Believe And Belong

beginning at verse 40 and that's on page 1094 of the church bibles

acts chapter 2 beginning at verse 40 with many other words he warned them and he pleaded with

Acts 2 · chapter mention

them save yourselves from this corrupt generation those who accepted his message were baptized and

about 3 000 were added to their number that day they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching

and to the fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer everyone was filled with awe and many

wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles all the believers were together and had

everything in common selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone as he had need

every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts they broke bread in their homes and

ate together with glad and sincere hearts praising god and enjoying the favor of all the people

and the lord added to their number daily those who were being saved

thanks very much chris

and again as we go through this together if there are any questions and if you can hold them to the

end and please feel free to talk with me afterwards and discuss anything through we want to learn

together what god's word has to say to us well let's pray and ask for his help now

father we thank you for the church we thank you for your family

and we ask now that as we gather together like this

that your spirit would be at work among us

speaking your truth into our lives truth that changes us and transforms us

and brings us to be the kind of family the kind of church that you call us to be

we thank you for one another and we thank you that we can learn together like this

we pray that it will be a rich and encouraging time for us all

in jesus name we pray amen

when you came this morning

did you expect to find anybody else here

as you walked in the door

did you expect that there would be seats

and somebody to make tea and coffee

when you took your children out to creche and sunday

school did you expect that there would be people here to look after them

and to teach them

if you weren't here

would you still expect that there would be people here

it raises a big question this expectations business doesn't it

what is expected of me

if i am part of the church

what level of commitment should there be

so how often do i need to attend

once every six weeks

or perhaps nine out of ten weeks

is it different if i'm a student

or if i'm settled or married

or am i allowed to stay at home and have a break

or perhaps am i free to go and visit another church altogether

do i come when i'm on the rota

but free when i'm not

and what happens if church clashes with

a sports match

or

a kids party

what takes

priority

and what about home groups

after all church isn't just a sunday meeting

is it something we go to when there is nothing else on

or do we plan to be there each week

what comes first

the local church

or parachurch

who takes priority

is it the people within your church family

or your best friend

in another church

lots of questions

and i'm sure we would all have very different answers

so what is a right expectation

or do we just make up our own minds

and figure out what the best thing is for us

well the expectation

i think we'll discover

is greater

than we ever thought

but the experience

is much deeper

than we could ever realise

Peter has just been preaching

to a very large crowd

it's soon after

Jesus has been raised from the dead

he has ascended

he sent his holy spirit

and he's preaching to the crowd

about the lord Jesus Christ

and look at his conclusion

in verse 36

he says

therefore let all Israel be assured of this

God has made this Jesus

whom you crucified

both Lord and Christ

he is declaring to the people

that Jesus who died

has now been raised

he is the risen

ruling

saving

king

now look at the response

of the people

to that message

in verse 41

here's the response

those who accepted his message

were baptised

and about 3000 were added

to their number

that day

do you see the double response

that there is

they accepted

and they were added

they believed

and they belong

and the mark

or the sign

that they have accepted

the good news of Christ

and that they have been added

to the church family

is their baptism

they were baptised

because baptism is a sign

that you believe in Christ

and that you belong

to the community

of believers

so believing and belonging

can't be separated

you can't on the one hand say

oh I believe in Jesus

but then on the other side say

I don't belong to the church family

and you can't say

oh I belong to the church

and not believe

we see the same thing

in verse 47

at the very end of the reading

we had

the last couple of lines

and it says there

do you see what it says

and the Lord added

to their number

daily

those who were being saved

God didn't add people

without saving them

and he didn't save them

without also adding them

so people who believe

also belong

now that means

church life

is deeply communal

not individual

look at the language

that we have here

for example

verse 42

they

devoted themselves

verse 43

everyone

was filled

with all

verse 44

all

the believers

it's like

the king's musketeers

all for one

and one

for all

only we have been

saved

by the ultimate

king

and we now

together

serve

the true king

Jesus Christ

all for one

and one

for all

so let's see

how this

believing

