Community groups will be an important new step for us and in preparation for that, we have been learning about true community and this applies and relates to us not only if you are or will be involved in a formal community group that we've talked about and that we'll be implementing here soon, this applies to all of us, it applies to any believer, applies to anybody who is a Christian because the principles are the same and we should all be engaging in true community. And today we're gonna talk about what true community looks like from Acts chapter two. So I invite you to turn with me there, Acts chapter two. And what I would like to do is just remind us of what we have learned so far. And so if you have the notes, you'll see this on there. It's a little bit of a look back at what we have already been learning. First of all, a community is a group of people with something in common. The Christian community is centered in Jesus Christ. And we have community, we experience community because we share Christ. We have Jesus Christ in common. And along with that comes eternal life. We have eternal life in common because Jesus died and rose again to give us eternal life. And if you've believed in Jesus, you've received the gift of eternal life, you have eternal life, you possess it, and we have that in common. And we have the word of God in common. We share the truth of the scriptures, and so as we come together, we have community around the word of God. And the word community is a word that is also translated in the New Testament fellowship. So community is a group of people with something in common. Christian fellowship or community is a fact, but it is also an experience. It is something that we have and possess. It is objectively true, but it is also an experience. It is something that we personally involve ourselves in. It is something that we not only have, but that we do. It's more than just, Christian community is more than just being in the same place singing the same songs together, listening to the same person all at once, or being out in the atrium in the same room and all talking, fellowship or community might include those things, but it is much more than those things. And so we're talking about what true community looks like. We practice true community when we do these things, and I have gone through these scriptures already. I'm not asking you to turn to them again. We've gone to them already. We're reminding ourselves of what we've learned, and I guess I would ask us this morning, have we taken any steps of growth in these? Have any of these particularly challenged you? Have you grabbed hold of any of them? Have any of them really impacted you? I hope so, because that's what this is all about. And we learn from Romans 12 that true community includes using our gifts for the good of the body. It includes loving each other like family. It includes interceding for each other, and this means not just listening to somebody else pray for everybody, but you yourself engaging in praying specifically and persistently for other people. And sharing material things when someone has a need. We learned those principles of what true community looks like from Romans chapter 12. We also looked together at Romans chapter 10 and learned that true community includes getting to know each other, where the writer says, consider one another. So he's telling us to think about each other, learn what we are like, get to know each other below a surface level, so that we can then stir each other up to love and good works. So true community includes motivating and encouraging each other to selflessness, that is love, selflessness, and service, that is good works. And last week we looked at Philippians chapter 4 and we learned how true community includes caring about gospel work and the people who do it. seeing others' needs as our own, partnering and investing in gospel work with our financial support, and in doing what we've done here this morning already, and that is worshiping and pleasing God together as a body, corporately, in community, with our financial offerings. So as we here individually practice these, By God's grace, what we just talked through, what we have learned together, is what Calvary will look like. So as I practice these elements of true community, and as you practice them, It's to that degree that Calvary will be practicing true community. So this is not something for us to sit back and say, oh, I hope that happens, or oh, I can't wait till somebody starts doing that. These are for each of us to grab hold of and engage in. Again, remember, it starts with having Christ. It starts with eternal life. It starts with being a believer in Christ and being saved. So if that's never happened to you, then you need to get on this path. so that you too can experience true community and participate in it as well. There's one more passage I want us to look at and I want to highlight and this is Acts chapter two and we're going to circle back really to the beginning of the church and notice how much true community was part of it from the very beginning. So look with me and I will read for us Acts chapter two starting with verse 40. And this is where Peter preached the gospel to the people in the city of Jerusalem during the feast of Pentecost where all the Jews were gathered together. He preached to them that Jesus had died for their sins and rose again. And let me start reading in Acts chapter two verse 40. And with many other words he, that's Peter, testified and exhorted them saying, be saved from this perverse generation and those who gladly received his word. were baptized. They heard what he said, they heard the preaching of the gospel, they received it, they believed it, and then they were baptized, which is what we'll be doing in just a few minutes. And that day about 3,000 souls were added to them. That's phenomenal. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship. In the breaking of bread and in prayers, then fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together and had all things in common and sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. So that's how it all started. That's where the church began. The gospel was preached, people believed and spontaneously they started coming together. They kept coming back and they wanted to hear more. So, what does true community look like? And this is gonna be very simple this morning. And it really ties it all together. We practice true community when we gather in large groups. And there are two parts to this, and this is the first part. Both of them go together. He says in verse 46, and that's the verse I want to focus on, they continued daily with one accord in the temple. And there are two very strong words Words that are packed with powerful meaning in that little statement. The first one is the word continuing. Yes it means they kept coming and they returned and they came back again. But the word that was chosen here by the writer is a strong word. It means to stay by, it means to persist in, it means to hold fast. It includes