Acts 3: Life in Community

This week, Dave Blow continues in our series about the early church with a message about what it looks like to life in community. The early church lived in a radical sort of community. What should ours look like?

Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.

Home Church Questions:

1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?

2. Read Acts 2:42-47 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you most about the picture of the early church in this passage? What do you find inspiring, surprising, or challenging about the way these believers lived together?

3. The early church devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. Which of these practices comes most naturally to you? Which one would you like to grow in?

4. Dave suggested that authentic community requires honesty rather than perfection. Why can vulnerability be difficult in church settings? What helps people feel safe enough to be genuine?

5. Shared meals played an important role in the life of the early church. Can you think of a time when hospitality, a meal, or a simple conversation helped you feel welcomed, encouraged, or connected?

6. The early Christians were known for their generosity and concern for one another. What does generosity look like beyond money? How can we be more attentive to the needs of people around us?

7. If someone observed our church community today, what signs of Christ-like love would they see? Where might God be inviting us to grow?

8. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.

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Website: theharbournewmarket.ca
Email: david@theharbournewmarket.ca

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Well, good morning everybody. Beautiful summer day out there. No air conditioning needed at night. Thinking the money we're saving. Oh, that's a beautiful thing. Well, our text this morning, and we'll we'll start with that. Five five short verses, but uh packed with power. So let me power up my Bible. My um handler is not here again this morning. And uh yeah. Have to use the phone, don't tell on me, please. The believers form a community. Acts chapter 2, verses 42 to 47. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, including the Lord's Supper, and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many signs and wonders, and all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity, all the while praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people, and each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. And I think we're going to see today one of the most beautiful pictures of the church found anywhere in Scripture. What did the early church do? How did they live together? And Acts gives us a simple but profound snapshot of life in the earliest Christian community. And what we discover is that the church was not built primarily around programs, it wasn't primarily built around buildings or performances, it was built around relationships. Shared meals, prayer, generosity, worship, learning, and care for each other. So, in other words, we're going to discover this morning that uh the church became a community before it became an institution. And I believe that matters, friends. I believe people are spiritually hungry. I believe they're really hungry for authentic community. And we're in a unique, kind of strange moment culturally, I think. In a time when we're more digitally connected than ever, people seem to feel profoundly lonely. So a little example of community. I'll get you to throw up camera screen. This comes from a little event I was at yesterday. There's a bit of a backstory, as there usually is with me. This is a backyard in beautiful downtown Thornton, Ontario, which is in the Innisville area. A couple of years ago, I married this couple, and it's unique. A, the wedding was in January. So you don't get a lot of weddings in January, so you tend to develop a little stronger relationship. But they couldn't have been farther apart. The groom couldn't have been whiter, a lily white, fine Baptist young man who had fallen in love with a Nigerian, young Nigerian girl who I can assure you could not have been darker. And uh they had this fabulous wedding where two cultures came together. Um we celebrated Jesus, and I have no idea why their pastor didn't do the wedding. I honestly didn't ask. I was happy to do it, and life carries on. Well, about six months ago, they reached out and said, Pastor David, we're having a baby and we want to do an infant baptism. And I go, Oh, well, you mean a dedication? Oh no, no, no, we mean an infant baptism. Hmm. And all kinds of things are going through my mind, but um, you know, we uh we had a meeting of the minds, and so yesterday I had an opportunity to do an infant baptism slash dedication. We covered all our bases, and when he reaches or she reaches the age of accountability, they have that beautiful swimming pool there so we can do a full baptism. That's another story for down the road. Now it's 15 minutes before this was all supposed to begin, and as you can see, the Nigerian side hadn't uh hadn't arrived yet. But my point is we had this wonderful celebration of community, of cultures. Um, they asked me if I had a a gold chalice, and I'm like, well, no. Um I have Tupperware, some of it from my wedding shower almost 50 years ago, but that was okay. I was still allowed to come, and uh our grip was um was tightly tightly controlled. They wanted half an hour, and I'm like, boy, that's a long time. Um, you know, weddings don't usually take half an hour. So we had a meeting of the minds, and Jesus was there. The gospel was um, I won't say was preached, but um it was pretty clear how Jesus felt about children and how Hannah and the Old Testament felt about children, and I can honestly say the Nigerian side, there were many amens and yes, yes, yes. So everything was quite expressive, and um, I think all the the young white father he got quite burnt throughout the day, and uh what a time. Anyhow, my point, and I'll better get into this. Um, it was just community in action, it was simple. Um, but Jesus was there, and it was clear that people wanted to be there. I would say they longed to be there, and um it was