August 30, 2015
“The Compelling Community”
Acts 2.42-47
1. The Devotion of the Compelling Community.
“And they devoted themselves” (v.42a).
Devoted means to be continually devoted; remaining; continuing steadfastly. This word is related
to perseverance.
a. Word of God.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching” (42b).
The in the context of the first church the “apostles’ teaching included Old Testament
Scriptures, Jesus’ earthly teachings, the story of Christ’s death & resurrection, and the Christian
witness following these events. In our context today this is the Bible.
“Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10.17).
Our first core value at Happy Valley is: We are Biblical. We believe the Bible is God’s perfect
Word. We live under the authority of God’s Word. We teach & learn God’s Word.
The most important activity of a good local church is the right preaching of God’s Word. This is
why our preaching & teaching is not about what we think, but what God says. It is seeking to
hear, understand, and live according to God’s Word. We read the Bible, explain the Bible, and
apply the Bible.
The compelling church is uncompromisingly devoted to God's Word.
b. Family of God.
“And they devoted themselves to… the fellowship” (42c).
Fellowship here means close relationship; partnership; sharing; participating. The writer of
Hebrews says that we are to stir up one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10.24). We
are in this together because we are better together. We need each other. The compelling
church is uncompromisingly devoted to each other.
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Pastor Mark Dever says, “God in the Scriptures has never been simply about me and Jesus,
about my own personal intense devotion to Jesus. That is good. That is important. That is
fundamental, but that is in no way sufficient. God has always been about your devotion to
Christ being part of a corporate devotion to Christ that creates a society, a community [a
family] that reflects his own character and his own nature.”
In the end of verse 42 Luke shares two expressions of loving fellowship:
1) “the breaking of bread” (Lord’s Supper and meals together)
2) “the prayers” (specifically referring to corporate prayers – praying together).
How does this look at Happy Valley? We corporately prayer together in the following ways: Life
Groups, Discipleship groups, Wednesday morning prayer group, monthly all-church prayer
services, and weekly worship services.
2. The Awe of the Compelling Community.
“And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the
apostles” (43).
When the Lord works in & through His church, people notice. More than that, they are filled with
awe… inside & outside the church.
3. The Characteristics of the Compelling Community.
a. Togetherness.
“And all who believed were together” (44a).
This refers to the gathering together of a particular people in a particular place -- a gathered
body of believers, a local church.
Did you know that the NT assumes that if you are a Christian that you will be an active
participant of a local church? Again Mark Dever helps us understand this: “Almost every time
the word ‘church’ occurs in the New Testament it means a particular local gathering of
Christians. The word in the original language is… [ecclesia] (ek-klay-see’-ah)…. It is from
words… [kaleo] (kal-eh’-o) [meaning] to call and ek… [meaning]… out, [so it is] to be an
assembly of those people who have been called out….. So the church is the body of those
people who have been called out from the world by God’s grace and called together to
serve him by glorifying him in a local body of baptized believers who are associated by
covenant in faith and fellowship of the gospel.”
Furthermore, the writer of Hebrews warns that we are to not neglect meeting together “as is
the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day
drawing near” (Hebrews 10.25).
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The most basic requirement of church membership is salvation. The universal church is
comprised of those who have been born-again and have been baptized into the community
of faith in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The second requirement is not mere attendance (“meeting together”), but participation
(“encouraging one another”) – this is ministry & service. “You need to think of your
commitment to your local church as one of the most basic and important aspects of your
Christian life” (Dever).
b. Unity.
“And all who believed… had all things in common” (44b).
The compelling church is united in doctrine & practice (see Ephesians 4.1-6). The local church
is a body of believers united together in covenant with one another in the name & power of
Jesus Christ. Our doctrine informs our practice and holds together our unity.
c. Generosity.
“And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as
any had need” (45).
Selfless generosity is a continual & contagious practice in the compelling church. Those in the
early church held what they had loosely, and were always ready to use what God had given
them to serve & support others (cf. 2 Corinthians 8.13-15). As a church we are to be faithful &
generous in our financial giving to the ministry & mission of our church. The generous & faithful
giving of our members is how we do what we do.
d. Worship.
“And day by day, attending the temple together” (46a).
This means worshipping together in one accord; one mind & focus.
e. Fellowship.
“And day by day… and breaking bread in their homes” (46b).
This is spending time with one another. Sharing life together, not just meeting on Sundays. We
are a faith family.
f.
Joy.
“praising God and having favor with all the people” (47a).
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This is the joy of our faith. The compelling church expresses joy by praising God for His presence
in their life together.
g. Growth.
“And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (47b).
Here we see the Lord’s work through the compelling church. We do not build the church. The
Lord has not given us that task. We may add numbers, we may build buildings, we may do a
great many good things, BUT only the Lord builds His church, because only Jesus saves!
In Matthew 16.18, Jesus says: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it.” That is not to say we do not have a part. We do. Read the Apostle Paul’s words in 1
Corinthians 3.4-9.
Our part is to plant & water. It is God’s work to bring the growth. As a compelling church our
mission is to Love God, love others, and serve the world as we make Jesus known in the Valley
& beyond. Friends, the church is not the hope of the world. We point to the one & only Hope
of the world, Jesus Christ. We are His people. We are to be a display of God's glory on earth.
The local church should be a small glimpse of heaven. We are His ambassadors, people set
apart, called out & commissioned for God’s glory, our good, for the sake of the gospel to the
nations.
Don’t you want to get in on this?
Connect – Serve – Grow
If you are not participating it is because you are choosing not to. Today, I’m asking you to choose to
participate. Choose to be an active participant in what the Lord is doing in & through Happy Valley
Baptist Church.
We exist to…
Love God, Love Others, and Serve the World
as We Make Jesus Known in the Valley & Beyond!
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