the action of coming back and returning again and going back for more and doing that over and over and over again. But it also includes the heart behind it. So they weren't going because someone told them to. This was not perfunctory church attendance. Oh, it's the thing that we do and we're supposed to be there. And somebody said, hey, are you coming? There was something internal that drove them there and kept driving them back. And maybe that's why you are here this morning. Because you have within you that compulsion That passion, that hunger, that drive to come and to come back and to return again on the Lord's Day morning to praise God and to learn of his word and to fellowship and have true community together. That's what they experienced. And so they gathered in this large group. They came together in the temple. That was the one place they knew. This was the center of their worship. It was the center of their lives. It was where the sacrifices had taken place. It's where the priests functioned. And it's where the teaching took place. And this is where Peter preached the gospel. And they were out there in one of these side porches with kind of an overhang so they could be in more of an enclosed area, be a little bit more comfortable. and someone would stand there and teach them. And in this case, it was Peter in chapter three, verse one says, Peter and John went back, they went back. And the people kept coming back. And they gathered and they gathered again and gathered again. And all of this was part of true community. The second strong word or term is with one accord. This word specifies or signifies an inner unity. And again, it goes beyond just being in the same place. Yes, it includes doing the same thing together, but it goes beyond that. In fact, if you think of the word unanimous, unanimous, that's what this means. So they came together in the same place and they heard the same teaching and they responded with praise and they prayed together, but there was something deeper than just circumstances and locations and outward actions. In their hearts, they were unified and they were unanimous. I mean, they were together in this. Look at chapter one, verse 14. We see the same term here in chapter 1 verse 14 after Jesus ascended back to heaven it says that they gathered together and in verse 14 of Acts chapter 1 these all continued with one accord, same terminology here, in prayer. and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers. So they were doing something together, they were praying together, but it went beyond just speaking words in the same room, didn't it? They were united, in fact they were unanimous in their hearts as they prayed together. Now I'm gonna ask you to turn to the book of Romans, so that would be the next book over from Acts to the right. Book of Romans chapter 15. This term of being in one accord or together with one accord is used I think three more times in the book of Acts in various settings. But I want to point one to you in the book of Romans chapter 15. Paul has just been discussing areas where believers see things differently and practice things differently and make different choices. and they may be different from one another and he's calling them to do this, to live in a loving way and consider one another as they make these choices. And look at chapter 15, verse one, he says, we then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak and not to please ourselves. Notice that, not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification, that is building him up. For even Christ, here's our example, did not please himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me. For whatever things were written before were written for our learning that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Verse five, now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind, and the terminology here is with one accord, Same idea, same word. And one mouth. So internally as well as externally glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is powerful. Because what happened in the beginning of the church where they were all together and they were unified and they were unanimous in what they were there to do, Paul now takes that idea and he applies it to another group of Christians now in the city of Rome of all places. the New York City, the San Francisco, the Sao Paulo of our day, as far as population and metropolitan culture and immorality and diversity. And he says, all right, you Christians in Rome, now when you come together, you're gonna have a lot of different ideas about things. But when you do, you come together for one purpose. So here's what I'm praying. I'm praying that God will help you to unite when you come together so that with one mind, so you'll be unanimous in this, and with one mouth, when you praise God, when you talk to each other, you'll be doing what? What does he say that you'll do what? Glorify, glorify God who's in heaven, the Father of Jesus Christ. And that applies to us right here because there is great diversity, many different backgrounds, We may have different views on various secondary issues. We're not talking about primary doctrine here. Issues of preference, where we see some things differently, but as we come together, we should be united and we should be unanimous. We're here for one reason, and that is to glorify God. So when we sing how great thou art and praise God for his awesome greatness and for his amazing love and we're overwhelmed, we are unanimous in that. So that's what he's telling us here, is that back in Acts chapter two, that they gathered in large groups, they came together, and when they did so, they were united and they were unanimous in glorifying God. Personal preferences and private agendas were off the table and off their minds when they came together, and that's how it should be here. That's how it should be here. We gather in large groups and we practice true community when we do that. I'm gonna go ahead and invite the people who are being baptized to go ahead and get ready for that, and I think Brandon's gonna lead you that direction. And I'm gonna point out to the rest of us, as they're preparing for that, something else back in Acts chapter two, and verse 46. