Amen. All righty, Acts chapter two. And again, this is part two of our series on Christ loves his church. And again, we'll see from Acts chapter two, that are we faithful to his body? Are we devoted to another? Ephesians 2, verse 19 says, so then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. So we are not saved unto isolation, but unto a people. So to belong to Christ is belonging to his people. The early church understood this, and they understood it immediately, even in its infancy. And after last week's message, Christ Loving His Church, we should also love what Christ loves. What does this mean? It means full devotion to what Christ loves, not other things that would draw us away. So Acts chapter two here does not describe a perfect church. It describes a devoted one. And this portion of scripture is often admired, even quoted romanticized, but rarely examined honestly. So we're gonna do that this morning. We're gonna examine this closely. Many love the results of this passage, but few are willing to submit to the devotion that produced them. So before Luke, who was the author of the book of Acts, tells us what the church experienced, he tells us what the church was devoted to. And this matters because devotion reveals allegiance. This is a newborn church. And immediately after Pentecost, You could see from verses 37 to verse 41, Peter's first sermon was preached. Luke gives a pattern of church life that flows from the gospel. So the question is not whether we attend church, but whether we are devoted to it. Are we faithful to the body that Christ loves? Or are we quietly devoted to something else, convenience, preference, or comfort? And Luke forces this question on us as we read this account. So from verse 42, it says, if you look, and they devoted themselves. This doesn't mean enthusiasm, excitement, or momentum. This is deliberate. It's a continual commitment. Luke here is describing the normal life of regenerate people. It's not a special season. It's not even a revival moment here. So you notice everything that follows in verses 43 to 47 flows out of verse 42. All, we're gonna see that word. It does not come first. Devotion does. Unity doesn't come first. Devotion does. And growth does not come first. Devotion does. So if we want the early church experienced, we must ask whether we share what the early church was devoted to. And Luke gives us four devotions that are non-negotiable commitments. that marked a church faithful. Now note, these devotions did not make them Christians. They revealed that they were. So our first point here, in verse 42, it says, devoted to the apostles' teaching. So the church is born through the word preached, Acts chapter two, verses 14 through 36. The apostles didn't offer their opinions, they delivered truth. The church was not built on charisma, feelings, or novelty, but revelation delivered. So we see it wasn't from people's abilities, but again, on divine truth. So the church does not gather to discover truth, but to receive it. And the power of the early church did not rest on what the apostles could do, but what God had revealed through them. So this implies the early church was under authority, not discovering their truth. Teaching was not entertainment. It was government, scripture ruling the people. In churches today, if the Bible is optional, listen to this, if the Bible is optional, obedience is impossible. If the person behind the pulpit says they like practical sermons, it could be code for I don't want doctrine. Devotion means the word gets to correct you, interrupt you, retrain your instincts, exposed then what you call normal. You notice they were taught true Christianity, not superficial. They weren't told that the Christian life would be a cakewalk. We know from the epistles that Paul taught the believers would suffer persecution. and that they were all destined for afflictions as Peter and James spoke about trials that all believers must endure. In 2 Peter, for example, 1.14, Peter hinted at his own impending martyrdom. The apostles and elders carried a tremendous burden throughout their days in spreading the gospel as Christ did foretell. Number two. The second devotion, in fellowship explained by verses 44 and verse 45. And all who believe 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. We'll get into this further. But it wasn't just coffee and donuts. But from the Greek word, koinonia, okay? Koinonia, I should say, shared participation, shared life, it's covenant closeness. So Luke defines fellowship here in verses 44 and 45, all who believe were together. They were selling Distributing as any had need. Now this isn't forced socialism. It was voluntary sacrifice because the church is what? The church is a family. True fellowship in Acts chapter 2 verses 42 to 47 required that the early church was to surrender because biblical fellowship cost us time. Money, privacy, convenience, and preference. And even the right to remain uninvolved. Because once Christ joined us to his body, distance is no longer obedience. Third, devotion. The breaking of bread. And it can include shared meals. But Luke here is highlighting something more than dinner. This is church life with table-centered identity. In other words, the Lord's table. And it's here where the church stops talking about unity and actually practices it, as we will later in a few moments. Communion, the supper proclaims Christ's death until he comes. It's not just me and Jesus alone. It is Christ with his body. You cannot say you love the head while refusing the body attached to him. The Lord's table is not a ritual to observe casually. It is a participation, rather, to approach reverently. We take a moment. We examine our heart and come in faith. We approach this with gravity and with grace. This is why being together in fellowship is extremely important and one cannot duplicate this at home. Jesus did not give his ordinances to individuals in isolation. He gave them to his church. A professing believer who continually stays away from the gathered church is not walking in obedience. No matter what they claim to believe, faith is personal, obedience is not private. Now once again, this is