and belonging

actually gets

worked out

in practice

two big ideas

we're going to look at

here's the first one

if we say we believe

it means

we are committed

to Christ

if we say we believe

it means we are committed

to Christ

so look at verse 42

they

that's the believers

devoted themselves

to the

apostles

teaching

they devoted

themselves

to the

fellowship

they devoted

themselves

to the

breaking of bread

and they devoted

themselves

to prayer

now this word

devotion

means this

wholehearted

exclusive

commitment

it's the kind

of thing

a lover

might write

in their

valentine's

card

devoted

to you

I'm sure

you've all

written it

at some

stage

they're saying

my life

is given

completely

for you

I live

for you

I adore

you

I'll do

anything

for you

my life

is yours

wives

isn't that

what your

husband

say to

you

I express

a loyalty

a deep

affection

towards you

I'm devoted

to you

now Christ

has showed

his devotion

and affection

for us

by dying

for us

he gave

himself

for us

he says

I die

for you

I suffer

God's

wrath

for you

and in

response

to that

amazing

love

the church

in response

is devoted

to Christ

there is this

wholehearted

exclusive

commitment

in response

to what

Christ

has done

for us

we say

I'll

live

for you

I

adore

you

my life

is yours

and so

this devotion

is being

worked out

in the

following ways

as we read

in verse

42

let's

have a

look at

them

one

by

one

first

they're

devoted

to the

apostles

teaching

they are

learning

Christ

together

now we

don't have

the apostles

alive

today

but what

we do

have

is what

they taught

and what

they preached

and what

they spoke

about

and what

they taught

has been

recorded

for us

within

scripture

this is

what we

are reading

right now

and how

do we

know it's

true

how do

we know

we can

trust

them

well look

at verse

43

it says

everyone

was filled

with awe

and many

wonders

and miraculous

signs were

done by

the apostles

you see

what they

said

and what

they did

was written

down

and all

of that

was confirmed

and affirmed

by the miracles

and the wonders

that they

did

he was

telling people

we can

trust them

we can

trust

what they

had to

say

and so

we now

have that

written down

for us

in God's

word

to learn

together

to learn

Christ

together

through what

they had

to say

we learn

all about

how Christ

has accepted

us

and how

Christ

has added

us

or as we

started out

this morning

that he

forgives us

and welcomes

us into

his family

so we

learn

Christ

together

through

his

word

but not

only that

they are

also

devoted

to the

fellowship

so they

are sharing

Christ

together

fellowship

simply means

sharing

in something

that we

have in

common

sharing

in what

we have

in common

the church

here this

morning

is made

up of

all kinds

of people

we come

from different

backgrounds

we're of

different

ages

we have

different

likes

and dislikes

we're just

different

people

we're very

diverse

people

but we

have one

thing

that unites

us

together

the one

thing that

we have

in common

is the

Lord Jesus

Christ

the one

who has

welcomed us

into his

family

and has

given us

the assurance

that we

belong to

his

kingdom

kingdom

and this

is what

we share

in together

we share

in Christ

together

it's what

glues us

together

it breaks

down all

kinds of

barriers

cultural

barriers

social barriers

and it

unites us

together

to be

a people

who share

Christ

together

but not

only that

we are

devoted

to the

breaking

of bread

or as we

have it here

to remember

Christ

together

now I

think

and you

might want

to discuss

this with

me later

I think

this is

primarily

about

remembering

Christ's

death

as they

ate

together

so as

part of

their meals

as they

invited

one another

round to

their homes

as they

would sit

down and

have their

meal

they would

also as

part of

that meal

share

and remember

Christ

we call it

the Lord's

Supper

or communion

they would

come to

remember

the amazing

salvation

that we

have received

so remembering

that Christ

was treated

as we

deserve to

be treated

so that

by faith

we are

treated

as Christ

deserves

to be

treated

we have

been given

new life

when we

come to

remember

Christ

together

and the

meal

that we

have here

this morning

is something

we will

share in

together

to remember

what Christ

has done

but not only

that they

were devoted

this commitment

this loyalty

they were

devoted to

prayer

at the end

of verse 42

they talked

to Christ

together

now I think

this included

all kinds

of prayers

maybe formal

prayers

informal

prayers

prayers

of thanksgiving

prayers

of requests

the point

is that

as the

people

gathered

together

they were

a talking

people

they talked

regularly

to the

Lord Jesus

Christ

in whom

they had

this

relationship

and as

we talk

to God

in our

relationship

we are

simply

coming

as his

children

helpless

with

absolute

dependence

on a

generous

and gracious

God

who loves

to give

good gifts

to his

children

so they

were devoted

together

to Christ

and do you

see what

happens when

we are

committed

to Christ

in this

way

together

we gain

such a

wonderful

appreciation

and the

devotion

that Christ

has shown

for us

we see

as we

learn

together

