --> 00:35:21.519 If you're 00:35:21.519 --> 00:35:21.719 interested, 00:35:21.819 --> 00:35:22.099 he also 00:35:22.099 --> 00:35:22.619 includes the 00:35:22.619 --> 00:35:23.159 reasons why 00:35:23.159 --> 00:35:23.480 he has 00:35:23.480 --> 00:35:24.379 stayed within 00:35:24.379 --> 00:35:24.879 the Church 00:35:24.879 --> 00:35:25.339 of England. 00:35:26.239 --> 00:35:26.679 But I 00:35:26.679 --> 00:35:26.960 want to 00:35:26.960 --> 00:35:27.619 just finish 00:35:27.619 --> 00:35:28.319 by reading 00:35:28.319 --> 00:35:29.119 what he 00:35:29.119 --> 00:35:29.579 says in 00:35:29.579 --> 00:35:30.599 summary about 00:35:30.599 --> 00:35:31.339 these verses 00:35:31.339 --> 00:35:32.119 we've been 00:35:32.119 --> 00:35:32.739 looking at 00:35:32.739 --> 00:35:33.699 from Acts. 00:35:34.399 --> 00:35:34.920 So John 00:35:34.920 --> 00:35:35.179 Stott 00:35:35.179 --> 00:35:35.639 says, 00:35:36.599 --> 00:35:37.339 looking back 00:35:37.339 --> 00:35:37.819 over the 00:35:37.819 --> 00:35:38.259 essential 00:35:38.259 --> 00:35:38.839 marks of 00:35:38.839 --> 00:35:39.199 a living 00:35:39.199 --> 00:35:39.719 church, 00:35:40.119 --> 00:35:40.699 it is 00:35:40.699 --> 00:35:41.519 apparent that 00:35:41.519 --> 00:35:42.000 they all 00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:42.379 have to 00:35:42.379 --> 00:35:43.279 do with 00:35:43.279 --> 00:35:43.480 the 00:35:43.480 --> 00:35:43.859 believers' 00:35:44.359 --> 00:35:45.019 relationships. 00:35:46.019 --> 00:35:46.639 First, 00:35:46.739 --> 00:35:46.960 they were 00:35:46.960 --> 00:35:48.019 related to 00:35:48.019 --> 00:35:48.619 the apostles. 00:35:49.679 --> 00:35:50.500 They devoted 00:35:50.500 --> 00:35:51.239 themselves to 00:35:51.239 --> 00:35:51.719 the apostles' 00:35:51.940 --> 00:35:52.299 teaching. 00:35:53.679 --> 00:35:54.179 A living 00:35:54.179 --> 00:35:55.419 church is 00:35:55.419 --> 00:35:56.659 an apostolic 00:35:56.659 --> 00:35:57.139 church. 00:35:58.379 --> 00:35:58.899 Second, 00:35:59.019 --> 00:35:59.259 they were 00:35:59.259 --> 00:35:59.919 related to 00:35:59.919 --> 00:36:00.460 each other. 00:36:01.319 --> 00:36:01.980 They loved 00:36:01.980 --> 00:36:02.539 each other. 00:36:03.539 --> 00:36:04.059 A living 00:36:04.059 --> 00:36:05.159 church is 00:36:05.159 --> 00:36:05.879 a caring 00:36:05.879 --> 00:36:07.259 and sharing 00:36:07.259 --> 00:36:07.799 church. 00:36:08.920 --> 00:36:09.559 Thirdly, 00:36:09.619 --> 00:36:09.940 they were 00:36:09.940 --> 00:36:10.639 related to 00:36:10.639 --> 00:36:11.079 God. 00:36:12.059 --> 00:36:12.699 They worshipped 00:36:12.699 --> 00:36:13.339 God in the 00:36:13.339 --> 00:36:13.839 breaking of 00:36:13.839 --> 00:36:14.279 bread and 00:36:14.279 --> 00:36:14.879 in prayers 00:36:14.879 --> 00:36:16.199 with joy 00:36:16.199 --> 00:36:17.019 and with 00:36:17.019 --> 00:36:17.639 reverence. 