We Are The Church - Gathered and Sent

 

As we begin this morning, I want to invite you to take a deep breath in.  

Now breathe out.  

Once more… IN…. OUT.  

Clearly this is how we are to live, breathing in and out.  

Again, and again.  Day after day.  Year after year.  

Once more.  IN…. OUT…

The truth is that if we only breathe in, eventually our lungs get full, and we can’t take in any more.  Have you ever timed how long you can hold your breath?  15 seconds.  30 seconds.  1 minute.  Eventually we get that feeling of having to let our breath out so we can breathe in again.  The science behind that feeling is that we have chemoreceptors in our brain stem and lungs that monitor the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our blood.  As we hold our breath, the oxygen level drops and the carbon dioxide level rises.  There comes a time when the chemoreceptors will tell the muscles of the diaphragm that you need to breathe, and our lungs will exhale so we can take in oxygen.  

I was curious what the record was for holding your breath and was stunned that it wasn’t 5 minutes or even 10 minutes.  It is 24 minutes and 37 seconds!  That’s crazy.  It was achieved by a professional breath hold diver (didn’t know there was such a thing) who train themselves to hold their breath.  He also used pure oxygen to keep the O2 levels as high as they could be during the hold.  

Most of us, however, need to breathe in and out much more often, in fact it is how God made us, to breathe in and out.  Over and over and over.  The body of Christ, the Church, was also created by God to breathe in and out.   We are in a series called We Are the Church, and we are going to look at how God created the church to breathe in and out, and what repeating that action means for us today.

One of the passages that we have turned to during this series is the story of the first church that was formed on the day of Pentecost.  After Jesus rose from the dead, He not only appeared to His disciples to prove His power over sin and death, but He told His disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came to them.  

Then they gathered around him [Jesus] and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.  Acts 1:6-9

So the disciples stayed in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came.  

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.  Acts 2:1-4  

The Holy Spirit filled the followers of Jesus.  The word “spirit” is the Greek word pneuma which means wind, spirit and BREATH.  The Holy Spirit breathed into the followers of Jesus and gave life to the church.  It was also this breath that gave the disciples courage to share the good news of Jesus.  In the story, they immediately went out onto the streets to share what God had done through Jesus.  In fact, it doesn’t even say that they left the upper room, we just find them on the streets proclaiming what God had done, and they were sharing all of this in several different languages.  

The power of the Holy Spirit didn’t just move the disciples from where they had gathered in the upper room to the streets, it moved them from Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  Once again the church was breathing in and out.  The church had gathered in Jerusalem where they were filled by the Holy Spirit but in just a few years they would be all through the Roman world and looking toward Spain, the end of the world.  The church is at its best when it is gathered and sent. Breathing in and out.  

We see this movement over and over again in the picture of the first church we have been looking at from Acts 2.  

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who 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.  Acts 2:42-47

The church gathered for teaching, fellowship and prayer.  They gathered for the breaking of bread, to be nourished and fed.  All of this helped them grow in their faith and be strong.  They reminded each other about everything Jesus said and did.  This teaching allowed them to take in the word of God.  Prayer allowed them to draw in the spirit of God.  Fellowship helped them feel connected  and strong.  The breaking of bread, whether that was eating together or the sacrament of communion, gave them nourishment.  They were a church gathered and it was important for them to gather so they could be faithful and strong.  All of this is still an important part of breathing in as the church.  

Most churches today do a good job of gathering together.  We breathe in God’s spirit and power during worship, times of prayer, and the study of God’s word.  We breathe in as we fellowship together and break bread.  Like most churches, we do a good job breathing in, but healthy churches also breathe out.  The first church breathed in and out.  Let’s go back to verse 42.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Acts 2:42

They breathed in, but then immediately something happened.  There were outward manifestations of what that breath of God did in them.  There is no transition here, no meeting or discussion, as soon as they breathed in, they breathed out.  

Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.   Acts 2:43

The apostles did many signs and wonders, and it doesn’t say that everyone in the church was filled with awe, or that all those who knew them and were part of the fellowship were filled with awe, it said that everyone was filled with awe.  The followers of Jesus didn’t just gather together and enjoy the power and work of the Holy Spirit themselves; they went out and shared that power with others.   Gathered and sent.  In and out.  

