The Fellowship of the Saints
The Fellowship of the Saints
Acts 2:42-47
In 1997 J.K. Rowling published her first book in a new series of a young orphan wizard with a lightning scar being raised by muggles or non-magic folk. Since the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the series has sold over 500 million copies and has been translated into over 77 languages. The series has created a very large, devoted fanbase, including Menahem Asher Silva Vargas, lawyer in Mexico City. On September 29, 2014, Vargas made it into the Guiness Book of World Records for having the larger Harry Potter collection with 3,097 unique pieces shattering the previous record by over 2,000 (807 pieces). Vargas claimed he never set out to make it into the record books but noted, “My salary and my bonuses all ended up here.” Regardless of his intent, Silva Vargas was definitely devoted to the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
Vargas never set out to be the greatest Harry Potter fan in the world, but his love for the “boy who lived” and his battle against “he who must not be named” became an obsession. Even though Vargas never set out to be the greatest fan, it was clear to his family and friends of his devotion to Harry Potter. His love and affection for the fictional world created by J.K. Rowling dominated his life. What are you devoted to? What dominates your life? Maybe it’s Harry Potter or Star Wars or Marvel, or maybe it’s the Clemson Tigers or Gamecocks or Bulldogs. Or maybe it's your work, your home, or cars. If you were to ask your family and friends, what you love and are devoted to, what do you think they would say?
Our devotion reveals our love. In the City of God, master theologian St. Augustine defines virtue as rightly ordered love. He argues,
But living a just and holy life requires one to be capable of an objective and impartial evaluation of things: to love things, that is to say, in the right order, so that you do not love what is not to be loved, or fail to love what is to be loved, or have a greater love for what should be loved less, or an equal love for things that should be loved less or more, or a lesser or greater love for things that should be loved equally. (On Christian Doctrine, I.27-28)
All that to say, we must love the right things in the right order in the right way. Another way of saying it, we must be devoted to the right things in the right way. What are you devoted to?
In the book of Acts, Luke provides several summary statements which highlights and characterizes life in the early church. Although the early church had problems, we are given an example for which we should aspire to in our own family of faith. I pray you will analyze your love or devotion this morning and rightly order your life in loving the right things in the right way. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should be recognized by their love and their devotion. Luke provides six aspirations we should work towards in the life of the church.
The Saints Should be Devoted to Teaching
Jesus was the master teacher. He taught the disciples of the kingdom of God and helped them rightly interpret the Old Testament. Everything in the Law and Prophets and Psalms were pointing towards Jesus and his saving work through his death and resurrection. Jesus gave the charge to his disciples before he ascended to heaven to be his witnesses to the end of the earth to, Matthew 28:19–20,
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The ministry of the church is to teach the things of God to the people of God. But notice as it is the job of the church and her leaders to teach, the people must be devoted to that teaching. Acts 2:42,
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
The teaching of the apostles would have centered around the gospel of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God. Their teaching would have focused on how the Messiah would have to suffer for sins and be raised on the third day. And if anyone wanted to be saved and receive eternal life, they would have to repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord. Of course the disciples would have also taught the ethical and moral demands of the kingdom. The church should be a holy people. The church should teach on matters of culture and how to live as kingdom citizens in a corrupted world.
The church must teach for the world is always teaching and catechizing us to conform into its image. We must be transformed by the renewing of our minds to live God’s way. The church must not only teach but learn. The early church devoted themselves to the apostle's teaching. The apostlic teaching has been passed down through the written word and given to faithful pastors and elders to teach the church in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict it. Humility is very important when it comes to understanding the truth. Are you devoted to the apostolic teaching even if it disagrees with your opinions? Are you devoting yourself to understanding what God says about gender, roles in the life of the church, whether or not you should gather for service in the midst of a pandemic, sexuality, or who you should marry or changing jobs?
God has given pastors to the church to equip you for the work of the ministry. To believe in Christ and to live for Christ in the church. I would encourage you to use the elders to help think through matters of doctrine and practice. Rather than coming to the elders and saying, “We have decided to do X,” (i.e. the decision is already over) but rather saying, “We are thinking through X, do you have any counsel from the Scriptures?” The role of pastors now is not to dictate what the church must do, but to help the saints live according to God’s Word. One of the reasons we have 6 pastors of the church is so that you can know your shepherds and have access to us. We are not apostles, but we have been given the responsibility to oversee your souls. One day we will stand before God on how we shepherded your souls and you will stand before God on how you followed and submitted to your leaders. Hebrews 13:17 says,
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
One of the ways you help us shepherd and fulfill our God given task is to include us in the major decisions of life especially as they relate to your life in the body. I do not say this lightly for I know that my words will be judged with greater strictness. All of the elders take our counsel very seriously for we know we will give an account. I would humbly ask you to help us shepherd you by inviting us into those decisions. Don’t make major decisions in isolation. Invite your elders in.
Are you devoted to the apostolic teaching? Are you devoted to the teaching of this church? Are you willing to submit with joy for the advantage of your own soul? Examine your devotion to the teaching of the church.
The Saints Should be Devoted to Fellowship
The early church was devoted to the fellowship of the saints. Acts 2:42,
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
The Greek word for fellowship here is ‘koinonia.’ This is the only use in Acts. The word pictures the mutual relationship often seen in marriage. Luke points out how the church was committed to each other in a very real connection.
