The Anatomity of The First Chruch
Notes
Transcript
So far here in the book of Acts we have seen the Ascension of Christ, the gathering of the believers, the coming of the Spirit, and the first sermon of the New Testament church preached.
This morning what we are going to look at is how the first chruch interacted with each other and how much they were filled with the spirit.
This passage shows us the ideal way God intends for His church to act.
It describes the new born chruch in its prime, when it possessed a purity of devotion to the risen Lord unmatched in the following generations.
Spiritual Duties (v42)
Spiritual Duties (v42)
The life of this church was completely defined by the devotion to those spiritual duties which make up the unique identity of the chruch.
Nothing outside the living Lord, the Spirit, and the Word defined life for this church.
The Church today can still be effective in bringing sinner to Christ when it manifests the same key elements of spiritual duty that marked this first fellowship.
It was a Scriptural Church
It was a Scriptural Church
Scripture must be the guiding force for the Church.
It must define who we are and what we believe.
Even if we don’t like what it says we must do it.
God designed the church to be a place where His word is proclaimed and explained.
The followers listened to the Apostles teaching and drank it in like it was the very food that sustained their bodies and life.
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
What was written in Romans 12:2 is what we should allow to happen in our lives. Romans 12:2
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
It was a Fellowshipping Church
It was a Fellowshipping Church
Fellowship is the spiritual duty of believers to stimulate each other to holiness and faithfulness.
The word for fellowship is koinonia which means partnership, or sharing.
Those who receive Jesus Christ become partners with Him and with all other believers. 1 John 1:3
3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
If you are a christian the you must have fellowship with the local body of Christ.
Those who isolate themselves are disobedient to the direct command of scripture. Hebrews 10:24-25
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
It was a Praying Church
It was a Praying Church
Prayer is one of the most important things that we do as believer.
We pray for others
We pray for ourselves
We pray to commune with God.
Jesus before we Ascended gave us a promise John 14:13-14
13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
The prayer here is not that of the people on an individual level but on a corporate level.
The just must pray as one body to bring about the Lords will.
The first fellowship knew the critical importance of pursuing spiritual duties.
They knew the church must be made up of saved individuals, devoted to studying the Word, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.
Those elements are the unique expressions of the life of the church.
They are the means of grace by which the church becomes what God wants it to be.