National Back to Church Sunday

Why Church?
September 13, 2009
Pastor Ben Fleming
Acts 2:42-47

Welcome today to church. Today is national Back to Church Sunday. It is also Grandparents Day. I want to welcome you and I am glad you are hear – welcome. Please stay afterwards for a fellowship time. Vickie has provided us with some nice treats. Many feel like the church today is not working any more. Some of you might feel like that even though this is your church family. They are sick and tired of its failings – most churches are not growing and most young people leave the church when they leave high school. People have said that the church is hypocritical, anti-women, anti gay, closed minded and too political. Some say the church is just another club, it is legalistic, oppressive and hurtful. Many think the church is phony when they hear time and time again of national church figure in the news with some kind of a scandal. The thought is, “If that is the church – I want no part of it.” Many are saying “I believe in God and Jesus – but not the church.” Many of these reasons are true but I want to convince you today that there is no reason for some one to dump the church.

The bible says in 1 Corinthians 3, that the church is God’s building and Jesus Christ is its foundation. So, you will never find a superstructure without a solid foundation. No one ever lays a foundation unless they plan to build on it. Who wants to live in a basement without the rest of the house on top of it. In Ephesians 5:22-23, the apostle Paul writes about the image of the church as a husband and a wife. He says Christ loves the church, gave Himself up for her, and makes her beautiful. The church submits to Christ, grows in beauty before Him and obeys His commands. A husband and wife are one – they are inseparable. Any husband worth the paper of his marriage license will be jealous to guard the good name of his wife. She may be a lying – good for nothing – double crossing poor excuse of a wife – but if she is your wife – you’ll protect and her honor, whatever may be left of her……. Woe to your friend who comes to your house to hang out and have a good time and yet all the time he is there he is getting digs into your wife – rolls his eyes at her and sighs every time she walks into the room. Many – inside of the church and outside of the church think that Jesus wants friends like that. They are rolling their eyes and sighing over the church.

The bible also tells us that the church is the body of Christ, with Jesus Himself at its head. Everybody needs a head to rule over it – to give it direction and purpose and to instruct it in the way it should go – to hold things together and give life to its members. Every head needs a body. Today – spirituality is a hot topic – religion is not – having community is hip but the church is lame. People like Jesus but not the church. Even those who were in the church at one time are being told they can do fine with God apart from the church. Today, I want to do a short study of a section of the bible that gives us a description of the early church and what they were doing --- I want you to hear a testimony from someone about why they came back to church and then I want to give you several points why people are coming back to church. Since we believe the bible is God’s Word and the bible tells us to fear God one of the traditions we do almost every Sunday is to read the bible out loud for all to hear and we stand when we do it as a demonstration of our fear or reverence for God’s Word. Turn to the book of Acts chapter 2. It is found in the New Testament. Matthew – Mark – Luke – John – Acts. By the way, if you can not find something in the bible – you can always go to the table of contents and get the page number…………

Stand as we read: Acts 2:42 - 47 42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. ----- PRAYER

EXPLAIN: The medical doctor Luke is recording for us a historical account of the beginning of the early church. The book of Acts is historically written. So, when you read the book of Acts you should read it as descriptive instead of prescriptive. It is describing what happened in the early church and from that description we can learn from it but it does not tell us that this is what must happen in the church now. The only religious building there was at the time was the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. (PHOTO) Early Christians would often gather in the courts surrounding the Temple. (BLANK) History tell us that there was no Christian church building for 300 years after this event that Luke describes for us. The new Christians met in homes – they did so because their faith was illegal and it was not until Constantine decriminalized Christianity did church buildings begin to be built.

When Peter began to speak to the people in verses 38, he told them to repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off.” Those same words include you and me. The imperative or command in those words has not changed for 2,000 years. People need to repent of their sins and they need the forgiveness of God. That is one of the reasons why you are here today. Some of you have never repented of your sins and you do not have the gift of the Holy Spirit. Notice in verse 41 – 3,000 people accepted his message – I believe we are given a number so that we can understand that not everyone in Jerusalem who heard Peters words responded. Just like this morning – not everyone in here is going to respond to the words of the bible. What did the early church do? Our text tells us.On your outline:

1. They devoted themselves to four practices. Notice what the bible says about these people. They devoted themselves. Everyone devotes themselves to what they choose. We devote ourselves many times to what we enjoy. We devote ourselves to what really is important to us. A good definition of the word devote would be to give ones time – attention and self to. These followers of Christ devoted themselves to 4 practices – and they did those things together.

* Teaching. There was no New Testament – it has not yet been written -- so the only teaching was what the apostles taught them. They were the ones who had been with Christ and they were the ones who had heard the words from the mouth of Jesus. They also had the Old Testament writings so they would have taught them from those scriptures as well . One of the reasons why the followers of Jesus come together - is for teaching. Look on your outline what the bible commands a pastor to do:

2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.” God’s plan is that followers of Jesus are to hear sound teaching from teachers who are going to teach patiently and with careful instruction. 2nd practice the early church did.

