Sermon Tone Analysis
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Intro
As part of our kickoff season, we want to accomplish two things:
We want to inspire you to get plugged into these exciting ministry opportunities and find your place
We want focus us on our mission as a church.
For those of you who have been around since I arrived, the mission is a good reminder of what we’re about and what we want to accomplish.
For those who haven’t been around and haven’t heard the mission, it is invitation to learn more about OneChurch, and hopefully excite you about the direction we are going.
One of the verses we’ve been keyed in on this year is Eph 4:12 which says:
- we want to equip the saints, which is everyone who has made Jesus their Lord and Savior and are daily working out their salvation.
but we are also all about building up the body of Christ.
All around Eph 4:12 is this teaching about what a community of believers looks like.
as I was thinking about a community, I was reminded about the community I had when I was in school.
I was thinking about how each guy dorm was paired up with a sister dorm, and we took pride in hanging out with and watching over our sisters.
I remember the pranks we would play, the stupid stuff we could only do at college when the dean wasn’t around.
My dorm was called the Zoo, and we had definitely earned that name.
I remember how hard it was to leave the dorm.
I remember the names and faces of everyone of those guys, and every once in a while I look them up to see how they’re doing.
Question #1: What is a group from your past you loved being a part of?
maybe it was a sports team or a business group or whatever it was.
Don’t just mention the group, but think about why you loved that group.
What set it apart from the rest?
Strong Community
For me, it was the community and all the dynamics it had.
We had people from every walk of life, every stage in their education, and at different stages in their faith journey.
We had jocks, and we had some weirdos (hello), but everyone belonged and everyone was supported.
Which brings us to Acts 2. This is one of my favorite passages in all of scripture because it lays out what the early church looked like, and I think it gives us something to shoot for.
So as I read Acts 2, starting in verse 42, I want you to take note of the different things that Luke is making note of, and what are the things peak your interest or you are most drawn to.
Acts 2:42–47 (ESV)
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
praising God and having favor with all the people.
Acts Community
there was really 4 things that Luke highlights that characterized this community
1. Devoted Themselves to the Apostle’s Teaching
right out of the gate, that is a pretty strong word, devoted.
The literal Greek word probably more accurately translates as “They existed for the apostle’s teaching.”
They didn’t tune in when it was convenient, they didn’t skip the odd one because they were tired or the kids didn’t sleep well the night before.
No their very existence became dependent on the apostle’s teaching.
They hung on every word, they dropped everything to hear their spiritual leaders speak.
it passages goes on to say that because of their devotion, awe came upon every soul and wonders were being done through the apostles.
Why?
Because when the apostles said, “You are healed,” they believed them.
They didn’t doubt that God could heal them or intervene.
They were devoted, their very existence hung on the words and teachings of the Apostles.
2. Devoted Themselves to the Fellowship
Not only were they completely devoted to the Apostle’s teaching, but they were completely devoted to each other.
This devotion plays out in a variety of ways.
Luke says they were together and had all things in common.
Eph 4 talks about the community of faith is eager to maintain unity.
Now there is something I noticed as I prepared that had never seen before.
We so often talk about how having all things in common means financial things.
But Luke actually unpacks the financial sharing separately.
When Luke writes that they had all things in common, he meant everything.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about the community of believers as a body.
He says when one part of the body hurts, the whole body hurts.
When one member is honored, the whole body is honored.
That sounds like having everything in common.
They hurt together, they celebrated together, they laughed together.
Everything was together, and everything was shared in the community.
It says day by day, they went to the temple together.
If anyone had need, they sold their possessions and pooled the resources to meet the need.
Their entire existence suddenly revolved around each other, being together.
3. Devoted Themselves to Breaking Bread
They shared meals together.
But it wasn’t small meals either.
Luke says they received food with glad and generous hearts.
That sounds like there was a big spread on the table and everyone was happy they had come out.
This is why is 1 Corinthians, Paul has to correct the church about the way they were breaking bread.
The rich people around the table were eating their share and the poor people were being left out.
Paul says this shouldn’t be because what is happening isn’t just about the food.
This was a spiritual thing that was happening.
It wasn’t just filling their bellies, but filling up their hearts and spirits with the joy and fellowship that we all desperately need.
God said it’s not good for man to be alone.
We need community, they needed community, and breaking bread was so much more then what was on the table.
4. Devoted Themselves to the Prayers
This really means one thing.
Amidst everything else that the early church was committed to, they were ultimately devoted to God above all else.
They were dependent on God’s intervention into their lives.
One commentator pointed out that Jesus bathed every major life occasion with prayer, and it should be no surprise that the church picked this up and carried it forward in their early days.
This would be something that Luke would record often throughout the book of Acts.
Most stories of the miraculous happening in people’s lives started with someone praying.
But it wasn’t just praying, but it was also praising God.
We just saw in our study of Thessalonians that Paul taught the people to rejoice, pray, and be thankful in all circumstances.
All of those things are directed towards the God who is in all and provides all.
Question #2: Which of the 4 characteristics stood out to you most?
Quick recap, they are the apostle’s teaching, fellowship or community, breaking bread together, and prayers.
for myself, it was the level of devotion.
It wasn’t something that was said and not acted on.
Their very existence hung on every one those things we just unpacked.
That was then, this is now
So if that is the gold standard, the question then becomes, “What does that mean for us now?” How do those different things translate?
Is there anything there that is timeless and we can make a reality today?
Well, let’s walk through each of them again, but give them a 21st century spin
1.
The Apostle’s Teaching
The reason they hung on every word that the Apostle’s taught was because that was the only words from God that they would hear collectively and could agree on.
They didn’t have nicely packaged books that contained the Old and New Testament, and they certainly didn’t have the Bible App or Logos on their smart phone.
In fact, the only copy of the Old Testament would have been located in the temple.
Today, we have access to the bible whenever we want, in whatever version we so choose to read out of.
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