Again, most churches do a good job breathing in.  We do a good job with worship, fellowship, teaching and prayer.  We love to gather, and we find comfort, peace, and encouragement in our relationship with one another, but we struggle to breathe out.  It’s not as easy to think of ourselves as being sent into the world because we think that is what someone else does.  We think being sent is for special people who are called to go overseas or work in specialized areas of ministry, but the reality is that the church, and remember we are the church, we are being sent into the world.  We are being sent by the Holy Spirit into our homes, our schools, our neighborhoods, and communities and places of work to share the good news about Jesus. We are to be gathered and sent. We are called to breathe in and out.  

We see this over and over again in the story.  Look at Acts 2:44.

All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  

They were gathered together, they had all things in common, but then it says, they gave to anyone who had need.  Not anyone in the church who had need, but ANYONE who had need.  Gathered together and sent into the world.  Breathe in and out.  

It goes on to say that they met in the Temple courts but then also out in people’s homes.  Acts 2:46-47

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.  

The church didn’t just meet in the public religious spaces like the Temple courts.  They didn’t just gather in the worship building, they also gathered in people’s homes.  They were the church in the community, in people’s homes, neighborhoods and the workplace.  They were the church in the world and because they were in the world, people noticed their faith and were interested in how they lived, and what they believed.  The church was out in the world touching the hearts and lives of the people in very powerful ways.  They enjoyed the favor of all the people.  Again, they didn’t enjoy the favor of some of the people, or the church people, but all the people, and we know some of these people were outside the church because the passage ends by saying, God added to their number daily those who were being saved.  

I find it interesting that when it says the Lord added to their number, it doesn’t tell us where that addition happened.  It doesn’t say they gathered in larger and larger numbers in the Temple courts until they had to hold two services or build a bigger building.  In fact, they were able to add people daily specifically because they didn’t see the church as just a public gathering of Jesus followers in a religious place.  Church was also what was going on in people's homes and out in the community.  

The church God created and the church God blesses is both gathered and sent.  Church doesn’t just happen when we gather together here, it also happens when we meet in people's homes and connect with others in the community to share our faith in Jesus.  The healthiest and most effective churches are those that understand we are to be both gathered AND sent.  

No church can be healthy if they only focus on just one or the other.  If a church is just gathered and only breathes in, we might grow deep in our faith and have great fellowship with one another, but we will fail to share God’s love and the transforming message of Jesus with others.  We might grow deep but we will not grow wide, and we will fail in the one clear mission Jesus gave us, to make disciples of Jesus Christ in all nations and among all people.  

If the focus of the church is just on gathering together, we also become the church we saw a few weeks ago that was gathered around Jesus.  All the people were gathered in a home and so focused on Jesus that they didn’t see 4 friends who brought a paralyzed man to Jesus for healing.  A church that just gathers together fails to see the needs of others.  We also fail to see the lost and lonely and hurting people who need the love and power of Jesus.  

If we only breathe in, we fail to be the church God created us to be, but if we only breathe out, we might help and serve a lot of people, but we will fail to nurture them and teach them and help them grow into a fully mature follower of Jesus.  A church so focused on being sent into the world can go out and do really great things, but in time forget why we are going out in the first place. Just being sent into the world runs the risk of losing sight of Jesus.  To be the church God calls us to be, we need to be gathered and sent.  Once more breathe in…. And out. 

While many churches are good at breathing in, and some churches are good at breathing out, I believe Faith Church is striving to be a church that breathes in and out well.  As Pastor David shared last week, we focus on three relationships.  We breathe in as we focus on a relationship with God and the church, and we breathe out as we focus on a relationship with the world.  Gathered and sent.  Breathing in and out.  All three relationships are needed.  

Finding ways to interact with and bless the world, and being ready to share Jesus with others need to be rhythms of our life and faith.  Next week, Pastor David is going to share more about what it might mean for us to be sent out to be the church in our community in new ways.  What fresh expressions of the church can we create in our community so that people can come to know about Jesus?  We can’t just find ways to gather more people together, we have to find ways to be the church in the community and world.  

As we consider what it means to be both gathered and sent, I want to invite you to think about whether you see yourself as more of a “gathered” person or a “sent” person?  We each experience and express our faith in different ways, and God calls us in different directions.  Are you naturally a gathered person who loves the connections and relationships in the church?  Do you thrive on being in the world and get excited thinking of different ways and times and places we can share Jesus with others?  Knowing how God created us is important because that might be where God will use us most effectively.  