00:36:18.500 --> 00:36:18.940 A living 00:36:18.940 --> 00:36:20.199 church is 00:36:20.199 --> 00:36:21.279 a worshipping 00:36:21.279 --> 00:36:21.799 church. 00:36:23.079 --> 00:36:23.719 Fourthly, 00:36:23.779 --> 00:36:24.019 they were 00:36:24.019 --> 00:36:24.619 related to 00:36:24.619 --> 00:36:24.940 the world 00:36:24.940 --> 00:36:25.539 outside. 00:36:26.399 --> 00:36:26.899 They reached 00:36:26.899 --> 00:36:27.299 out and 00:36:27.299 --> 00:36:27.819 witnessed 00:36:27.819 --> 00:36:29.000 a living 00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:30.299 church is 00:36:30.299 --> 00:36:31.899 an evangelizing 00:36:31.899 --> 00:36:32.920 church. 00:36:32.920 --> 00:36:34.200 John Todd 00:36:34.200 --> 00:36:34.579 has followed 00:36:34.579 --> 00:36:35.039 the order 00:36:35.039 --> 00:36:36.180 of Acts 2. 00:36:36.260 --> 00:36:36.659 I might be 00:36:36.659 --> 00:36:37.440 tempted to 00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:38.119 slightly change 00:36:38.119 --> 00:36:38.700 the order as 00:36:38.700 --> 00:36:39.400 we think about 00:36:39.400 --> 00:36:40.579 our priorities. 00:36:41.599 --> 00:36:42.180 Because the 00:36:42.180 --> 00:36:42.780 first thing we 00:36:42.780 --> 00:36:43.539 need to have 00:36:43.539 --> 00:36:44.240 is the 00:36:44.240 --> 00:36:44.760 relationship 00:36:44.760 --> 00:36:45.940 with God. 00:36:46.599 --> 00:36:47.460 If we don't 00:36:47.460 --> 00:36:47.880 have that 00:36:47.880 --> 00:36:48.500 relationship, 00:36:48.860 --> 00:36:49.320 then we're 00:36:49.320 --> 00:36:50.159 not part of 00:36:50.159 --> 00:36:50.680 the church 00:36:50.680 --> 00:36:51.659 at all. 00:36:52.139 --> 00:36:52.700 So all of 00:36:52.700 --> 00:36:53.200 us need to 00:36:53.200 --> 00:36:53.460 have our 00:36:53.460 --> 00:36:53.920 trust in 00:36:53.920 --> 00:36:54.220 the Lord 00:36:54.220 --> 00:36:54.579 Jesus, 00:36:54.740 --> 00:36:55.039 the one 00:36:55.039 --> 00:36:55.500 who died 00:36:55.500 --> 00:36:56.119 for us, 00:36:56.320 --> 00:36:56.720 and you 00:36:56.720 --> 00:36:57.079 can bring 00:36:57.079 --> 00:36:57.740 us forgiveness 00:36:57.739 --> 00:36:58.559 for all 00:36:58.559 --> 00:36:59.059 the wrong 00:36:59.059 --> 00:36:59.779 that we've 00:36:59.779 --> 00:37:00.619 done in 00:37:00.619 --> 00:37:01.299 our lives. 00:37:02.139 --> 00:37:02.939 That is the 00:37:02.939 --> 00:37:03.799 starting point, 00:37:04.039 --> 00:37:04.639 and then our 00:37:04.639 --> 00:37:05.119 lives should 00:37:05.119 --> 00:37:05.399 be an 00:37:05.399 --> 00:37:05.899 ongoing 00:37:05.899 --> 00:37:06.879 building of 00:37:06.879 --> 00:37:07.199 that 00:37:07.199 --> 00:37:08.039 relationship 00:37:08.039 --> 00:37:09.339 with God. 00:37:10.019 --> 00:37:10.419 And then 00:37:10.419 --> 00:37:10.679 we can 00:37:10.679 --> 00:37:11.199 move on. 00:37:11.579 --> 00:37:11.819 We have 00:37:11.819 --> 00:37:12.259 the relationship 00:37:12.259 --> 00:37:12.779 