* Fellowship. Fellowship is always with other believers in Christ. The fellowship they were devoted to was everyone who had believed the message of Peter. Fellowship meant that they spent time together. It might have meant that they perhaps ate meals together – but it signifies what the church was doing. Paul describes THIS PRACTICE best in Philippians --- ON YOUR OUTLINEPhilippians 2:1 – 2 “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.” We try and encourage fellowship by gathering at 5:30 pm on Wed for a potluck before our 6:30 teaching, we have a supper club in homes once a month and at the end of this month we are going to have a mission potluck for Denny and Barb Bock after the service on the 27th. 3rd practice the early church did.

* The Lord’s Supper. Breaking of bread together as believers was the only time Jesus told His followers to remember Him. He said, “Do this in remembrance of me”. The apostle Paul later gives specific instructions on how this breaking of bread was to be done and what it meant. This is why many times we will read from 1 Corinthians 11 where Paul recorded these instructions before the Lord’s Supper is served….

1 Corinthians 11:23 -26 “For I received from the Lord what I passed on to you; The Lord Jesus , on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you drink eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Besides this being a command from God – he also says that when you take it you are proclaim or shouting out to the world that Jesus Christ died for your sins – He was buried and He rose again on the 3rd day. If you do not believe that you should not take it.
4th practice the church did.

* Prayer. They prayed together. They spent time together in public prayer and they spent time together in prayer with smaller groups of people. Right after Jesus ascended into heaven – His followers got together in a small group and prayed with each other. We see this in Acts 1:14

Acts 1:14 “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” These were the 4 practices that the early church did. The way it is written tells us that it was done together. And #2

2. The result of that devotion to these four practices led to action. These new believers were being taught and they put into practice what they were hearing. They were the first examples of being a doer of the Word of God instead of just a hearer. Look back at what the result of these practices in their life lead to.

* They met the needs of each other. (Vs.45) “.. they gave to anyone as he had need.” They did not go to other people for help – they came to those in their church family for help. At that time in Jerusalem there was a famine and people were hungry and starving. The Roman government was the occupying force in the land and they did not help the people. As a result of the people being together with one purpose and one faith – they cared for each other. This could be the reason why people on the outside of the church come to the church expecting them to help them when they are in need. I am not saying this is wrong for it is the church that has done the most in our country and around the world to help people in need – not governments. What I am saying is that in a family that is devoted there are going to be family members in need and they ought to find help in their church. 2nd action their devotion caused….

* They faithfully gathered together (Vs. 46a) “every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.” I cannot think of a church that meets everyday of the week in our nation. What this does tell us though is that if a person is really part of a church family the bible clearly says that they faithfully get together with others in that church family. We cannot say that it must be every day but we can say that it has to be more than just once a month or twice in a year. Their devotion caused them to gather faithfully together. 3rd action



* They spent time in each others homes. (Vs.46b) “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” This could be the theme verse for our supper club. These early Christians spent time in each others homes. They were hospitable. They opened their homes to each other. So – they really knew each other. This what the bible tells us about the early church. Why would someone come back to church today? Why would someone be devoted to a church family in our country today?

David Shipman Testimony

Why come back to church? Or why stay in church? 7 Reasons

1. Specific time with God. It is difficult to live life disconnected from God. Having a regular time with a church family re-centers you every week and helps to open your heart and soul to worship..

2. Community with others who seek God. Regular contact with others who seek out God gives you access to the power of Jesus Christ found in the body of Christ at large.

3. Spiritual growth. Hearing Bible teaching and connecting with truth every week helps you grow in your understanding of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

4. Love and forgiveness. Those in a church family learn to receive and give a relational love not found in any other social setting. Knowing you have forgiveness in Jesus Christ enables you to forgive and show grace to those around you.

5. God’s peace. God’s peace passes all understanding. The more time you spend knowing and experiencing God, the less time you are likely to spend feeling anxious, depressed and angry.

6. Healthier family life. Children and youth who attend church services weekly exhibit fewer behavior problems, and are more likely to have high-quality relationships with their parents.

7. Healthier life balance. You are composed of four elements. The physical – mental – emotional and spiritual. God calls us to love Him with all of these. Insurance companies have found that people who attend church regularly live 5.7 years longer.

Close: During WW 2 Hitler hung German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer said, “The body of Christ, the church makes visible our invisible God. The body of Christ takes up space on earth.” The church is full of faults because it is full of people. You will never find a perfect church. The church is the hope for our nation. The bible promises – “if my people (the church) who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Prayer: Lord God we thank You for the church. Jesus Christ died for the church. He said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church. Lord – help us to be the church. Help us to love the church. Help us to serve the church. There is someone here today who is not part of your church. They have never come to saving faith in Jesus. They are religious – but they have never called on You to save them to rescue them from your wrath. Lord --- touch them today. Move in their heart today – bring them into Your church. In Jesus name. Amen …. Dismiss Vickie……

INVITE TO STAY AFTER – BOOK GIFT