But I also want to encourage us all to lean into some growing edges that might challenge us.  If you need to breathe in more, if you need to get more connected in the life of the church, join a small group or ministry team.  Focus on what it means to be a part of the gathered community.  If you need to breathe out more, find a way to serve God in the community.  Invite your neighbors or coworkers over for dinner and get to know them.  Have your small group host a dinner for friends or serve together in the community.  Breathe in and out.  

We are at our best as a church when we learn that we were created to gather to be the church and to be sent out into the world to be the church.  Gathered and sent.  Breathe in and out.  

 

Next Steps

We are the church - Gathered and Sent

Read Acts 1:6-9, 2:1-4, and 2:42-47

Identify the times the church was gathered and sent.    

What do each of these situations teach us?  

Gathered

● How would you define the gathered church?

● Why is the gathered church so important?  

● What activities of the gathered church help you the most?

● Where might you need to grow in your relationship with the church?

● Why are most churches so focused on being gathered and not sent?

Sent

● How would you define the sent church?  Is it just the church serving the physical needs of others or is it something more?  

● Why is the sent church so important?

● When have you felt like part of the church sent out into the world?  What were you doing?  

● What impact did that sent church experience make in your life and in the lives of others?

● Where might you need to grow in your relationship with the world?  

Are you a more gathered person or sent person?  

How can you tap into what feels comfortable for you?

How can you push yourself to grow in new ways?  

We Are The Church - Week 2

 

Last week we started a series called, We Are The Church and we want to learn from the first church, those early followers of Jesus, what it means to be the church and how we can be the kind of church that can change the lives of people around us. Today we are going to learn about the kind of people you meet in every church.  These people were present with Jesus, and they are present in all churches today and my guess is that we will see a little bit of ourselves in each person.  Let’s go back to the picture we get of that first church found in the book of Acts.  

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who 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.  Acts 2:42-47

There is one verse in there that shows us 2 kinds of people you find in every church.  It says, they sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  In every church there are people in need.  In every church there are people who are hurting, broken, and ready to give up.  In every church there are people who have physical needs, emotional needs, financial needs, relational needs, and spiritual needs.  In every church there are people who look like they have it all together but just below the surface they are in great need.  In every church there are people in need. 

In Lewisburg, we started a worship service at noon on Sundays for Bucknell students.  Every week there were students who looked like they had everything they could ever want or need in life.  They were smart, many were financially well off, they had great futures ahead of them, they had lots of friends and they looked like they had it all together.  After a few years of attending our worship, I had the opportunity to speak to one young man who really did look like he had it all.  He was smart, rich, good looking, had tons of friends and had a future on wall street that would continue to keep him financially well off for the rest of his life.  When I looked at him I didn’t see much need, in fact I was a little jealous about how he seemed to have it all and have it all together.  

What I didn’t know is that most Sundays he sat in worship spiritually empty and filled with guilt.  While he talked about his faith and was part of a campus fellowship, his personal life didn’t really reflect much of Jesus.  He said that most Sundays he was in church after a night of partying and hooking up with women.  He was filled with guilt and shame and he couldn’t understand how God could love him, let alone accept him or ever use him.  As we talked and shared, I realized just how much in need he really was.  He needed to know that Jesus did love him and that God’s grace could make a difference in his life.  

My heart went out to that young man as I listened to his story because I remember sitting in a worship service as a college student and being overwhelmed by my own guilt and shame.  It was a communion Sunday and during a period of confessions as we reflected our sin and God’s grace, all I could do was put my head down, not in prayer but in shame.  I started crying and hoped that people didn’t notice. I couldn’t bring myself to take communion that day because I was so overwhelmed by my own unworthiness and I left worship and sat alone on campus for hours just unloading my heart to God.  I knew some of that young man’s needs and I wanted desperately for him to know the love and grace of God.  

This past year I was again someone in the church who was in need.  As you may know, my father was diagnosed with dementia on Jan 3 and then cancer on Jan 4.  For six months I drove back and forth to CT every couple of weeks to take my dad to treatments or appointments and to try and help manage things the best I could.  On Good Friday, my dad ended up in the hospital with an infection that led to complete delirium.  