just it was just a great time. Well, verse 24 says that the people devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. A simple sentence, but it contains the foundation of the early church. So we need to notice firstly the word devoted. Well, what does it mean to be devoted? Well, we can use that a number of ways. We can be devoted to a person, someone loving and caring and prioritizes the well-being of another, i.e., devoted partner, devoted parent. We know many who are devoted to a cause, a dedicated focus, or strongly attached to a belief or a passion. And we can also be devoted to an object or a topic, something that's used exclusively for a specific purpose, i.e., you know, a section of your property that may be devoted to gardening or something like that. Now, this wasn't casual participation that we see often in our culture today. This is a group that intentionally shaped their lives together around certain practices, and we can't assume that it was easy, I mean, acts as full of persecution as we're going to see. And we're also going to see words like sharp disagreement. So not everyone was on the same page all the time. But generally speaking, around teaching and fellowship and prayer, these basic ordinary practices, um God formed a beautiful community. So when I look at the word devoted and I wonder, okay, well, what were they as a church really devoted to? I see a number of things. And firstly, teaching. Now, the early Christians wanted to learn the way of Jesus together. So faith was not just an emotional excitement from Pentecost, it also involved formation. Um and so, you know, we do live in that culture now of, you know, we we want, we invite the Holy Spirit, and uh we we talked about that last week in Pentecost, um Pentecost Sunday, and all that went on there. Um but knowledge was also important, formation. And the apostles basically taught people how to live in the kingdom of God, and that reminds us moving forward that that church or the Christian faith involves two things, your heart as well as your mind. And I can remember um, you know, when I applied to seminary, um, there was a bit of skepticism. We were attending a wonderful Pentecostal church in um in Keswick, and I applied and I had to have a reference from our from the pastor, and uh uh they wanted one at that time to get into Tyndale from a board member, and they were very, I mean, they were very supportive of going, but it was always Dave, don't let the Holy, you know, don't lose the Holy Spirit. And I'm like, you know what? I think, I think the head and heart can go to seminary. And uh we did. And um yeah, it was it was certainly formational. Well, we're being shaped by something, aren't we? By media, by politics, fear, consumerism, social pressure. Doesn't take long to to find something that or someone that wants to shape us. And uh the early church intentionally allowed the teaching of Jesus to shape their lives instead of what was happening around them. And that's important for us today, friends, because following Jesus is not just agreeing on certain beliefs, but it allows us to be completely transformed and how we be treat people and how we spend money and resolve conflict and love enemies. And one, of course, important to me, how we care for the vulnerable. So these teachings are way more than abstract ideas, they're invitations into a new way of being. Well, we can listen to sermons, I enjoy that. We can read books, I enjoy that, we can follow podcasts, I really enjoy that, but we can remain emotionally closed, and I think that's the challenge. And it's hard to move from that space of being judgmental or impatient or fearful or disconnected. So we want to be devoted people who not only rely on information but transformation to the into the likeness of Jesus. Now I love the term fellowship, they devoted themselves to fellowship. Boy, we've heard that a lot over the years, haven't we? Fellowship. Well, from the Greek koinonia, it means deep spiritual partnership or shared life, mutual participation rather than casual socializing. And it develops and describes a strong active bond of unity among believers that was expressed more than just socializing, but the sharing of resources, the sharing of suffering and devotion to the apostles' teaching. Now, fellowship is one of those words that we use frequently, especially in my my little Christian subculture. I have a lot of Christian friends, and we just, are you coming for fellowship? And we say it kind of jokingly because I heard that a lot 50 years ago. Everything was youth fellowship, adult fellowship, seniors fellowship. And those are great times. Don't get me wrong, those are those are wonderful. But the word takes it one step further, and it means a shared life. So we're gonna see as we get into Axemore that the early church shared resources that went far beyond simple socializing. It was radical, it was action-oriented, and it was a commitment that required holding mutual goods in common and opening homes and sacrificing finances to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the community. Now, the ouchie one, finances, material assets. We like those. And we see here that the text talks about liquidating possessions. Believers sold land and personal property to create a communal fund. The money was distributed directly to anyone experiencing hardship. Now, as the church grew beyond its initial community, this resource sharing expanded, and the Apostle Paul collected funds from non-Jewish churches across Macedonia, and uh yeah, they supported the impoverished believers in Jerusalem. And in pastoral care, the sharing of resources was so crucial that the early church appointed the first deacons in Acts chapter six, specifically to oversee the daily distribution of food and care to vulnerable widows. So you can see there's a lot going on here. That over time required some infrastructure. But again, it was it was more, it was still more. Hospitality and homes. There were no dedicated public church buildings, so believers opened their private residences, transforming them into house churches. And they would have been hubs for gathering meals for prayer. They ate together, they broke bread together, they shared food, they celebrated the Lord's