October 23 First Service: "Mastering the Basics" Acts 2:42-47

I was trying to brew some coffee back there so I can pass it around a little bit. I know, the only service is a little tough, right? We all say, welcome this morning. We hope you are excited and I think he doesn't fly. So they don't worry until we're we're going to be. I want like you do for your Bible, to turn to God's word in the book of Acts book of Acts is a unique book of scripture. This actually, the only historical book did we have in the New Testament and the book Act 4 at the entitled. Some of the Acts of the Apostles is obviously not everything. Can be recorded, this written down, but what we do know is God gave us this location for a reason. You're finding your way there. I'm going to share with you and William introduction for a message today. This is part two of when I'm considering and calling her foundation series. Does Ben or share with our young people about the foundations of a tree and how it grows and having Deep Roots and being able to weather the storms of life. I would argue to be the same for us in the church there when we have to be true. We too, will be able to sway and slow, without being knocked over and we'll be able to stand and produce. I've gone uses up the shed, light to the world. In the book of Acts in the beginning, chapter chapter 2, and find a place in vs42 through 47. And as you're there, I'm going to share You know, I do have a military background, I promise you all, my illustrations will not be military.

Come into effect in 1980. There was a an operation by the name of operation Eagle Claw. Had a purpose of this operation was, we were gathering a bunch of US military delete special, operator called Clearwater, Delta Force guys, because of a 1979 Iranian crisis. 52 of our Americans were held hostage in Iran in the President Carter, and his wisdom that I'm going to gather together or Delta Force guys, along with some Airforce and Marines, and others. And we're going to send them to rescue and free those captives from their hostage situation. I just operation known as desert claws, a desert eagle ball as it went into the area into Iran encounter, all kinds of problems. What are the aircraft actually? Struck a C-130. It was refueling it. That's what you A service numbers came through life, trying to rescue these 52 hot. It was considered as failure by all essential purposes. Matter fact, so much of it Time contributed to his loss to Ronald Reagan because of this incident. And in 1980, when Ronald Reagan was elected within hours of his election, the hostages have been free due to political negotiation. What does that mean for us? I want to focus on the men that were sent there to do this and what special characteristics they had. Now you'll notice the next picture. This is a really cool picture. This is what we all want to do and what we all want to hang out, the side of a little bird, go down and shoot Targets on the Move, while you're flying. But how do you get to that point?

But what you don't see if the hours and The Agony and the pain and the sweat of what it takes to be able to perform at that level to be successful. Now you'll see the next picture, let me share with you that work with some of these guys. Here's what made them so different. And this is the point where all of his, what made them. So

Why should I make a free hot to just from captivity? Here's what they thought. I was training with the sergeant major, who the guy we were doing some weapons training and then question was asked, what makes you so good? We unlike you master the basics. I'm going to think if we master the basics, we do it so well that we can't do it wrong, never heard that before. Don't learn until you get it right for, do it, right? So well that you can't do it. Wrong pizzas. From everything we do from how we draw a pistol to how we engaged the house, we reloaded magazine. Everything is the same way for every man on the team. We have mastered them long before we ever get on the little bird long before we ever go into a hostage situation, we have been team have mastered the fundamentals, what does that mean for you? And I, I would argue that we look at this text scripture here today. Where can I buy lights for fundamentals? That I would argue at the church. We have to match her long before we're ever going to leave someone out of bondage in the freedom in Jesus. Acts 2:42 247. We're going to put them up on the screen but isn't part one of the message we're going to focus on today that we're going to look at what this word mean to be devoted, right? Devotedly. Perseverance.

Baldor do all of us know what the motion is. We're devoted to a lot of different things. Our jobs are Hobbies, our children are passions. We know what the motion is. I told Shannon often my wife that I have a nightmare, but what is it? I wake up in the sniper sniper, but I'm somewhere in this place in and I have died. And you're selling off all of my tools that part is she selling them for, like, for wrapping. That's the timer.

I'm not argue the scripture here is going to call us, and we're going to seem to be both to be devoted to me. Daily Pacific areas of our Christian walk.