not about illness, hardship, or providential absence. This is about a deliberate pattern of disengagement It's simply a refusal to attend church. There are those who flat out refuse because they do not love what Christ loves and do not believe that the church is important to them. And whatever excuse they use, whether they do not believe in organized religion or they say the church isn't for me, I can worship from the confines of my home, All excuses all amount to disobedience. Fourth, devotion to the prayers. This is not prayer in general, but the prayers are corporate, structured, regular. They are God-centered. A church that prays together is admitting we are not sufficient, we need God, we are dependent We're not managing God, but seeking God. Prayer then is the church taking its hand off the illusion of control. Now if I can break down, I kind of sped through these quick, because now we're going to have to dig in to verses 43 through 47. So let's look at the fruit. Let's call it from the root to the fruit. Okay, now this is not a new list of extra devotions. This is what happens when devotions are genuine. This is what a church looks like when it's not built on personality or entertainment or social identity or rituals or mystique. But this is built on Christ and ruled by his word. So let's ask ourselves, as we walk through verses 43 through 47, what kind of church is produced when the word governs, when fellowship is covenantial, when the table is treasured, and when prayer is truly corporate. So here in this final section, we see the fruit of devotion, not additional commands. So in verse 43, an awe came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. So we see awe, and then we see holiness, and then we see reverence, the weight of God. Let's look at Luke saying, awe came upon who? Every soul. I don't want us to miss this, because this means it wasn't just a few serious people that made themselves available, nor a few people interested in doctrinal issues. It doesn't say the older saints, the polished saints, or the more spiritual ones. No, it says awe came upon the whole body. And this is where believers need to be reminded of something. This awe, A-W-E. It's not noise. It's not emotion. It's not hype. What is it? It's a deep spiritual weight that settles on a people because they recognize that God is among us. that God is holy, that God is not to be handled casually. Awe is what happens when the presence of God becomes more real than the presence of a man. Seeing a man of God or those who claim to represent him should not cause us to pause and be awed at his presence. That only leads to idolatry and false worship. This is not what's happening here. They didn't bow down to the apostles. Awe happens when the scripture becomes more commanding than preference. Do you understand? So, may I plainly say, one of the greatest judgments that can fall upon a church is when it can gather week after week and feel nothing of the weight of God. No reverence, no tremble, no seriousness, no fear of the Lord, no sense of holiness, And the issue is not the building, not the music. The issue is the people, whether they are truly spirit-filled, shaped by the word. Because the early church had awe. And here, what we could tell, what we read, that awe produces the following. They carefully listened to the word, because it produced repentance instead of excuses, humility instead of entitlement, reconciliation instead of division. Awe produced reverence, not casual worship. awe is what makes a church feel like the house of God, not a social club. Notice also in verse 43, and I don't want us to miss this, many signs and wonders were done through whom? The apostles. So notice first, They were done through the apostles. Luke is not presenting miracles by everyone, everywhere. He is emphasizing apostolic ministry being confirmed in this foundational era of the church. Second, signs did not replace the word. They served the word. This was not a circus. This here was a confirmation. The people were not running from sign to sign. They were devoted, it says, from verse 42 to what? To the apostles' teaching. So whenever a church decides that signs become the centerpiece and not Christ, then the church drifts. The tents go up and the clowns enter in. I hate to sound funny about it because it's really sad. Whenever experience becomes the center, the church becomes unstable, even though there are thousands in attendance and it looks like it's a happening place. But when Christ is the center and the word is central, then even the extraordinary things cannot compete with scripture. They serve the mission of scripture. Notice the order here. Awe comes and then signs. Awe is not dependent on miracles. Awe comes because God is holy, Christ is risen, and the gospel is true, and God is among his people. Read it. In churches where the Bible is no longer central, something else always takes its place, and oftentimes it's signs, healings, personal experiences. Why do they do this? Because they're not seeking to draw attention to Christ, but to draw attention to themselves. If the only thing that produces awe in a church is spectacle, Then the church has lost the fear of God. And believe me, I've seen things on YouTube that I could not believe possible in a so-called Christian church. You probably have too. But worse, worse, I've heard things out of the mouths in pulpits that are about as unscriptural as one can get. Let's look at verses 44 and 45. 