Functioning Like A Family
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Good morning Church!
I hope everyone has had a wonderful week!
I would like to ask all who can to stand with your Bibles, hold them in the air, and repeat after me.
“This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart that I might not sin against God.”
Don’t you love the Word of God? I absolutely love it.
I love it because it meets you where you are.
I love it because it gives you truth.
I love it because it teaches me about God.
I love it because it teaches me about myself.
I love it because it guides me through life.
I love it because it shows me a better way.
I love it because it is God’s word unto me.
I love it because it teaches me my purpose in life.
That is where we are right now. We are discussing our purpose in life.
Did you know that if you ask people what their purpose in life is, you will get a vast array of answers depending on who you ask.
If you ask a child, they might respond by saying simply “to be good and obey my parents”.
If you ask a mom, they might respond by saying, “to take care of my kids”.
If you ask a dad, they might respond by saying, “To provide for my family.”
If you ask a middle aged individual, they might say, “To work hard and make a good living.”
If you ask an elderly individual, they might say, “to make the best of every day, since it could be my last.”
Regardless of who you ask, there is always the possibility that they might say, “I don’t know”.
The idea of purpose has been taught in so many different ways, that no one really knows what their purpose is anymore. Thankfully, God has clearly laid out in His Word what our purpose is. That is why we have decided to hang onto this word for a little while.
Today, we are starting a new series in the book of Acts. If you have your Bibles, would you please be finding the book of Acts 2:41-47?
Our new series is going to be titled “Building TEMPO”!
Doesn’t that excite you? I don’t know about you, but I could definitely use some direction on building tempo in my life. It seems as if the past two years has been specifically designed to do nothing but bring us down. We have been surrounded by sickness, death, negativity, anger, sadness, spite, divisiveness, pain, and confusion. I am tired of all of the negative. I am tired of everyone being down. I am tired of everyone being against everyone else. I am tired of excuses. I am just tired. I am ready for a change. I am ready for something better. I am ready for something more. I am ready for smiles and laughter. I am ready for hugs and friendship. I am ready for a positive change. I am ready to see people back in church consistently. I am ready to see people get saved in the house of God. I am ready to see the church thrive again. I am ready to feel the presence of God in this place and in my life more than ever before. Are you ready? Are you ready?
I’m ready to see the church begin to gain traction. I’m ready to see the Church excited to be in the house of the Lord! I’m ready see the Church excited about serving in the community! I’m ready to see the Church excited about getting into the Word of God! Are you ready? Church, are you ready?
Whew!!! We aint even got into the sermon yet, and you already got me preaching!! Are you ready for the Word? Let’s get into the Word of God!!!
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Context
Context
Today, we are going to look at the idea of “Functioning Like A Family”. That is the title of the message today: “Functioning Like A Family”!
I cannot begin to explain the importance of these verses! This is a picture of the very first assembly of the Church. It is the beginning of what God intended. It is a picture of how God designed it to be.
With that being said, the magnitude of these verses are astronomical. They deserve our utmost attention. They describe ultimate victory. They direct us into our God-given purpose.
These are our three points for the message today, so I hope you write them down.
They deserve our utmost attention. They describe ultimate victory. They direct us into our God-given purpose.
They Deserve Our Utmost Attention
They Deserve Our Utmost Attention
In order for us to truly understand the gravity of these verses, we must grasp some level of understanding of where we are in the Word of God at this moment.
God has just moved in a mighty way that only He can do. These men were sitting in the upper room wondering and waiting for what was supposed to happen next. They had no idea what to expect. They only knew that Christ had told them something great was going to happen. He told them that His presence would fill them. He told them that they would be infused with power to great things. He told them to expect greatness. Yet here they set with no idea of what all of this was supposed to look like. They sat and they waited.
All of a sudden, a mighty sound filled that place like that of a rushing mighty wind. It wasn’t a wind, but it sounded like one. Also, an unexplainable sight happened. Something like flames of fire, but it wasn’t fire. These events are what we would call indescribable. They happened, but no words can truly and accurately paint the picture. Regardless of what or how, it was greatness. It was Godly. It was amazing. It was life-changing.
To put it plainly, the presence of God fell on them that day. Whoooo! If you have ever felt that overwhelming feeling, then you know what this is like. You can try to explain it, but you can’t. There is absolutely no way to make someone feel what you felt in that moment. Regardless of that, it does something to you on the inside. It changes your perception of God. It is an eye-opening experience to the magnitude of God’s presence. When it falls, it falls heavy. It is overwhelming. It is truly amazing, and it is something that each person must experience for themselves.
Out of this great experience, these men begin to speak in other languages that they themselves do not know how to speak. This came as a surprise to those present that day, but this must have been just as much a surprise to these men as it was to those that surrounded them. It was truly an act of God.