Doing. All right, here we go. Pick it up in 42 and they do themselves to the apostles, teaching in the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers and all came. Upon every soul in Many Wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. and all who believed were together and have all things in common and they were selling their possessions of the Longing, To Distributing the proceeds to all and any Add a my day attending the temple together and bring him home. They received the 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 the same, we know that you and your work will not be smoking. All that is shared today will draw each and everyone of us closer to you, it will edify the body of Christ. Do I help us the map the very basics of what you call it to be at the church about a week phrase that if there's one here that does not know, you just want to hear this.

But we pray that today would be the day that they would encounter.

Amen. The DNA of the first-century church, I remember reading a report, my wife and I, we like those kind of phone for most hit a little bit of gardening and plant of rain in Wheaton. All the things that I remember reading about, Pharaoh one time and they found one of the tombs in the pyramids and it was considered to be something you could ever find another vegetables and whatnot because it had been on the altar over the thousands of years before you place and that's it. I would argue for the church we could ever get back to understanding. What the first century Church really was all about, he would rock our world. Can a Western influence Church Society were never noticed her people that claim Christ with them out for their actions are far from it is simple business around the world and we grow to church because that's what grandma did.

If you didn't go to church, then you are out of the cultural norm.

if we could ever understand what the first, I believe we will transform the world. We would see some of the things we see going on in our government, and our school board in our County and all the processes, where we going play, everywhere we go, we can return to that. But let's look at what it would take to return of his issue of being demoted and it's something that we give to Donna, specifically reserved for. I'm not for someone else notice again with me a 42. And they do a voted themselves to the apostles Beach, 40 discuss what devotion mean? What number is what? They focus on. The order in which we read them in scripture, there are certain place where he gave us that worrying. And that order for a very specific purpose is one of them needs to be devoted to the Apostle secret. What was that?

Sproles in gathering baseball practice today and learn in Judaism.

History of the death deferral. Jesus Christ, giving witness to the Miracles.

The deaf hear the blind, see the lame walk. This was the first to explain himself to the apostles teaching. What does that mean for you? And I What does Devotion to the apostles teaching? He'll give you a couple things and what this looks like. Worst number one that looks like transformation, not information, go with me. So what do I mean about that? Cuz I have met some really gifted Bible knowledge. People But their life was far from Christ. I knew that because it about this business meeting, they showed that their life was far from Christ, amen. Amen. Right. There was transformation. Not an information about price. I love Sunday school, I love teaching and I love all the stories that we have from David and Goliath to Samuel to the Joshua.

For the gospel is about. It's not about you getting smarter about. Truth is by you being transformed by what we see in the power Juice It Up on Sunday, instead of sitting on my back patio, drinking coffee or playing call or going somewhere else to because something transformational happen.

The transformation not just information transfer what we're studying the word of God. It's because it's done something in our life. It's done something for you to you that you can't shake it. I mean never try to walk away from.

Come on, back over here, to leave the ninety-nine to go after the one dummy that needs to come on back that cheapest. Water from the fold. Scott gets a hold of your attention to pay pull you back. It says no, you belong up deal. I'll give you a guarantee of the table in the down, payment, affect the holy spirit in you. I know your conversion was real. Guess what? I'm going to remind you about it. When we look at ourselves the Apostle TG transformation in our lives, not just the information that we have in our lives that leads to an imitation of Christ only been transformed. Just inform. Now there becomes an application when we begin to live it out in our lives and then we live in or imitating price. I want her to send the greatest form of flattery is imitation. Never seem to ever show up at school or work your co-worker on Sunday, have on the same shirt. You knew, and you feel like I thought I was going to expect when they had it, right? We came at a price. We imitate what he's taught because why were devoted to the apostles teaching and what were they teach you?

There were teaching about price life, so easy transformation with the application and thirdly, then transform our daily life and others are going to ask. So we got to tell what's different about you and we share with them. The replication wife to Proclamation, we see others coming to know price See if that fruit that we bear on. That tree begins to drop his seeds around. That's what happened. So these start to take root next thing. You know, you've gone from one little seasoning to entire Forest, they can help each other with Stan, the wind isn't beautiful.