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. Unity and generosity cost something. Luke repeats and expands the fellowship reality. As in verse 42, devoted to fellowship, now in these verses, shows what fellowship looked like in real life. All who believe we're together, verse 44. This isn't just geography. This is spiritual unity. This is a people whose lives have been recentered. The gospel rearranged their priorities. What is one of the clearest signs of your conversion? It isn't merely that you've been born again. It's the fact that you have attached yourself to Christ's people. because Christ has attached himself to you. What did you do as a new convert? You started to have a hunger for his word, then a desire to be with his people. How? You sought a biblically Christ-centered church where the whole counsel of God is taught. Then, as I talked about earlier, the Lord's table as an ordinance. However, there are two, right? What's the second? Baptism. You follow the Lord in believer's baptism. And as an obedient Christian, baptism comes what? After salvation, not before. Nowadays, we add them to the church. In this text, it says all who believed. And this means no pretenders. These are people who had genuine faith, who possessed Christ and not professed. Truly born again, they were all together here. Not occasionally, truly born again, they were all together. Not when they felt like it, Or when they were in the mood, they were together in a way that required the rearranging of their life. They made church a priority. Because Christ loved his church. And they loved Christ. Many Christians isolate themselves, not because they lack association, but in direct contradiction to what scripture teaches. In light of Christ's love for his church, they must examine their hearts according to 1 Corinthians 12, 18 through 21. God himself arranged the members of the body, each one as he chose. Now, while there are times when leadership must be tested by scripture, ongoing willful isolation is not the rejection of pastors, It's the rejection of God's design for the body. You notice in verse 44, what's it say? The second part, B, they had all things in common. This is not government coercion. This is not abolishing ownership as a law. The New Testament later makes it clear believers still owned homes, hosted gatherings, and could give freely. What this did mean was they had a shared sense of stewardship. Their stuff wasn't treated as only my things, as each had need. Their lives were open enough that needs could be seen and their love strong enough that needs could be met. And then verse 45, Selling, distributing as any had need, verse 45. This was not a one-time offering, but sustained sacrificial generosity. The key phrase here is what? As any had need. This means the giving was purposeful and personal. Caring for the truly needy. Today we have our deacon's fund that we use to meet the needs of the church. Acts 2 fellowship involved the family. It's not perfect people for sinners were present, but a redeemed people. Learning to live together. Now this practice was central only to Jerusalem. Verse 46. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts. This was joy and sincere worship, their daily life, day by day. Biblical Christianity, as we know, is not part-time. And Luke shows us the rhythm of their shared life. It was not a Sunday-only faith. The gospel changed how they lived from Monday through Saturday. Do not be confused with what I preached earlier on how some churches feel the need to run families with programs and revival meetings month after month. This verse does not teach that each believer is commanded to meet daily in the exact same structure. This is not what this verse means. What it is teaching is the normal Christian posture is not separation. It is a drawn together life. Day by day then means the church was a lived reality. Not an event filled with programs. Then notice attending the temple together, verse 46. They gathered publicly. identified openly. In other words, they were not ashamed of Christ. This was a joyous people, grateful, happy in the Lord, as we will see shortly. This is a church as a visible community, not hidden disciples, not isolated believers, as a gathered people under God. And then notice breaking bread in their homes. Their life goes from public gathering to private hospitality. Homes become ministry. Tables become ministry. Meals become ministry. Acts 2 says the gospel enters the living room, the kitchen. It opens the home. In other words, the gospel enters the ordinary. If the church cannot enter the ordinary, it will never endure suffering because suffering doesn't wait for Sunday. It was throughout the week. When Scripture speaks of breaking bread in homes, let me be very clear. It's not describing independent churches within churches or self-appointed shepherds operating apart from accountability. These homes were not replacing the gathered body, they were strengthening it. Hospitality is a gift to the church, not a platform for authority or those who have become disgruntled within the church. Teaching, shepherding, doctrinal oversight were never detached from recognized leadership. Whenever home gatherings drift into parallel authority, untested teaching or personality-driven leadership, they stop being an expression of Acts chapter 2 and become something else entirely. Elders are called and recognized by the church. not by home gatherings, not by personalities or private circles. This is not denominational preference. This is New Testament order. In Acts chapter 14, verse 23, it says they appointed elders for them in every church. One more thing in scripture, homes host fellowship and the church calls elders. I think that's important. Again, in verses 46 and then in verse 47, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day, those who were being saved. We see the heart tone, glad and generosity. Let's quickly focus on these three words, okay? First word in verse 46, glad. You know what the definition of glad is? It's the opposite of sad. This isn't shallow happiness. But do you know what it really means here? Gospel joy. It's the settled confidence that Christ has risen, our sins are forgiven, and God has not abandoned his people. You wonder why the early church was so excited? Let us not lose sight of that, provided we belong to him. If we're sitting here worried about politics, Worrying about our bank accounts. Worrying about things that are going to go to waste. In other words, the temporary. We're wasting our time. If we're constantly have anxiety and worry, our priorities that are misplaced. For the believer, this does not mean life is easy. But what it does mean is because Christ is with us and we have the Holy Spirit, we will endure hardship with gladness. What does James say? Count it all joy. Notice, glad is experienced in the simple