This miracle spawned a message by Peter that reached thousands. As we read a bit ago, it was some three thousand people that accepted Christ as their Savior that day.
What we see in our text today, is the result of that experience. We get to see the beginning of the first-century Church. We get to see what it looked like; how they functioned; what was important to them; their interactions with one another, as well as their interactions with the community. This text “Deserves Our Attention”.
They Direct Us Into Our God-Given Purpose
They Direct Us Into Our God-Given Purpose
These verses “Deserves Our Attention” because they “Direct Us Into Our God-Given Purpose”.
Now I am going to start by saying that today’s message is not meant to be exhaustive. In the weeks to come, we are going to dedicate one or two Sundays to each one of these Church Functions. Today, we are going to skim the surface of each one of these functions, so that we might see how they work seamlessly together and allow the Church of Christ, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ to function as one and in purpose!
I also need to take a moment and give credit where credit is due. As we go through the five functions of the Church, you need to know that this is not something that I came up with. These five functions that we are about to discuss, were coined long before me. Many pastors have taught extensively on these church functions, and many different books have been written about them. Each pastor might coin them a little differently depending on how they reach his heart, but the five functions within themselves never change. God’s Word never changes.
With that being said, you may have read one of these other books and know them a little differently than how I describe them here today, but know that the functions of the Church does not change. The most famous book on these five functions is probably “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. I am also reading another book right now by Bro. Gene Mims titled “Kingdom Principles For Church Growth” that also outlines these same principles.
Regardless of how they are coined and regardless of who coins them, please remember that these five functions were the foundation of the first-century Church and should still be the foundation of the Church today. They are timeless, and they reach forth into eternity.
I have coined these five functions in a way that gives us an acronym. The acronym is the word “TEMPO”. Each of the letters represent a different function of the Church. This is why this series is titled “Building TEMPO”.
Now, let’s dig in!!!
Theology (v. 42)
Theology (v. 42)
Notice how these verses start: “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized;”. The one thing that brought them all together was the Word. It was when they received his word that they were accepted into the fold of God.
It goes onto say that they “Continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine;”. Our theology is paramount to our lives. We live as we believe. If we believe that church attendance is important, we will be there. If we believe that praying is important, we will do it. If we believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, we will tell every single person we come across about Him.
Our beliefs determine how we live our lives.
With that being said, it cannot be stressed enough how important it is that we practice what we preach. If we say we believe something, and then live in contrast to that, it makes us out to be liars. If you do not practice it, then you shouldn’t preach it.
We should also be careful with the Word of God because of the simple fact that it is indeed the Word of God. It is not our Word, It is His word. We are not to tamper with the Word of God. He is God and He alone. His word has authority and His word alone has authority. We have no authority, except that which the Word of God gives us in certain situations of life. That’s it. Please do not take the word of God and treat it as if you own it. You don’t! It is His word and should be handled and quoted as such.
A preached that I like to listen to always says that we should get into the Word until the Word gets into us! This could not be anymore true.
How are to know what God expects of us if we do not read His word?
How are we to grow as Christians if we do not read His word?
How are we to lead others with God’s Word if we do not know what it says?
How are we to be faithful to a God that we do not know?
Did you know that there is one thing consistent with almost every passage about heaven? Do you know what it is? It is that everything worships God in heaven. When you read about God in heaven in Revelation, it constantly and consistently tells of how the elders surround the throne, the angels surround the throne, the beasts fly in circles above the throne, and all of them cry “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty!”
If there is one thing that I know for sure that we will do in heaven, it is that we will worship the Lord. Do you know what the highest form of worship that we can give God on this Earth is? It is the reading and studying of His Word. That is it. If we want to get used to what eternity is going to be like, if we want to prepare, then we need to start worshipping Him now. The best way for us to do that is reading and studying His Holy Word.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
I wish I had more time to dig into this, but I don’t today. We will do so in the coming weeks, but know that theology matters in a monumental way!
Evangelism (v. 46, 45, 43, 47)
Evangelism (v. 46, 45, 43, 47)
The second function that I am going to call attention to is function of evangelism. Evangelism is simply the preaching of the Word of God to those who are lost and undone. In other words, it is sharing the Gospel of Christ with those who do not know Him.
This first-century Church was busy! It says in v. 46 that they were breaking bread from house to house. I used to think that this meant they were simply sharing a meal with one another. You know, with other members of the church. I don’t think that anymore. I think that these people were having meals with other members of the Church, but I think they were also having meals with those outside of the Church as well. Let me show you why:
V. 45 tells us of how they sold their possessions and distributed the money to those who had need. You might say, “Ok, but that was done within the church”. Ok let’s keep going.