We don't have to pick up, you don't have to make him throw up everywhere except on the ball and they going to ground there. But us when we become cries when were transformed and others around us are transformed 11447 Winstead and the Lord added to the number daily, those who were being sick. It's not a program.

That won't be live that when others see it in our life. We understand what it means to be devoted to you. I'll some teaching as we transition. Amen. Hallelujah, I'm praying for you. David Wright.

But here's the deal. Let me share a little coin. Most of us understand what these little ring on her finger major symbol. If you're married, that's all good. And well, and if you're married you have a home to live in your spouse and you live together at all. Imagine for a moment you were married but you didn't go home. Very often. How long would it take for you to stay away from home before you think you're relation? Being back to negatively. WYD saying what? I wish you going through with my spouse is going to be strength, it's going to be difficult, it's going to be challenging. As they were voted to The Fellowship of the body of Christ.

Koinonia this word that we have that we got the car, got to spell it out there for you. In the group text in Fellowship is an act of sharing in the Activities Association or group how much like being married when we don't go home and we stay away from our spouse for too long. Are in our relationship, our fellowship with our spouse impact, but you know, it's the same thing with your church. The fellowship we have the body of prices, something special about when we got them last week during the week, David. And I have a sound booth on the sanctuary. We were working on the same, then we came in here too and I asked him, did you ever notice Gathered is just a building. Void of life, there's no energy. It's just a building. A man, when the church is Deborah's work cited, there's something in the air. There's energy going on because the Fellowship of the body or something, we draw off of one another There's a prank, we have this point nonia disfellowshipped. It only comes in our relationship with Christ that you might have friends that are not safe ever. Known as you're not as drawn to lose friends or Brothers and Sisters in Christ. There's something about the relationship that we now have my soul that we were talking about earlier greatest things in the Sequoia, redwood tree different study, how they grow, how they can stand for hundreds of years. And you've mastered tree that. You can drive a car through the Sequoia redwoods, The Roots intermingle, and eventually the trees, all throw together under the soil and they draw from one another, to get the nourishment, the weather, the storm. That's why. When there's a great fire

He can text me Wipeout. Because they're all intertwined together, but that's what the body of Christ looks like it looks flat on the surface. We're all intermingled with each other's life, that's the fellowship. So here's four facts about fellowship with you. If you ain't a note, take a bunch. A mess up your pants. Here we go. For Fellowship Fellowship. I've got design.

Part of the creation account in day6, was God, created, man and woman have created them. Male and female he created them, he created them.

Call Walter Miss Adam and woman in the Garden of Eden and they knew his voice. Don actually designed you and I to be heard and to be in fellowship with one another to understand what that relationship was like. It was until Genesis 3:8 that we see if something was fractured in that Fellowship, not only got designers that way. The fellowship was broken because of our When we sin we create them or we can we go in and we Indulgence in. If it's the same thing to Adam and woman did in the Garden of Eden, when they desire to disobey God and follow their own desires and choose to eat from the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. And when they did Shirley, they were cursed and they would indeed. I got promise fulfilled. But when we bring Fellowship of God, when we left sitting in our lives were saying, I want what I want, which is more important than you got and I'm going to repel against you. If we know it was a natural part of God's design, we know that our fellowship is broken because of our own desires. Never have a falling out with a friend. They said something or do something, or maybe you did it all the sudden, you don't talk no more. You don't go to dinner, you don't make a scene together. No more. You don't invite him over, you don't have coffee. You don't do any of those things. Longwood Subdivision. Travel store that relationship. It's hard. We get to the point where we don't even want to call them. We don't pick up the phone. We don't send cards no more. We just write it all because I'm too ashamed and barely think I can ever make that white again. But you know, that's the same thing that happens. If anyone they look at their own life they think I'm so broken. I could never I can't reach out. I think he's done with me. I can never I can never cross that bridge again cuz you know the love of Christ sixties anything for your skin. Relationship with God. So loved the world that he gave his only begotten, son been so ever leave him without her.

Every one of our sin.

The line on your tax return. Stealing a piece of candy at the Chuck-E-Cheese. Doing something else. Something else. Even more grief because they're all the same since it keeps us out. Fellowship But aren't you glad? But while I wasn't dying, what a beautiful picture by the way, y'all know that?