with Scripture 00:37:12.779 --> 00:37:13.139 next, 00:37:13.219 --> 00:37:13.659 perhaps, 00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:14.819 as we seek 00:37:14.819 --> 00:37:15.359 to learn 00:37:15.359 --> 00:37:16.099 more about 00:37:16.099 --> 00:37:16.739 what God 00:37:16.739 --> 00:37:17.219 wants to 00:37:17.219 --> 00:37:17.859 teach us 00:37:17.859 --> 00:37:18.539 and what 00:37:18.539 --> 00:37:19.019 it means 00:37:19.019 --> 00:37:19.799 to live 00:37:19.799 --> 00:37:20.419 as a 00:37:20.419 --> 00:37:20.859 disciple 00:37:20.859 --> 00:37:22.000 of Jesus. 00:37:22.979 --> 00:37:23.459 We have 00:37:23.459 --> 00:37:23.939 the relationship 00:37:23.939 --> 00:37:24.319 with one 00:37:24.319 --> 00:37:24.639 another, 00:37:24.739 --> 00:37:25.259 the fellowship 00:37:25.259 --> 00:37:26.359 that we enjoy 00:37:26.359 --> 00:37:27.000 as we support 00:37:27.000 --> 00:37:27.599 each other, 00:37:27.739 --> 00:37:28.500 and then 00:37:28.500 --> 00:37:28.959 we have 00:37:28.959 --> 00:37:29.719 the relationship 00:37:29.719 --> 00:37:30.299 with those 00:37:30.299 --> 00:37:30.799 who are not 00:37:30.799 --> 00:37:31.579 yet Christians 00:37:31.579 --> 00:37:32.639 as we would 00:37:32.639 --> 00:37:33.079 seek to 00:37:33.079 --> 00:37:34.119 witness to 00:37:34.119 --> 00:37:34.419 them. 00:37:35.159 --> 00:37:35.879 Let's all 00:37:35.879 --> 00:37:36.719 challenge ourselves 00:37:36.719 --> 00:37:37.359 on these 00:37:37.359 --> 00:37:38.759 four relationships 00:37:38.759 --> 00:37:39.759 as individuals, 00:37:40.159 --> 00:37:41.119 as a church. 00:37:41.619 --> 00:37:42.439 Have we got 00:37:42.439 --> 00:37:43.419 them all 00:37:43.419 --> 00:37:43.779 right? 00:37:44.439 --> 00:37:44.939 Our relationship 00:37:44.939 --> 00:37:45.659 with God, 00:37:46.139 --> 00:37:46.639 our relationship 00:37:46.639 --> 00:37:47.299 with Scripture, 00:37:47.959 --> 00:37:48.479 our relationship 00:37:48.479 --> 00:37:49.239 with one another, 00:37:49.759 --> 00:37:50.379 our relationship 00:37:50.379 --> 00:37:51.099 with those 00:37:51.099 --> 00:37:52.619 outside the 00:37:52.619 --> 00:37:53.039 church. 00:37:53.599 --> 00:37:54.039 And if we 00:37:54.039 --> 00:37:54.539 find we're 00:37:54.539 --> 00:37:55.239 lacking in any 00:37:55.239 --> 00:37:55.579 of these 00:37:55.579 --> 00:37:56.099 priorities, 00:37:56.619 --> 00:37:57.319 let's resolve 00:37:57.320 --> 00:37:57.740 to put it 00:37:57.740 --> 00:37:58.180 right and 00:37:58.180 --> 00:37:58.580 through with 00:37:58.580 --> 00:37:59.260 God's help 00:37:59.260 --> 00:38:00.180 to be more 00:38:00.180 --> 00:38:00.640 like the 00:38:00.640 --> 00:38:01.519 church that 00:38:01.519 --> 00:38:02.160 he intends 00:38:02.160 --> 00:38:03.240 us to be. 00:38:03.800 --> 00:38:04.320 Let's pray 00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:04.700 together. 