as we

share

together

as we

remember

Christ

together

as we

talk to

Christ

we see

how loved

and treasured

we are

you see

the church

without

Christ

does not

exist

and the

church

that tries

to live

without

Christ

will fall

apart

Christ

is like

the air

that we

breathe

the oxygen

that keeps

us alive

right now

well without

Christ

the church

will die

we simply

cannot operate

we cannot

live

we cannot

exist

and so

together

we come

committed

to Christ

in our

learning

in our

sharing

in our

remembering

and in

our

praying

so if

we believe

we are

committed

to Christ

and it's

something we

do

together

here's the

second big

thing

to belong

means we

are committed

to the

community

and when I

say the

community

I don't

just mean

the community

of

carigaline

I mean

the community

of God's

family

the church

so we're

people who

believe

but we're

also people

who belong

now what if I

were to say

to us all

let's do

church

every single

day

what would you

think about

that

well you

might say

well I can

manage once a

week and a

couple of

hours on a

Sunday

that's fine

for me

but if

that's how

we begin

to think

about church

we've lost

what it

actually is

because church

is 24

7

it's not

just about

sitting in a

meeting

it is that

but it's so

much more

than that

it's a

community

of partners

of people

who belong

so look at

verse 44

it says

all the

believers

were

together

verse 46

every day

they continued

to meet

together

the end

of verse 46

we read

that they

ate

together

now this

word together

is not just

saying that

they met

up

it's stronger

than that

it means

a partnership

they were

involved

with each

other

they had

these close

relationships

they were

sharing in

the same

things

the same

beliefs

and it

wasn't just

meeting up

for formal

meetings

they met

in informal

ways as

well

and this

I think

this

togetherness

this belonging

together

was worked

out in

two ways

first

they were

committed

to caring

for one

another

look at

verse 45

44

rather

all the

believers

were

together

and had

everything

in common

selling

their positions

and goods

they gave

to anyone

as he

had need

now that's

really quite

remarkable

isn't it

now

as we

read it

let's be

clear that

it is not

asking

everyone

to do

likewise

in other

words

that we're

to go

and sell

our homes

and sell

our cars

and get

all that

we've got

together

and all

go and

move in

a little

commune

together

and build

a little

self-sufficient

ranch

somewhere

where we

all have

perhaps the

same income

we all

have access

to the

same

things

where we

all own

everything

together

it's not

that kind

of commune

separatist

type idea

in fact

we're told

in verse

46

that they

did meet

together

and eat

in each

other's

homes

so it's

quite clear

that it

didn't mean

you sell

up your

own home

and all

move in

together

no this

was something

voluntary

this was

something

done as

God's

people

were able

to do

but what

it does

mean

is that

we as

a community

of God's

people

are

responsible

for the

practical

care

and

welfare

of each

other

and the

clue for

this comes

at the

end of

verse 45

they gave

to anyone

as he

had

need

so it

was the

needs

of the

church

that

dictated

so what

are the

needs

of this

family

church

here

how do

we

distinguish

what

needs

are

and what

wants

are

because

we all

want

lots

of

things

but what

are

our

needs

well let's

remember at the time of writing there was no social welfare system you didn't have a dole office if you didn't have a job you go down and sign on and get get some money from the government

if you had no job if you had no job or no means of income you were poor if you didn't have a family you had nothing and that meant you would be without food or without home so when it's talking about needs here it's talking about the necessities of life not the luxuries for example we all need somewhere to live and keep warm especially when it's cold

we all need our breakfast our lunch and our tea we all need to be able to pay our bills electricity water we all need to go to the doctor from time to time and and sometimes that's going to cost a bit extra if we need to buy medicine so we might call all of these things daily needs or necessities and if there's people within the church community within the church family

who are in need it is our responsibility to do all that we can to make sure that they have these needs and one of the things that we talk about often is our fellowship fund

where people give

financially

and that goes into a fellowship fund and for people who are in need we are able to give financial assistance or

practical assistance

so let me say to us all if you are in need

please let us know your need

or if you know somebody else who's in need or struggling

let us know so we can help

committed to caring together

just as Christ was committed in caring for us

and gave his life for us

so in response we give of what we have

to help

care for others

so we are committed to caring together

and second we are committed to supporting together

look at verse 46

every day they continued to meet together

in the temple courts

they broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people

every day they would meet together

and let us wait

and close for the

the