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As we turn now to hear God’s Word, let’s pray silently. First, let’s each pray for ourselves, that God would give us a hunger for his word and give us ears to hear what he says to us through his word. Next, pray for those around you, that they would hear the Word of God and accept it. Finally, please pray for me, that I will be faithful to God’s Word today.

Lord, may we learn from your Holy Scriptures and take them to heart. Strengthened by your Word, may we cling to the hope of everlasting life through Jesus Christ, who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever.

Our focus this morning is on Acts 2.43-47. You’ll need a Bible – no graphics today. In the church Bibles it’s on page 911. We are currently studying Acts 1-4, focusing on the formation of the first church in Jerusalem after Pentecost. This passage vividly describes the new life they experienced together in Christ. The church began with 3,000 people after Peter preached on Pentecost about Jesus' death and resurrection. Through repentance, baptism, and faith in Jesus, they were forgiven and filled with the Holy Spirit. Let me read Acts 2.42-47:

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 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. 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 favour with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

This passage shows us what their lives were devoted to and how their relationships with one another were transformed:

1. They had a new relationship with God

We see that in the way they were devoted to:

i). Learning

The early believers were devoted to the apostles' teaching, not learning for the sake of learning but seeking to understand more about Jesus and God's promises so they could better relate to him.

ii). Remembering

They regularly broke bread together. That phrase likely means both sharing a meal together, as well as remembering Jesus' sacrifice as he commended them to in what we call the Lord’s Supper or communion. Again, that wasn’t simply a ritual or mindfulness exercise. It was a means by which they related to him by faith.

iii). Praying

Prayer was central to their lives and how they related to the God they had forsaken all others to worship, no doubt including confession, thanksgiving, praise, and bringing their needs and requests to him. The Prayers was likely a set time of prayer at the temple.

2. A New Relationship with Each Other

They didn’t relate to God individually. The early Christians shared a deep, communal life. A new relationship with God meant a new relationship with each other. The two were inseparably linked. They were the fellowship: united, spending time together, learning, eating, and praying as a church. This shared life included practical support, as they freely sold their possessions in order to meet the needs of new brothers and sisters in the family of faith. What a powerful contrast to the superficiality, deep loneliness and isolation that flows from a worldview has no space for God and puts me first.

Their interactions were marked by joy and sincerity. No doubt they related imperfectly, but the way they related to one another reflected genuine change and a genuine love for one another. They were also outward-looking: and became known for their kindness and grace towards all people. Don’t believe the cartoon version of Christianity: life with Jesus as king is very attractive. Jesus continued to work through them, adding new believers to their number. This growth was clear evidence of God’s power at work and their faithful witness to him. And as we read that we cannot help but evaluate our own priorities as a church: Are we devoted to learning, remembering, and praying as the early church was?

For us today, we access the apostles teaching about all that Jesus did and taught through the Bible and so being devoted to the apostles teaching for us means prioritizing Bible study both alone and with others. It also means ensuring all our teaching is sound by working hard to keep from depart from the truth of God’s word. We are called to frequently and joyfully partake in the Lord's Supper. Quoting John Stott:

He has ‘clothed’ his promises. He has made them visible and tangible…One of God’s chief purposes in giving us [baptism and the Lord’s supper] was to draw out and bolster up our poor, weak faith. He has given us promises enough in His word; but it is easier for us to lay hold of them when we see them dramatized before our eyes…

We should also cultivate a robust prayer life. How high a priority do we make the church prayer meeting? Prayer should not be limited to the church prayer meeting – it should saturate our life and when we meet both formally in small groups or ministry teams and informally. Do we pray on our own, or only when we meet as a church? What about our relationships with one another? What can we do to encourage deeper fellowship and practical care within the church family? Are we sharing our lives and resources with each other? Key to that is being part of some small group – so that you can know others well and be known by them. Only then can you see the needs of others and can meet them. Only then can you rejoice (and celebrate and laugh) with those who rejoice. Only then can you cry with those who mourn. It costs time: to cook a meal for a new parents, or to pop over with your hedge trimmers or to simply to listen.

It also takes vulnerability: to admit to needing help, to being open with your struggles and invite people in to support you. It’s perhaps easier on our pride to be the ones who help, than to receive such help. But deep, significant relationships are mutual, and not one sided. And what about our relationships with the community around us who don’t yet know and trust in Jesus? Are we living in a distinctive way, showing how faith in Jesus is not just a Sunday thing but impacts every area of our life – our relationships, our worklife, our families, our voting. Are we open about our relationship with God so we can be a witness for him? Are we nurturing deep relationships outside the church family?

At church on Sundays do we look out for those who are new, before we catchup with friends? Can you serve on our welcome team, or in one of the many groups we run to show love in the name of Christ to those in our community – such as the globe café for international students? Or our boys and girls uniformed groups? Or toddler and baby groups? Or by volunteering with organisations like Safe Families? Acts 2.42-27 is a beautiful picture of a new community formed by believers in Jesus. This community, marked by new relationships with God and each other serves as a model for us. But there is more to be said about the significance of this passage, and that relates to the purposes which led Luke, who wrote the book of Acts, to include it. Acts is written by Luke as a sequel to his Gospel and has the same overall purpose. In the Gospel Luke tells us that he wrote the Gospel so that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught (Luke 1.4).