Early Fellowship is distorting price. John 13, John the writer of the Gospel of John and then three other letters and the Revelation told him the following. At first John chapter 1, verse 3 that which we have seen. And we heard we Proclaim also to you so that you too may have fellowship with us. And indeed our fellowship it with the father and with his son Jesus we have the body of Christ, Koinonia Fellowship East South Street and we work together for strengthened by one another when you're struggling. We come alongside you, I come alongside you and I lift you up. I pray for you. I heard you sometime.

But we do that to support the love and wrote it in a fight and nurture purview correct and praying for righteousness sake, that's what we're called to do. But Fellowship strengthens God's people so much. Do the writer viewers and Hebrews, 10:24 and 25, reminder 6, and that we live in a digital age for the last 2 years. Meddling two and a half years. We've got a really good taste of what it's like not to be able to Fellowship because of covid and his disobedient. It is kept us away and we got online and they want a cup of coffee. When you begin the fellowship boss, what's there's something missing? What the church couldn't gather when our churches were shut down and we couldn't come together and assemble doing something in my life. That was something different.

What an empty church, pastor up one another to love and good works. Not neglecting to meet together as is the apple song.

They're already starting to wane in our fellowship. They're already like leaky, bethel's forgetting. The very thing that Christ didn't want to slack off and on come together. Good morning, he reminds us but encourage one another and all the more if you receive a Dave drawing. What beautiful thing we devoted to the fellowship, we need to be doing again and do the breaking of bread. Don't forget what was going on here. There's a few things that we can imply but what's meant by this breaking of bread? Some say that this was an indication of the Lord's Supper. Some say, was just Fellowship me over. There were gathering together for the scripture verses 43. Our tell us they were meeting Kaylee. Home Sharing meals together. Let me give you a few complications real quick information. Number one, there was an investment in relationship, by the 1st Century. Church is breaking bread together message in time. It wasn't so Did everything else in their life took priority? Over them stopping to invest in one another and share a meal together. Ever, think about what it takes to invite someone to your home. paralegal get them sitting around your table, but everytime I tell, Shannon, she's liking a friend, because if she knows what that means for her clean up after work,

Now, I try. Driving to work faster before I schedule.

How much are the times? Probably one thing. We all run a little short on it, we never seem to have enough time with God. Gave all of us, the same amount of time, you may have a different education levels, may have different finances, may look at a different style, homemade, Robin different Stalin or whatever your genre, maybe, but here's the one equalizer that God has given us. We all have the same amount of time. No matter who you are. Y'all make it twenty-four hours, aren't you? Glad you didn't have 28. That we would still be asking for more time even that, right? But the implication of breaking the bread, in our fellowship is an investment in relationship, and it's also an intimacy. In a relationship. Doesn't take as much to offer a stranger Cobalt to bottle of water movie. What the whole different level of intimacy? When I invite that thing? Stranger into my home and ask them to sit at my table and ask them to eat off my Grandma's place in from my good silver and I have none of us has a different level of investment when we become intimate with one another, I we start doing life together. You know, one of the reasons most don't need to charge them, think they don't need what we got. Going is going to see such little evidence that were intimate and we're doing life together. We're being real with one another. Never mind them over your house and I'll said you're screwing around pick everything up. So everything looks just right cuz you don't want them to see what real life really looks like. But people look at the church the same way I see all of us and they say well I wonder what that's really like when they go home. But there's an intimacy of inviting people in your life that makes you vulnerable, just scared. They're going to learn some things about you, that maybe you don't want no videos, big fancy, whatever it may be about your life. They're going to see your ugly wallpaper. Your pictures, really cool when you invite them in your home. All of those things. You know what? Just leave it already. Intimacy. Black church knew how important was intentionality in our relationship.

6 effort to reach out to more practice of the body of Christ. What the intentionality that we see, we can we can find in the observance of matter. Fact, what's written on that table? Right there. Do this in remembrance of me the intentionality. Yeah, there's a reason when we gather together all those days I believe our next date, November 20th, we're going to participate in the Lord's supper together. There's any attention by the Jesus commanded us. The do this. In remembrance of me the body that was broken in the blood that was shed for your salvation. We do intentionality to remind us of the Church of the sweet breaking of bread that we have together in our lives and also what price did for us. And lastly, let me share it will roll up this when I know y'all got to get the Bojangles rice.