While I was able to step away from the GF worship to be with my parents, I was back on Easter Sunday and while I was preaching about the hope and power of the resurrection, I was wondering what the future was going to be for my father and mother and family.  My father died on June 1 and while we were thankful that his battle was over, the first six or seven months of this year I was one of the people sitting here in need.  In need of rest.  In need of strength.  In need of hope.  In need of peace.  In need of Jesus.  

Maybe you are feeling something similar today.  Maybe on the outside things look fine, but on the inside you are filled with guilt and shame for things you have done or the things you have not done.  Maybe there is a problem that no one can see that is eating you alive.  Maybe your marriage is falling apart, your finances are a disaster, or you are battling an addiction, depression, or anxiety that no one knows about.   I know there are those who continue to experience the grief and pain of loss and while everyone else seems to be able to move on with life, you can’t.  In every church there are people in need.  

Here’s why it is important for us to know this.  Too often people think the church is only for those who have it all together and are living the dream and since they aren’t living the dream, since they have all kinds of problems and needs, they think they don’t belong in the church.  Too many people think they won't be accepted in the church with all their brokenness and pain, but what they don’t know is that in every church there are people in need and that is exactly what the church is supposed to be, a place for people in need.  

Jesus said, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  Mark 2:17  

Jesus was always surrounded by people in need, which means that His church will also be filled with people who have needs.  This means that we need to be sensitive and welcoming to all those around us.  Even if the person sitting next to you today looks like they have it all together, they may not.  They may be on the verge of everything falling apart so a word of welcome, of love and encouragement may be what begins to turn things around.  To be the church God wants us to be, and a church that can change people's lives, we have to be a church that welcomes people with all kinds of needs because in every church there are people with needs.

But… in every church there are also people who care.  In that first church there were people willing to sell their possessions to help those in need.  Why did they do that?  Because they cared.  In every church there are people who care.  That person might be right next to you this morning.  The person who cares might be sitting in front of you this morning, or behind you.  In every church there are people who care and people who want to help.  

A few weeks ago there was a person here in need.  Their child had just received a difficult diagnosis.  What she didn’t know is that just a few feet away was a family who had walked that same road a few years ago.  When I was able to connect them to each other, it changed that woman’s life.  She now has hope and sees a better future for her child.  In every church there are people who care.  

All year I have experienced this kind of care right here.  Once people started hearing about my parents' situation, every week there were people who cared for me.  Many people were praying for me and my family.  I received hundreds of cards and notes of encouragement.  People gave me gift cards for gas to travel back and forth and food for when I was home.  Most of all you gave me time and space to be with my family.  Pastor David took on more preaching and the church staff all took on more responsibility so I could be with my family.  In every church there are people who care.  

Now the people who care need to know about the needs of those around, which means that there has to be a certain amount of risk and vulnerability we need to take.  My hope is that if you are a person in need that you will know today that there are people here who care.  I hope in time you will feel comfortable to share your needs with a small group, or friends you make, and receive some of the support and help others have to offer.  Those who care may not be able to solve your problem, but at least you will know that you are not alone on the journey.  Maybe the best thing that the people here who care can do is to take you to Jesus.

There was another time the early church was gathered and this time it was literally around Jesus.  Jesus was in a person’s home teaching and was literally surrounded by people who loved him, cared for him, but there were also many in need.  

They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to [Jesus]a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith,  he  said  to  the  paralyzed  man,  “Son,  your  sins  are forgiven.”  Mark 2:2-5

So once again, here is a picture of the church.  The people gathered around Jesus were devoted to Him and learning from Him.  We see someone in need, a paralyzed man, and people who care, his friends.  The four friends couldn’t help the man themselves, they couldn’t make him walk, but they did what they could and carried him to Jesus.  Sometimes the best thing we can do for someone in need is not try and fix their problems but take them to Jesus.

These friends stopped at nothing to show that they cared.  They didn’t let the crowds stop them.  They didn’t let the roof stop them.   They carried the man onto the roof, which would have been made of mud, straw and probably manure, and started to dig through it.  They opened up a hole in the roof and lowered the man so that he could literally be at the feet of Jesus.  These are the kind of people who can make a difference, and in every church there are people like this, people who can.  