00:38:05.900 --> 00:38:06.360 Our Father, 00:38:06.420 --> 00:38:06.840 we thank you 00:38:06.840 --> 00:38:07.340 for your 00:38:07.340 --> 00:38:08.120 word to us 00:38:08.120 --> 00:38:08.680 this morning. 00:38:09.320 --> 00:38:10.220 We thank you 00:38:10.220 --> 00:38:10.880 for this great 00:38:10.880 --> 00:38:11.600 passage that 00:38:11.600 --> 00:38:12.480 reminds us 00:38:12.480 --> 00:38:13.500 of what the 00:38:13.500 --> 00:38:14.039 early church 00:38:14.039 --> 00:38:14.660 did, of what 00:38:14.660 --> 00:38:15.320 its priorities 00:38:15.320 --> 00:38:16.280 were, what 00:38:16.280 --> 00:38:16.920 its practices 00:38:16.920 --> 00:38:17.340 were. 00:38:17.460 --> 00:38:18.120 Help us to 00:38:18.120 --> 00:38:18.539 get our 00:38:18.539 --> 00:38:19.539 priorities right, 00:38:20.120 --> 00:38:20.620 that we may 00:38:20.620 --> 00:38:21.320 have a living 00:38:21.320 --> 00:38:22.240 relationship with 00:38:22.240 --> 00:38:24.120 you, a real 00:38:24.120 --> 00:38:24.880 relationship with 00:38:24.880 --> 00:38:25.599 your word, 00:38:26.160 --> 00:38:26.760 strong relations 00:38:26.760 --> 00:38:27.140 with one 00:38:27.140 --> 00:38:27.700 another and 00:38:27.700 --> 00:38:28.800 a desire to 00:38:28.800 --> 00:38:29.440 reach others 00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:30.140 for the 00:38:30.140 --> 00:38:30.700 Lord Jesus. 00:38:31.820 --> 00:38:32.320 And help 00:38:32.320 --> 00:38:33.180 each of us 00:38:33.180 --> 00:38:33.800 to grow in 00:38:33.800 --> 00:38:35.180 our faith and 00:38:35.180 --> 00:38:35.619 our knowledge 00:38:35.619 --> 00:38:36.119 of the Lord 00:38:36.119 --> 00:38:37.840 Jesus and to 00:38:37.840 --> 00:38:38.460 support one 00:38:38.460 --> 00:38:39.559 another as a 00:38:39.559 --> 00:38:40.780 church as we 00:38:40.780 --> 00:38:41.280 do that. 00:38:42.019 --> 00:38:42.420 We pray you'll 00:38:42.420 --> 00:38:42.880 be with us 00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:43.700 now as we 00:38:43.700 --> 00:38:44.900 move on, 00:38:44.960 --> 00:38:45.360 that you'll be 00:38:45.360 --> 00:38:46.559 with those who 00:38:46.559 --> 00:38:47.420 are leaving us 00:38:47.420 --> 00:38:47.840 now, who have 00:38:47.840 --> 00:38:48.460 been with us 00:38:48.460 --> 00:38:49.360 on YouTube, 00:38:49.500 --> 00:38:50.579 that your blessing 00:38:50.579 --> 00:38:51.400 will be with them 00:38:51.400 --> 00:38:52.340 over the coming 00:38:52.340 --> 00:38:52.720 week. 00:38:52.940 --> 00:38:53.360 And be with 00:38:53.360 --> 00:38:53.900 those of us 00:38:53.900 --> 00:38:54.660 in the church 00:38:54.660 --> 00:38:55.200 now as we 00:38:55.200 --> 00:38:55.720 move on to 00:38:55.720 --> 00:38:56.680 remember the 00:38:56.680 --> 00:38:57.180 Lord Jesus 00:38:57.180 --> 00:38:57.680 together. 00:38:58.200 --> 00:38:58.660 We give you 00:38:58.660 --> 00:38:59.860 our thanks in 00:38:59.860 --> 00:39:00.440 his name. 00:39:01.200 --> 00:39:01.579 Amen.