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and, key word, breaking bread from house to house. So, True community happens when we gather in large groups and, key word, when we gather in smaller groups. Verse 46 also. So it happens when we gather in large groups and when we gather in smaller groups. Not one or the other, but both together. The first church did and practiced both large group gatherings as well as smaller group gatherings. They went to each other's homes. There were people who opened their homes for the Christians to come over and for them to spend time together. We'll get into this too deeply this morning, but breaking bread might be the Lord's Supper, as they had communion together, as they were instructed to do. It might mean that they had meals together, or what Paul later called a love feast, or they were just together in fellowship, eating together. We don't know exactly what they're referring to there, but we know that they met together, and they shared a meal, and they were with each other on a more familiar, and we might even say intimate level. And that doesn't happen here. It has to happen out there. It has to happen when we meet together in a comfortable, less formal setting. And that's what he's describing here. Look at chapter five. This became actually the pattern and practice for the New Testament church. They gathered in smaller groups. Look at chapter five, verse 42. Acts 5.42, and daily in the temple. And in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Interesting, isn't it? So they kept on, they kept doing this over a period of time. They kept doing the same, following the same pattern. And they didn't just do it weekly, they did it every single day. They had a driving desire to be together, to worship God, learn from him, and share life with each other. Look at chapter 10. The scenario here is when God was directing Peter to not only preach to the people of Israel, the Jews, but also to open up the preaching of the gospel to non-Jews, to Gentiles, and that they should be invited and welcomed to believe in Jesus as the Savior on the same basis as everybody else. And look at chapter 10, verse 22. So Peter's receiving a message now, and they said, this is Acts 10.22, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear words from you. So messengers came to Peter and said, there's a man And God is sending you to his house to tell him something. What did Peter do? He went to his house. Verse 24 tells us that he arrived there. The following day they entered Caesarea, Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. So now here's Cornelius, this man, and he's called together the people that he knows and the people that he's related to and they all come together. And look with me starting, I'm jumping now, look with me starting in verse 34 what Peter does. Verse 34, then Peter opened his mouth and said, in truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all. That word you know which was proclaimed throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached, verse 38. Now God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for God was with him and we are witnesses. What Peter means by that is we watched him, we were with him. of all the things which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And Peter's saying, we saw this too, whom they killed by hanging on a tree, him God raised up. He came back to life. on the third day and showed him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and testify that it is he who is ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets witnessed that through his name, whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins." So what's Peter doing? He's in Cornelius' home. Cornelius has gathered a group of people and Peter's sharing the gospel with them. You know, true community is about enjoying and sharing an eternal life together with those who already have it, but it is also about opening up the opportunity and inviting people to hear the truth who don't know it and who don't have it and don't believe it. And that's what should be happening in true community. It's not just a holy huddle. It's not just a self-contained group, But it's open-hearted, there's an open door, there's an invitation for people to hear the gospel, see it lived, hear it presented, and to believe in Christ as well. And that happened here in a home setting and in a smaller group. It can be very effective that way. Look two more places with me, Romans chapter 16. The book of Romans again, over a few pages to the right, and then all the way to the end of Romans chapter 16. And again, I just want to show you that this became the pattern. They met together in larger groups, but they also met together in smaller groups in homes. As Paul writes to the Romans, again, this large metropolitan area with great diversity and immorality, but with believers there who believed in Christ and were following him, he says in Romans chapter 16, verse 5, Talking about Priscilla and Aquila, his friends and fellow laborers, likewise greet the church that is in their house. They open their home to believers who gathered for fellowship, to experience and enjoy true community. Look at Colossians chapter four, a little farther over to the right, a little letter of Colossians chapter four and verse 15. Colossians 4.15 says, greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and Nymphis, in other words, tell this person hello, and the church that is in his house. So he had a home group. He had opened his home and people were meeting there for true community. See, this is how it was. It began and it continued. People gathered in smaller groups. Let me quickly give you four thoughts here. And this comes from, not from one passage or one verse, but kind of the whole scenario. This is what people did. They prayed together. They discussed and applied the word together. And this is what we envision for our community groups, praying together, discussing and applying the word together, sharing life together. When you eat with someone and you have that familiar conversation, especially when you do that not just once, but many times over a longer period, you get to know each other. Then you can consider one another. You have a format, an entrance for encouraging each other and truly praying for each other. exhorting and edifying each other in love. That's what the people did who first believed in Christ and that pattern has been and should be carried out throughout the life of the church. Can I encourage you to practice true community now regardless of whether or not you are in a formal group? Just do it. Practice true community. And then, will you pray about helping to start community groups? We do need people to help. The groups will grow, and the number of groups will grow as we have qualified leaders. That's what it depends on. So pray about that, and pray about helping. And then, I encourage all of us to not merely be part of the larger group, but to get involved in a smaller group with someone, some people, and practice true community together. Please pray with me. Thank you, Father, for the pattern that your word gives to us. We recognize that we live in a different world, a different day. So much has evolved and changed and things are just different than they were in the time that we just looked at and read about. But there are some things that should be the same. Help us to discern those. Help us to preserve those. Help us to renew our involvement, our commitment to those things. Because this is your body, your church, which you have purchased with your own blood. We are your people. And I do pray that anyone who does not understand or is not experiencing true community with you and with other believers, that they would understand what it means to trust Christ and be saved today. And we commit all these things to you in Jesus name. Amen.