For many years there was a woman here who did everything she could do to not only make a difference in people’s lives but to also bring people to Jesus.  Her name is Janie Mattern.  Janie had a heart for missions and a heart for sharing Jesus.  Janie was willing to do anything and everything to make missions happen.  Janie helped start our Christmas dinner so that no one would eat alone on Christmas Day.  For Janie, it wasn’t so much about making sure people had food, it was about making sure people felt loved and welcomed and someone to eat with on Christmas Day.  For the last few years Janie worked on the dinner, she always tried to recruit people to go through the dining room and talk to people who might be alone.  

Janie organized the crop walk.  She set up our day of service with a desire to have everyone in the church doing what they could on one day to show that they cared for others.  Serving our Seniors got everyone working and caring for seniors who were in need in our community.  Janie went on mission trips.  Janie was an early leader at the Faith Centre.  Janie worked with special needs children and youth and she did everything she could to not only love them but share the love of Jesus with them.  Janie would have been digging through the roof to lower a friend to the feet of Jesus.  

In every church there are people who care and who can, but Janie would say we need more people and you can be one of them.  You have what it takes to be someone who can make a difference.  You have what it takes to meet people’s needs and you have what it takes to share Jesus with others.  In every church there are people who can do all of this and more and if you are willing to step out and show that you care, God will lead you to those places where you can make a difference and you can share His love and grace and power.  

Unfortunately, in this picture of the church we see another group of people we will find in every church.  Why did the 4 men have to go to the roof and dig a hole to get their friend to Jesus?  Because no one would make a way for them.  They were all so preoccupied looking at Jesus that they didn’t turn around to look at those in need  

You see, we can become so preoccupied looking at Jesus and learning about Jesus and learning how to follow Jesus and worshiping Jesus and praying to Jesus and growing in our own faith that we fail to notice anyone in need around us.  As important as our devotion to God is, we can’t allow it to keep us from seeing the needs of others.  If the people had just been willing to turn around, they may have seen these 4 friends carrying the paralyzed man to Jesus and maybe they would have made a path for them to get to Jesus, and Jesus would have said to everyone there, I see your faith!  

The church doesn’t exist for ourselves but for the world.  We can’t become so preoccupied with our own relationship with God and each other that we fail to see the need the world has for Jesus.  In every church we need people who will help us turn out and see the needs of others and how we can help carry them to Jesus.  Next week Pastor David is going to talk about how in this church we focus on 3 relationships, a relationship with God, the church, AND the world, and we have to make sure we don’t become one of those who has turned our back on the world.  

Now if we read just a few verses more in Mark’s gospel we will find another group of people that you also find in every church.  

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”  Mark 2:6-7

Yes, in every church there are people who are critical.  In every church there are people who don’t like new ways of doing things, new people in charge, new songs, and even new carpet.  In my past two churches I have had to deal with many of these people, but here at Faith Church, I am blessed to say that this has really not been a problem.  I know not everyone likes everything we do.  I know we all have our own likes and dislikes in worship and I know who we are and how we do things doesn’t meet everyone's wants, needs and desires, but none of this has risen to the point of being obstacles getting in the way of God’s work.  There is a grace we share with one another, a cooperative spirit and patience we have with one another and together we look for the new ways God is moving among us instead of holding on to the old ways at all costs.  Because of this amazing spirit and love, God has and continues to bless us.  May we work hard to keep from being those who are critical and continue to find ways to be those who care and can do all it takes to bring people to Jesus.  

We are the church.  The church is full of people in need, it is supposed to be filled with people who have needs.  It is also filled with people who care and my hope is that you are someone who cares.  My hope is that you are open to caring for anyone, and anyone around you that might be in need today.  And the church is also filled with people who CAN make a difference.  YOU can be that person.  It doesn’t take anything more than a devotion to Jesus and a devotion to bringing people to Jesus.  Anyone can be that person.  Janie Mattern would tell you that YOU can be that person and make a difference.  All it takes is a spirit that trusts Jesus and life that is turned toward and tuned in to the needs of those around us.  

We are the church which means we are people in need but we are also people who care and yes we are people who can make a difference because we aren’t turning our backs on those in need, we are not so self-absorbed and preoccupied that we don’t see the needs of others, in fact we see them and together we are going to do all we can to bring people to Jesus.  That is the church we are.  AMEN?  That is the church we are.  We are the Church.  Can I do this?

We Are…. We Are… . We Are… .  AMEN!!

Next Steps

We Are The Church - Week 2

In every church there are people…

In Need.

● What needs do you bring with you today?