things. With receiving their food. These are ordinary meals. But it came with extraordinary gratitude. Well, we as a people complain about grocery prices. Notice next, generous hearts. Some translations read simplicity or sincere hearts. The idea here is open handedness and singleness. In other words, without a double motive, without manipulation, they were not doing fellowship to be seen. They weren't being generous to be praised. It was sincere, it was clean, it was straightforward. It was to please their Savior. If you're here and it's everything but to please your Savior, then let's ask yourselves, why am I here? If I have a heart of complaining, or bitterness, or worry, and it's not, I need to please my Savior, then there's something out of whack. I'm not saying that we can't walk around grumpy and having a complaint here and there, because we do. But our number one motive should be to please the Lord above and beyond everything else. Especially in the infancy of 2026. It was sincere, it was clean, it was straightforward, it was to please their Savior. And that's why verse 47, it says, praising God. The very first thing. When a church is devoted properly, worship naturally rises. Praise comes to the forefront. Luke is not describing a worship style, a mood or emotional state. He's not describing a musical atmosphere, not even a reaction to the signs. Because praise is not generated by experience. It is produced by obedience. Because if you notice verse 42, devotion to teaching, devotion to fellowship, devotion to breaking of bread, and the prayers, verses 43 to 46, fear, generosity, unity, submission, shared life, then verse 47, praising God, praise is the fruit of faithfulness. And then look, witness in favor with outsiders, having favor with all people. This does not mean everyone agreed with them because persecution will soon come, but their life was evident marked by their generosity, their integrity, and their devotion. Even those who did not believe could not deny, for they could not be dismissed as being hypocritical or disingenuous. The church was visible, faithful, and loving. And then comes the cherry on the cake. The Lord adds. True growth. Growth is not our work, it's the Lord's work. The Lord added. Not marketing, not charisma, not innovation, not entertainment. Now I don't discount marketing and the church. We need to do our due diligence and not be unwise. However, scripture doesn't describe salvation as a divine appointment. It describes it as a divine act of God's grace. We do not schedule it, produce it, or complete it. We bear witness, in other words, we give the gospel, and God saves. The church plants and waters, God gives the growth. This passage ends with not us as a church boasting, but with Christ ruling. Because it says those who were being saved, not church attendees, religious folk, nor fans of the apostles. Those who were being saved, not added to an audience, but added to the redeemed community. Like I said last week, numbers alone is not how we view growth, nor are they the measure of health. What is it? Salvation is the measure, conversion is the miracle, holiness and devotion are the evidence. We are trusting the Lord to add to his church, and we reject manipulative methods But we also recognize that God ordinarily adds through faithful proclamation of the gospel. Our calling, each and every one of us here, is not to manufacture growth, but neither is it to retreat from us to give out the gospel. We can't have the attitude, well, he's gonna save, and we just sit back and let him, and we're not gonna share the gospel. That is not it, folks. Notice, day by day, the same phrase returns. Not only were they living church life day by day, but God was saving day by day. When the church is Christ-focused, prayer-focused, faithfulness, devotion, then the Lord brings results. What verses 43 to 47 prove is this. Devotion produces awe, verse 43. Real unity and costly love, verses 44 and 45. Devotion produces a lived rhythm of gathered plus home life, verse 46. Joy and sincerity, verse 46. Worship, verse 47. It produces credible witness, verse 47, and God-given growth. If we want the fruit, then we cannot fake it. Then we have to return to the root. Now, before we approach the Lord's table, I need to acknowledge something very carefully. Because when we speak of devotion to the body of Christ, I'm not dismissing the real wounds some carry from church context. Some in churches endure manipulation, verbal harm, spiritual intimidation, or worse, at the hands of leaders or fellow believers. This was not Christ's design and it grieves him. Scripture never demands silence in the face of sin nor submission to abuse. Where the fear of the Lord is absent, even religious language can become dangerous. But we must also be careful not to let the sin of men redefine the church of Christ purchased with his blood. The failures of false shepherds do not dismiss what has happened in some of these churches. So I just wanted to say that and thank the Lord that it's not, I'm not speaking about, of course, in this particular church, but some other churches, of course, have gone through some sort of abuse, whether it was physical or any other kind of abuse. And that's why it's important to have plurality of elders in churches. But in any case, that does not cancel Christ's authority if people have gone through some horror stories that we read of in some churches' circles. Christ does not abandon his church, nor has he surrendered it to corruption. He remains her head, her shepherd, her builder, and where his word is taught, his people's gathered, and His grace is trusted. The church still stands imperfect, yes, but precious, redeemed, and sustained by Him alone. So as we prepare our hearts, it is the same faithful Lord who now invites us to examine our own hearts as we look back 2025 is over and now we are in our first Sunday of 2026 and we are the gathered ecclesia, the call out ones, gathered together to be a follow the four points in the message today. And as the deacons come forward, and Daniel is going to distribute the elements this morning, we are to examine our hearts as we do celebrate the Lord's table.