Supper. And this, which isn't said clearly, would have acted as a great equalizer among social classes when everyone was invited to worship together. And the community also shared words of exhortation, bore each other's burdens, and pooled their diversity in spiritual gifts, and that's a beautiful thing. I think they were devoted to belonging, it was simple participation in each other's lives. And isn't that one of our great challenges today? Many people are surrounded by acquaintances. We have lots of acquaintances, but still are starved for deep relationships, and that requires vulnerability. Well, the early church was certainly not a communion or a community of flawless people. Nowhere does it say that. Well, we all carry wounds and questions and brokenness, and I think genuine community can begin when we stop pretending otherwise. And I would submit that one of the reasons people were drawn to this model in the early church was not because they were a particularly impressive lot, but they loved and cared for each other, and that transcends everything. Now, Axe mentions here the breaking of bread or shared meals. And I would say this likely included both communion and ordinary meals and homes. And let's never underestimate the spiritual significance of the table. Um we look back throughout the ministry of Jesus, meals mattered. Um and we we kind of laugh and joke about it these days. Um, you know, the Christians love to eat, they love to go to Swiss Let. Yep. Um, but grace happens around the table, and meals make us slow down, they make us create conversations, and they help us build relationships. And one thing I've learned this week, there's something crucial about being welcomed at a table. Have you ever had a Monday morning when boy, I just don't feel like going to work? And I like my and I like what I'm doing. But I talk to Rick. Rick and I talk a lot of Monday mornings. Um, and I would be quite open. I was in the parking lot at John Howard um about 5 to 9, and I'm like, man, it's Monday. I feel tired. I'm not even sure I want to go to work today. I just feel tired. And it was, I wasn't mad at anyone. The weekend was fine. Um, I just felt tired, and it was Monday morning. So I entered the uh office, and the uh my 20-something colleagues, uh, they looked like they wanted to be there on a Monday morning even less than I did. They were uh they were quite tired. It had been a busy weekend for some, I'm thinking. And you know, we started our day, and my computer fires up, and uh about 20 to 10, Matthew walked in. Now, Matthew has been on my caseload since last fall. What strikes me about Matthew is two things. He's young, he's 27, so I don't feel I can give up on him. And his probation officer cares deeply. So Matthew came in and um he had not been uh, you know, he had been sleeping outside and looked pretty, pretty rough. Um just needed some respite. So we went in to the office and he spoke very, very softly. I could hardly hear him. He had been in jail. Um he suffers from schizophrenia, and the good thing about jail is he had his um his medications stabilized. So he was now on medication for his schizophrenia. And so we were able to have a bit of a conversation, just how life was going, and um, he wished he could reconnect with his mom. And over about a half an hour we just talked. And I didn't have a lot to say other than just to encourage him. I looked at his hands, I I held his hands, and he had uh burnt them in the in the winter around a fire, and of course, didn't get the proper medical attention, so they had become infected. But it looks like his hands had cleared, and we just talked for 45 minutes, and uh I suggested that he call his mom, and I gave him he of course he has no phone, so I gave him my phone, said, Call your mom. Well, I'll just get a voicemail. Well, call your mom and just let her know you're okay. Let her know you're here and you're okay. And off he went. And I sat there after he left by myself, and I'm like, I think I know why I came to work today. Um and that set my tone for the whole for the whole week. Um nothing flashy. Matthew just feels unseen and isolated. So for a few moments he felt seen and supported. Um I sent him off with uh a little gift card and some and some stuff in his knapsack. And I don't know when I'll see him again. His appointment with his probation officer is early June, so hopefully then. He's clean, so I've been praying that uh somehow he would God would give him the strength not not to use and that he would just take his medication. Nothing more. And I think my biggest takeaway, church, was the fact that ministry doesn't only happen on a Sunday or on stages or on platforms. It happens maybe most office, and most often in kitchens and tables or even during simple conversations. Well, praying together, Acts says the early believers devoted themselves to prayer, not because prayer was a ritual obligation, because prayer reminded them of their dependence on God. It grounded the community, it united people, and I think it reminded them that the church ultimately belongs to God. And when you look at the whole institution and our Christian community through that lens, and we and we pray that your will be done, it changes us, that type of praying. Because it reshapes our hearts, right? It's now not just a mind thing, it's a heart thing. And we know that conflicts happen and misunderstandings happen, fatigue happens. Um we've seen it all. But without prayer, communities often become reactive, defensive, and divided. So may we be a praying church that draws people back towards grace. Well, I saved this one for almost last. Radical generosity. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Now, this passage has been debated and interpreted in different ways throughout church history. So here's my take on that. So the first question: was this Christian communism? Well, some have argued that the early church practiced a form of communism because possessions were shared and wealth was redistributed to anyone in need. However, most Christian scholars point out some distinctions here, and I would certainly line up. I think it's good to know that property ownership, we see, was not abolished. People own property. And giving, if we look carefully, appears to have been voluntary, not forced or coerced. And believers still met in private homes, suggesting that many would have retained ownership of property. We see that in Acts 2, 46. And in Acts 5, when Ananias and Sapphira were confronted, Peter says the property was theirs before it was sold and the money was theirs after it was sold, indicating that private ownership would still have existed. So the consensus among most of biblical scholars that I would align with would suggest that this wasn't state-controlled communism, but radical voluntary generosity motivated simply by the Holy Spirit. Now, another debate can concerns whether Luke intended this as permanent or just something unique for the moment. I mean, some would argue that this was a special situation in Jerusalem. There had been thousands of pilgrims come for Pentecost, and many stayed longer than expected and became believers. So extraordinary need required extraordinary generosity, and we certainly see that. Others would suggest that this is a normative pattern for all churches. Others believe that Luke is presenting a model of spirit-filled community that should inspire us all throughout the generations and the generations to come. So we can disagree over how the practice looks and how it may have varied, but the principle of sacrificial sharing is timeless. So I would say that most interpreters kind of line in the middle. The specific method of distribution may have been unique, but the spirit of generosity is intended for all of us. Now, did they sell everything? Because the text says they sold property and possessions, but the Greek verb suggests that this was kind of ongoing action rather than a one-time liquidation of assets. So I would understand it this way, church. People sold assets or did what they needed to do as needs arose. Various members sold land or possessions from time to time. And I don't think the goal was universal poverty, but just meeting needs within the community. And we're going to see as we move through Acts, and I'd encourage you to read it. It's a book that's very, very readable. But we see Barnabas a few chapters down the road selling a field and donating the proceeds. Now, why did they do it? Another good question. Well, the Holy Spirit told them the miracle of Pentecost was not merely the speaking of tongues, it was transformed relationships. So now we have a community that worships together, eats together, shares resources together, and care for each other. And the Spirit creates a new type of family and a family that I would long for in our context, that's for sure. Why doesn't every church look like this? These are things that keep me awake at the middle of the night. Questions like, this seems easy. It's in the book, it's in the text. Why don't we do this? Well, some would argue that modern church has become too individualistic and that some should recover more of their radical generosity. And others note that New Testament churches do not appear to have adopted the exact same economic arrangement. Instead, the emphasis shifts towards generosity in caring for the poor and helping struggling believers, and that's all good. So we're going to always probably quibble over how this gets done, perhaps, but the principle remains the same. We're called to radical generosity. And so my question would be: do I view what I own as mine alone? Or is it something that God may use to meet the needs of others? And so the challenge of Acts 2 today is not just an economic challenge, it's about a spirit-filled community that's as concerned about the neighbors' needs as well as our own. And that's the beauty of this passage, friend, this morning. Well, joy and simplicity, as we wind down here. I love that line. Joy. It means a lot. Not just surviving spiritually. This was a community that was alive. And sometimes with all that's going on in life, well, it's all good. Getting to the conclusion. That's that's our getting to the conclusion music. Yeah. This this was a model, friends, of a church that was alive. And when we are left exhausted, tired, distracted, hurried. Um, I'm living proof of that uh this past week. Just busy. What a beautiful model the church practice, a slower rhythm centered around each other, relationships, worship, generosity. And finally, Luke says, and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Why? Because the gospel had become visible from community, visible through community. People encountered the love of Jesus through the lives of his followers, and so this is important. The church is not just about saying something to others, communicating truth. It's about how we live it together. And the world notices that. I believe the world notices people and communities that are shaped by compassion and grace and forgiveness, not perfect, but honest and loving ones. And in a polarized world, in a lonely world, and very much so an angry world, the church is called to something different. Well, the early church was far from perfect. As Acts continues, we're gonna see conflict, we're gonna see disagreement, we're gonna see failure, we're gonna see growing pains, but yet the spirit continued working through imperfect people, learning to love one another, and hopefully that's an encouragement this morning. This is all about learning how to walk together in grace and not to have everything all figured out. It's about encountering Jesus and the everyday rhythm of ordinary shared life, and that's our invitation this morning to become a community where people are welcomed, known, cared for, and shepherded towards Jesus. Not because we're impressive, but simply because the Spirit is forming an ordinary people into a beautiful community of hope. Let's pray together. Well, Heavenly Father, we again thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit. And we thank you for how it relates to each one of us individually and forms us into what we are called to do and most importantly how we are called to serve. This morning I pray that we are a community of grace. May we model that well, the peace and love and care of Jesus with each other and into our community at large. And we just thank you for what you've done for us and what you will continue to do in Jesus' name. Amen.