● What needs has Jesus met in your life and how can that give you hope that all your needs can be met?

● How can we be a church that welcomes people with ALL kinds of needs?  

Who Care.

● What did it feel like when someone cared for you?

● Who around you might need your care today?

● How can we be a church that cares for the needs of people?

Who Can.

● When have you been part of making a difference in someone’s life?  What did that feel like?  

● What can you do to help bring someone to Jesus?

● What can you do to make a difference in someone’s life?

● What can you do to make a difference in our community?

● How can we be a church that can make a difference?

Read Mark 2:1-12

● Why did the people have to dig through the roof to get their friend to Jesus?  

● What preoccupies you and keeps you from seeing the needs of others?  

● When have you been critical instead of being helpful?  

● What 3 friends can help you make a real difference in the life of someone else or in the life of the church?  

We Are The Church - Week 1

 Today we are starting a new message series that I hope gives us a vision and the power to be a different church at the end of month, than we are today.  When I was growing up there was a little song we learned about the church that used your hands to describe what the church is and what the church is not.  It went like this…

The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple

The church is not a resting place, the church is the people.  

The Church is the people, but not just any people.  The church is the people of Jesus.  The church is the people who love Jesus, trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and commit to following Jesus with all their heart, mind, soul and strength.  If the very first church was the group of disciples who dropped everything to follow Jesus, think about what the church was like.  With Jesus, they befriended prostitutes and outcasts.  They enlisted tax collectors and sinners to be part of their congregation and leadership.  They walked among the sick and healed them.  They loved those that others hated.  They fed the hungry even when they didn’t think they had enough food.  They endured storms and walked on water.  They saw the dead come back to life and their lives were forever changed.  They turned their communities upside down.  That’s a powerful church.

After the death and resurrection of Jesus, that first church was in danger of falling apart.  The physical presence of Jesus, which had gathered them together and gave them power, was no longer there.  The church could have easily disappeared if it wasn’t for the power of God’s Holy Spirit.  With what looked like fire and sounded like wind, the Holy Spirit filled the followers of Jesus and gave them a power and courage that helped them grow in ways they never did when Jesus was with them.  Jesus Himself said that the day would come when His followers, His church, would do even greater things than He did.  It was on that day of Pentecost when one of those followers of Jesus, a man who had forsaken Jesus a few weeks earlier, stood up and preached a sermon that changed the hearts and lives of 3,000 people.  Not even Jesus did that.  

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter, a simple fisherman, who always seemed to misunderstand Jesus and get it wrong, and then failed Jesus in His time of need, shared the message of Jesus in a way that changed thousands of people.  The church of Jesus was on the move and those people came together in faithful and powerful ways that changed the world.  

What started with Jesus and grew with the Holy Spirit is what we are part of today.  But how do we compare to that first church?  Are we just as bold, risk taking and courageous?  Are we as faithful, and powerful?  Are we changing our world?  Do we even think we can change our world?  I’ll be honest, I’m not sure we look much like that first church, but we can if we will faithfully and honestly say that We Are The Church, and if we will learn how to be the church from those who started it all.   

To learn how to be the church, we are going to look back at that first church.  For the next month we are going to return to this passage to learn how to be the kind of church that can change our world.  We are going to look at Acts 2:42-47

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who 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.  Acts 2:42-47

There are three mindsets we see in this church that we need to embrace today. 

 1. Intensely Devoted.  They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  

The word devoted is proskartereo: to live in  a  constant  state  of  relentless  pursuit; persistent, ongoing, obstinate devotion.  The verb is in the imperfect tense which means it is a constant state of devotion.  They weren’t devoted to teaching and fellowship and prayer for an hour on Sunday, or an hour on Sunday plus an hour during the week.  It wasn’t even an hour on Sunday and a few moments every morning before work, it was a constant state of devotion where every moment of every day was given to living for Jesus. This devotion is what drove the church.    

We might have this kind of devotion to our spouse or family.  Some people have this kind of devotion to their hobby or career.  Some have this kind of devotion to all things Penn State, why else do you sit out in the rain to watch a football game?  But do we have this kind of devotion to Jesus?  Are we devoted to Jesus or are we comfortable with Jesus?  