One of the reasons we have been looking at Acts now is because it follows on so very well from our last sermon series which was all about Jesus teaching about the Holy Spirit from John 14-17. If you weren’t here for those, or want a refresher then you can look them up on our website and as with all our sermons you have the option to read, listen or watch them. But let me give you a quick summary. In John 14-16, Jesus taught his disciples shortly before his death. We saw him prepare them for the fact that he was going away from them. John 13.33:

My children, I will be with you only a little longer

A focus for them in the time of his physical absence was to be their love for each other. John 13.34:

A new command I give you: love one another

In John, Jesus also speaks of his own future actions, in response to their prayers (John 14.13):

And I will do whatever you ask in my name

He promises the sending of the Spirit who will be in them, and that also thereby he will be with them (John 14.18):

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you

He tells them that he appointed them to go and bear fruit (John 15.16), but that, at the same time, if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also (John 15.20). He promises that the Spirit will be at work convicting the world of sin (John 16.8-11). So what does that have to do with Acts? The reason Acts follows on so well from our series in John 14-16 is because the book of Acts exists to answer the question: after the ascension, did Jesus keep the promises he made to his disciples during his earthly ministry? The answer, of course, is yes! Jesus has kept and is still keeping all that he promised, including those in John 14-16. Acts 1.1 begins like this:

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up.

The implication of this is that in Acts, his second book, he is dealing with all that Jesus continued to do. As Peter put it in his sermon (Acts 2.33):

Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

What Luke wants us to know is that the kingdom of God that Jesus brought about is still thriving and growing because he's the one in charge, making sure everything goes according to plan. Even after he left, the kingdom kept growing just like he said it would, because he's still around, doing everything he promised he would do. So let's connect up the dots and see how the promises made by Jesus in John 14-17 are shown to be fulfilled in Acts 2:42-47.

A new command I give you: love one another (John 13.34)

In Acts 2.42-47, the believers are described as being devoted to fellowship, breaking bread together, and having everything in common. By his Holy Spirit we see the risen Jesus creating the love and unity he commanded. And I will do whatever you ask in my name (John 14.13). The early church’s devotion to prayer is evident Acts 2.42):

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer

The many wonders and signs performed by the apostles in Acts 2.43 suggest that their prayers were being answered by Jesus, as he promised.

The Sending of the Holy Spirit in John 14.18

The fulfillment of this promise is seen earlier in Acts 2, with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and in Acts 2.42-47, the believers continue to experience the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit evidenced by their new relationship with God and with one another.

Jesus tells his disciples that he appointed them to 'go and bear fruit’ (John 15.16)

The growth of the early church, with the Lord adding to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2.47), indicates that the disciples were indeed bearing fruit through their witness and actions.

He promises that the Spirit will be at work convicting the world of sin (John 16.8-11).

Again we saw this after Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost and the many people who were moved to repentance and baptism, and we continue to see this work of the Holy Spirit as new believers are added to their number. Finally:

Jesus taught ‘if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also’ (John 15.20).

We'll see next week in Acts 3-4 that just as Jesus said they would be persecuted just as he was.

So, when we read Acts alongside the Gospels, we can see how it shows us just how faithful Christ is. It tells us about how he kept his promises to the apostles from when he was on earth. Ans when we see any of these signs among us as a church they point to Jesus who is at work by his Spirit. Acts isn't just about historical facts, though it does give us that too. More importantly, it shows us that Christ is still very much alive and working to grow his kingdom through his people, even in the face of struggles and opposition. So, when we become Christians, we can be sure that we're part of God's plan that started with Israel, continued with Jesus, and is still going strong with Jesus in heaven. Or to put it another way, Acts is more focused on God than it is on the church. Sure, there's a lot of info and teachings in Acts about the church, and Christians have been diving into it for centuries to find answers about church life, leadership, and ministry. Acts can definitely teach us a lot about these things. But if we want to really understand what God is trying to tell us about these practical matters in this book, we need to remember that it's primarily about God's actions and only secondarily about the church's actions.

The portrait of a church described by Luke shows us that Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension and sending of the Holy Spirit has achieved everything that Israel was supposed to be never fully realised. They were to be devoted to God and his commandments and teaching. They were to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation set apart to point a watching world to God. The commands of God emphasised deeply loving God and neighbour. They were to demonstrate justice by distributing resources fairly and caring for the needy among them. They were to be a witness to the nations and a suitable dwelling place for a Holy God. The church in Acts 2.42-47 and throughout the world and ages since shows that Jesus fulfilled what Israel was meant to be. The description is of a life of devotion to God, love for one another, justice, unity, and effective witness to the world. This is Jesus’s work, through the Holy Spirit. Not yet complete – that will be in the new heavens and the new earth.

The book of Acts shows us how God is actively working through his people, by his Holy Spirit, to spread the message of Christ all over the world. It's not just about us finding a to-do list of ‘how to get involved in church’, but rather about us understanding the bigger picture of God's ongoing work and then joining in with God's bigger plan! The main applications for us are as we are reassured that the Risen Jesus is on the throne and growing his Kingdom: Will we remain true to Jesus and so continue to trust him till he come again? And are we on board with what God is doing and what God is about - his mission to share the gospel with everyone and unite them in Christ? Chris Wright quote:

We ask ‘where does God fit into the story of my life’ when the real question is: ‘where does my life fit into this great story of God’s mission’.

Our final song is a prayer that flows so naturally from this passage. Here is how it ends:

Keep us steadfast in Your promise,standing firm with all the saints‘til at last we come to heavenand as one we see your face.[Gracious Father Son and Spirit, © 2018 Slee, Ben CCLI Song # 7142644 - CCL No. 2054]

Let’s stand as we sing.