We do not merely want to be a church where we are members of the same body but where we have deep mutual fellowship with one another. One of the easiest ways to grow in fellowship with one another is spending time together with one another. Luke mentions breaking bread several times in this section showing how the life of the early church centered around table fellowship. It is unclear if this is referring to the Lord’s Supper or just normal meals. A good textual case can be made for both arguments, but the key the breaking of bread points to how the church had a deep mutual welcoming of one another. Table fellowship is one of the best ways to grow in depth of relationship and intimacy. Let me encourage you to take advantage of your meal times. Invite people into your home on the Sunday evenings when we don’t have church, add an extra place setting and invite a single person to your table during the week, invite people you don’t know or those you want to get to know better. Those of you who it is more natural to make connections with others, invite those to your table who may have a harder time making those connections. Be devoted to fellowship.
I have spent a lot of my ministry convincing people of the value and importance of the local church. I am often in conversations with why I believe people should covenant with a local body of believers to live out their faith. I believe the weight of the New Testament argues for being intimately connected to a body. I could provide theological reasons and Scriptural proofs to make my argument (I would be happy to do so), but for the sake of time let me make a simple observation. Over the 9 plus years as a pastor, those who have made the fellowship the priority of their life have thrived spiritually and those who have not, have struggled in their faith. After being filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the early church devoted themselves to the fellowship, are you devoted to this fellowship? Let me encourage you for the sake of your own soul and spiritual health, devote yourself to the body.
The Saints Should be Devoted to Prayer
The early church was also devoted to the prayers. The prayers may have been something formal like the Lord’s prayer or more general prayer. We cannot be certain, but we can be certain the communal life of the church was centered around prayer. The saints devoted themselves to God’s power and leading of the church. Let me quote Luke’s gospel at length here to drive home the importance, the perseverance and the joy of praying to the Father. Luke 11:1-13,
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,
4 and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”
5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Beloved, compare your screen time with your prayer time this last week and ask yourself, “Are you devoted to prayer?” Let me encourage you to take time away from your phones everyday and go before the Father in prayer. Gather with us on Wednesday evening as we pray. Focus your heart during our prayers during our service. Devote yourself to prayer.
The Saints Should be Devoted to One Another
Jesus challenged his disciples on the night he was betrayed to be committed to love one another. John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” The church will be known by its love. And the early church tangibly showed their love for one another by sharing with those in need. Acts 2:43–45 states,
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.
The church was committed to one another. This passage is not teaching an utopian society where no one has any possessions. There are several other places in Acts and Paul’s letters were people owned homes. And yet, people were willing to sell their possessions and share as others had needs. Over the years in this church, I have seen this happen again and again and again. People have opened their homes and invited others to live with them as they have had need. Others stepped up to fill financial gaps in people’s lives. Joe Greene, who died last week, would give me an envelope with cash every two or three months and simply say, “Give this away as others have need.” Shirl Mast, another senior saint who graduated to glory this past year, was moved by the Spirit to give in a very generous way as another church member had need.
Beloved, share your needs with one another. Share your lives with one another. God is pleased when the church values others more than their goods. Are you devoted to one another?
The Saints Should be Devoted to Daily Grace
The Christian life is about daily grace. Each and every day we wake to God’s glory, we sleep to God’s glory, we eat to God’s glory. Acts 2:46-47a, says,
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.
Day by day they gathered and ate together. Day by day they received the gift of his grace. Day by day they praise God for his goodness and mercy in Christ. Beloved, do not be discouraged if you haven’t reached your goals yet. Do not be discouraged if you haven’t fully overcome your sins. Do not give up. The Christian life is about daily grace and daily denial. Luke 9:23–25,
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
We cannot obey God tomorrow. God is asking you for obedience today. Take the little step of faith today and serve him. Be devoted today to gathering, to fellowship, to receiving your food with a glad and generous heart for everything you have you have received from his hand. Be devoted to praising God for his daily grace.
The Saints Should be Devoted to New Believers
Lastly, the church should be devoted to sharing the gospel and welcoming new believers. Luke points out how the disciples went to the temple day by day. The temple was where the people were. They went there with the gospel to convince people that Jesus was the Christ from the Scriptures. Briefly let me point out two things. First, the church’s collective life together was compelling people to join them. Their love for one another, their willingness to sacrifice for one another, their generosity and joy drew people in. May God be gracious to use our collective life together to make the gospel compelling to those who are lost. Second, the Lord added to their number. Salvation belongs to the Lord. We plant and water, but only God causes the increase. God is mighty to save. God may use many means to draw people to himself, but salvation only comes in Christ.
If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior, please know the only way to be forgiven of your sins and saved from the coming judgment is repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. You have already heard three testimonies of God’s grace in salvation today. I pray you would understand your sin and your need for a Savior. The disciples then and now devote themselves to Christ, his Word and to one another because Jesus Christ has loved us by laying down his life for us. He died for us, and friend hear me, he was raised for us. Jesus offers you eternal life, if you would turn from your sins and be devoted to him. Receive salvation as a gift. He is offering salvation to you today. Accept it and join us in sharing life together as the saints of the Most High God.
Beloved, I love our church. I am so thankful for all that the Lord is doing in and through this body. There are so many things in this life we can be devoted to, but true joy comes when the saints devote themselves to Christ and his church. As we come to the Lord’s table, to break bread together as one body with one hope in our one Savior, let us do so as the early disciples with glad and generous hearts. God has given us so much, let us receive it with joy. And let it be our testimony that today we are devoted to Christ and to the fellowship of the saints as we proclaim his death until he comes.