It was October 1982, 41 years ago when I stopped just believing in Jesus and became devoted to Him.  It was the day I realized that without Jesus in my life I truly had nothing.  I had turned away from God and asked God to leave me alone but God’s proskartereo for me, God’s constant pursuit, love and devotion for me, drew me in and I realized that I needed God more than I needed anything.  I committed myself to following Jesus and everything changed.  

I committed myself to the apostle’s teaching.  I read the Bible daily.  It was like I couldn’t get enough of it.  I studied the Bible on Friday nights with a group of friends.  I attended a formal Bible Study during the week and worship on Sunday.  And I prayed with others every day.  We had a daily prayer meeting on campus and I was there, every day.  I scheduled classes around our prayer meeting because I didn’t want to miss it.  I longed to spend time with God and God’s people in worship and praise so I set up a mid-week praise rally to sing to God on campus and invite others to join us.  

While I was a student, my life seemed to revolve around my devotion to Jesus and God’s word, fellowship, worship, study and prayer.  I’ll be honest, I look back at that time and I wonder if today I am more comfortable with Jesus than devoted to Jesus?  Am I as Jesus focused as I can be or as I should be?  Are there ways I need to stop being self-focused and return to being Jesus focused?  If we are to be the church God desires us to be, we have to be intensely devoted to Jesus in all things and in all ways.  Maybe we need the Holy Spirit to help us be more devoted to Jesus, but watch out if you pray for that because it just might happen and change everything.  

2. Irrationally Generous.  That first church sold all their possessions and gave to anyone who was in need.  They were so generous that there was no needy person among them.  It wasn’t government programs that met people’s needs, it was the church - the people of Jesus.  They were irrationally generous.  It didn’t make sense but they were so devoted to Jesus and His people that they did everything they could to care for one another.  

I remember the first time I felt called to go out on a limb and invite the people of the church I served to be generous.  I was serving a church in Lewisburg and a Bucknell student had been worshiping with us for a while and one Sunday, during a time of sharing prayer requests, she mentioned needing money to go on a mission trip.  She didn’t share this in order to get money and she wasn’t asking us for any, but after she said that I felt compelled to look at the church and say, well… you heard her.  She needs money to go on a mission trip and I think we need to give it to her.  By the end of the day we had the money.  

This has happened here at Faith Church in some both funny and powerful ways.  The first time this happened, it was kind of funny.  It was the week before Christmas and I was told that we needed 20 more pumpkin pies for our Christmas Dinner.  Each year we feed hundreds of people on Christmas Day and I was told to ask for pies, so I did.  We needed 20 pies but we didn’t get 20 pies.  I’m not sure how many we got but I do know that we had 40 pumpkin pies left over.  To this day I am not allowed to ask for pumpkin pies.  

But the truly amazing and awe inspiring generosity of this church became clear in 2018. The UM Churches in this part of PA have a partnership with the UM Churches in Sierra Leone.  Together, we help pay the salaries of all the SL pastors.  I heard that for many reasons the partnership was in financial difficulty and as a Conference we were $30,000 short in funds.  This meant that pastors in SL were not going to get their salary.  I sat there at the conference and heard God say, Andy you can do something about this.  You can help stand the gap.  So I said, OK God, I’ll give some money.  I thought about $100 but God said, no more.  $500.  And God said more.  You can DO something about this.  So I committed to give $1,000.  

From that moment on I realized that God was asking me to really do something more about this and that to “stand in the gap” meant to fully fund the deficient.  The next Sunday, I believed that there were 30 people who God was raising up to give $1,000 so we could meet this need so I stood right here and shared the need and how I believed God was calling us to give.  At the end of two weeks we had raised more than $34,000.  People come to my office in tears with checks for $1,000 or $2,000.  There was an envelope with 10 $100 bills that was placed in the church office.  It was the most irrationally generous act I have ever been a part of and we stood in the gap and made sure every UM pastor in SL got their full salary.  We gave so that there might not be any UM Pastor in SL in need.  

That is what it means to be the church.  This is what we can do if we are the church and this is how God is calling us to live not just once or twice in a lifetime but every moment of every day.  Just a few months ago we got an update from Archie at Raising Hope Ukraine and they said they didn’t want to take up an offering because we had already done so much.  They just wanted to say thank you and share what they were doing with the resources given to them.  I said, no we will invite people to give and give generously.  $14,000 was given in 2 weeks.  