V. 43 says that fear came upon every soul as wonders and signs were done through the apostles. One might say, “Yeah, but that was the apostles. Not everyone did that. Not everyone was reaching people.” Ok, let’s keep going.
V. 47 tells us that they gained favor with all of the people. Wait a minute! If we are not helping the needy within the unchurched community, and we are not living a life of Godliness in front of the unchurched community, then how are we gaining favor with all of the people?
It also goes on to say that “The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Uh Oh! How are people coming to know Christ daily if someone isn’t sharing the Gospel with them daily?
This group of people shared Christ with everyone! They never stopped.
Imagine for one moment how much of an impact one person on fire for God can make. Think about Billy Graham. He led millions of people to Christ through his crusades. Even if that number is 50% elevated, he still led millions of people to Christ within his life.
Now I want you to imagine for a moment of having 3,000 newly saved individuals on fire for Christ. They were taking the city by storm. There was not a rock left unturned. There was no place to hide. There was no excuse to be made. The message of the early church was, “We’re coming for ya, and there is nothing you can do about it!” They were eager for people to know Christ and they stopped at nothing to share His Word.
They understood that eternal impact of that relationship. If someone was forgotten, their blood was on their hands. That was not a chance they were willing to make. They wanted everyone in the world to know their Savior and they did whatever they could to make that happen.
Missions (v. 45)
Missions (v. 45)
Let’s look back v. 45. They sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
Think about the selflessness it would take to do such a thing. As we read these verses, I am not sure that many of us have stopped to dwell on this verse quite enough. We have missed the magnitude of love that this early Church had.
Modern society does not do us well within the realm of money management. The world has given us two extremes to the concept of money, neither of which are biblical and pleasing unto the Father.
One extreme tells us that we can have whatever we want, as long as the banks and credit unions will give us the money for it. Go into debt they say. There is no way you can enjoy life without it. Borrow, borrow, borrow they say. As long as you can make the monthly payments, go for it. Pride doesn’t do us well in this category either. We are taught that in order for us to be happy, we must have the latest and the best. If our house is not a certain size, we can’t be happy. If our car is new enough, we can’t be happy. If our clothes are not a certain brand, we can’t be happy. If what we have is not popular or outdated, we must update to stay in trend. Regardless of the reasons, the modern world says spend, spend, spend. The result is that we become so addicted to buying stuff, that we end up spending more than we have. We end up in debt up to our eyeballs and have to work so many hours to make ends meet that we do not spend any time with family or God.
The other extreme tells you not to spend a dime, even if it is an emergency. I hear people say that they will not go to the doctor when they are sick simply because it costs too much. They have the money to go, but they won’t because they don’t want to part with their money. They have money to go on trips and enjoy life, but they won’t because it costs too much money. What good does it do to work for the money, if you aren’t willing to spend any of it. I have preached a lot of funerals, and I have yet to see a U-Haul behind a hearse. You can’t take it with you, so why store up so much treasure on this Earth?
The biblical model says to live within your means and give away the excess. That’s right, give away the excess to those who are in need. That is what they did. Those who had been blessed with overabundance sold the excess and gave it those who were in need. The Bible teaches that anyone who has more than what they need is blessed. Not abundantly more, just more. If you can pay your bills, have a reasonable nest egg for emergencies, and still have some left, you are blessed.
Missions come out of the overflow. It is when we allow what God has blessed us with to be used to bless others. This is missions, and it is a function of Church.
Prayer (v. 42)
Prayer (v. 42)
The fourth function of the Church is prayer. Prayer cannot be stressed enough. Prayer is the means by which we get God’s will done on Earth. Prayer opens the window of heaven so that God’s glory can come down. Prayer is what reveals God’s will to us so that we might live within it.
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Prayer is the conduit of blessing. In other words, prayer is channel in which God operates. As we send up our prayers to God, He sends His blessings down. If we truly want things to change; if we truly want God’s will done on Earth; if we truly want His presence in the midst of our lives, we must pray!
Oneness (vv. ALL)
Oneness (vv. ALL)
The last function of the Church is the function that ties all the rest together: Oneness, or Unity.
I want you to see how unity flows all throughout this text. Let’s read it together:
Unity was the foundation on which all other things became possible. They were able to move mountains because they functioned as one. Though they were many, the operated inside the will of God as one complete unit. They were unified in their purpose. They were unified in their prayers. They were unified in their theology. They were unified in their evangelistic efforts. They were unified in Christ. They each sought the will of God, and God led them all as one. It was God that made this possible.
They Describe Ultimate Victory
They Describe Ultimate Victory
The victory described here in this text is nothing short of amazing. In all of scripture, I believe it comes second only to the ultimate victory of Jesus’ return.
We see in this text several indicators of the ultimate victory of the first-century Church:
They functioned as one.
They glorified God in everything they did.
Souls were being saved and added to the Church daily!!!