Whether it is Habitat for Humanity, the Faith Centre Food Bank, Sierra Leone, Sowing Seeds in Belize or Raising Hope Ukraine we are a generous church.  When a need is seen or heard, people meet it and we meet it with more than just money.  This past week, people gave generously of their time, talent, gifts, resources, faith, finances and love.  My question to you is, what’s next?  Who’s next?  What will be the next irrationally generous act of giving that God is going to call us to and will we step up and fill the gap?  Will we sell what we have to make sure needs are met?  I’m going to tell you right now, we cannot out-give God so when we give generously, God will bless us in ways we cannot even begin to imagine.  Giving is also a way we share the love of Jesus and that is the third mindset the church had.  

3. Share the love of Jesus.  The very end of Acts 2 says that the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.  The Lord was able to add to and grow the church because the people were sharing the love of Jesus in all they said and did.  Their devotion to God was so clear to see, and their giving was so generous and all-encompassing that people saw how much they loved Jesus and it became contagious.  They shared their love of Jesus in ways that invited others to experience the love of Jesus, and as people experienced that love, it changed them.  It saved them and daily, people were saved.  Daily.  Every day.  

Imagine what it would look like if every day someone was saved and came to know the healing, hope, power and purpose of Jesus.  Imagine what it would look like if by the end of this month there were 30 more people in our community who knew the love of Jesus because of our devotion and generosity.  Everyday God was able to change hearts and lives because the followers of Jesus, the church, lived with faith, passion, and an ongoing devotion.  This is what God calls us to be as the church?  This is what it means to be the church and this is what I hope we will commit ourselves to during this next month.

We are the church.  We are God’s plan for turning lives around and changing the world.  We don’t exist for ourselves, but for the world.  We don’t gather to be comfortable and safe but to be radical, risk taking, followers of Jesus who will do everything it takes to be devoted to Jesus and share His love with others.  To be a different church by the end of this month, each one of us needs to take a step of faith, and if you aren’t sure what that step is, let me share a few we could all take.  

1.  Read God’s Word Daily.  Be devoted to the teaching of the apostles.  Read the words of Jesus.  Read the teachings of Peter and Paul in the New Testament.  

2. Serve in the Church.  If you are not currently serving in the life of the church then there is an unfulfilled assignment with your name.  We are the church together and if we aren’t all serving and working together then we aren’t as strong and faithful as we can be.  You have a gift to offer and that gift might be just what the church needs to add one more person into the kingdom of God.  In the pew you will find an opportunity card and you can fill that out and share with us the way God might want you to serve in the church.  

3. Join a small group.  Join a Sunday School class or a Bible study and grow and learn with others.  Reading God’s word is great but reading alone will only take us so far.  We get so much more out of God’s word when we will read it together and encourage one another to live out what we read.  Maybe God isn’t asking you to join a group but to step out and lead a group.  The best way to grow in your faith is to step out and lead others.  

4. Give Generously.  Our heart follows our giving so find a way to give generously to God and watch your faith grow.  Give generously of your time or gifts.  Listen to God and see where He might be calling you to meet a need by giving in some specific and generous way.  It might seem irrational and even impossible, but give.  

5. Pray Daily.  Last week David encouraged us in the rhythm of prayer and asked us to set a goal.  Are you working on that goal?  If you weren’t here and want to pick up the rhythm sheet from last week, they are available in the lobby.  Pray and ask God to open your eyes and your heart so that you can see God moving and how He wants you to be part of the movement.  The church is on the move and the church isn’t a building or steeple, the church isn’t a program or a service, the church is the people.  We are the church and God is calling us to be on the move in courageous, generous, and utterly irrational and devoted ways.  

Next Steps

We Are The Church

Read Acts 2:42 - 47

Think about the things you’re devoted to. Are any of those things a hindrance to your devotion to God? What would your life look like if you focused on Him more?

We can grow in our devotion to God and more fully be God’s church by doing one thing that moves us toward Him. 

What could that one thing be for you? (5 Suggestions)

● Read God’s word daily

● Serve in the Church

● Join a small group or Sunday School class

● Give Generously

● Pray Daily

Prayer:

God, thank You for this opportunity to focus on being Your church. Grow our devotion to You and our generosity.  Help us to share Your love with others in all that we say and do. Shift our mindsets so that they better reflect You. Thank You for doing more in us and through us than we could ever ask or imagine.  In Jesus’ name, amen.