No, I'm alright.

Orlando notice in the last part of her.

The fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayers. And to prayer, but and the prayer. What's going on here to see things about the prayer that we need to understand? Number one,

Valerie Harper, I was at the frame.

100 y'all ugly.

The pastor is the fear and trembling that I have about people who don't have the ability to pray color. How will you ever leave someone to cry? If you don't know how to pray and don't have a life? Or you can do that for the opportunity to the shirt with your last job with Embraces greatest sports coaches, if he knocks The time for preparations over. What a person who is broken too, if needed what you have, the very Life, Giving word of God are you sure that was them and then, let's all that goes. You don't know what to do now. And prayer.

But the we don't facilitate a strong prayer life communication with God of personal intimacy, do we have? Put our heavenly father, I would argue more often than not, it would never be able to leave something to cry or children or grandchildren or wife or husband alone with a co-worker not going to happen. God's not going to flick a switch in you and give you the words to speak, right? In the context of that scripture. When Jesus said that one was wrote that down, it was your being persecuted, don't worry about it. We'll give you the words but when it comes to sharing and proclaiming the gospel, we have to have a strong prayer life yoga, help with other priorities and acquired this one acquire. Something natural, we have to learn this power factor in Matthew chapter 6, verses 9 through 12 and Luke 11, we see that the disciples himself didn't know how to pray.

When apart we praise, you came down to the parade and skip rope. Read all kinds of different times throughout the gospels and the general Epistles. We see the Jesus was sharing a meal, he give thanks and praise.

And the disciples go to Jesus. They say How?

New Braunfels.

Handkerchief.

These people have a happy hour. Why are we embarrassed?

Can you give me the Lord's Prayer? And forgive us. Our debts as we also

No, have the Lord's Prayer in the church. Would need to know how to pray, but, secondly, prayer is required is a required as long as 517 Palomar. He loves them, but he told him to pray without ceasing. Turn the workout drop. I'm going to tell you something. I say what I have to do that. I will pray without ceasing exercising for curly so we can get better at it but it's also a required discipline. Scripture tells us to pray and then thirdly, I desire to have that interview where I can talk to God. I don't need a cell phone plan, I don't need internet service. I don't need any extra friction or anything's a dildo reach the hotline. I know that I can pray to God as a child of God and I know that he fears my friends think about that. Average average me sinner saved by grace. Now, get to a promo approach, the throne of grace and we get to cry out to An Almighty. Write this holy God. It's so

what is man that you are mindful of the stars and the moon reflected light from the sun, put the Earth is rotation and that God wants to hear from you daily. Best unique beauty.

But that's what we have in a relationship and a choir, just going to be learned and pray. We're required and pray and then we would get the desired prayer. Prayer was certainly an important part of life solid leadership. That was there in the first century. What a beautiful picture of the privilege. We get to be devoted to all four of them that were military guy isn't as I got up in the ranks. As I had to be responsible for the training and equipping us to men and goes all over the world. I always tell him, there's four things that you're doing with his father's, the Zhu, tier 5, things that if you're doing one of them at any time, you're never wrong about that. We just thank you sir for the church. If we put ourselves to the apostles teaching, you can't go over. So we devote ourselves to fellowship with one another, the body of Christ, you can't go wrong. We devote ourselves to break the bread together. Vote in remembrance of what Christ did, but also the intimacy of our personal lies with others. You can't go wrong the last if you couple that with the four thing of frame permanently, You can't go wrong with James reminder, for the fervent prayer of a righteous man, availeth much. We love that last part right by 16. We always supposed to Second sentence. The first one with this, for the fervent prayer of a church focus on those four fundamentals. It will be life-changing, life-altering, light, giving life giving to the world around. They will see something different and I believe we will see what happened in Acts 2:47 her online and the Lord added those who are you sure what you wanted last image and all that stuff. And we do that and live in the try to speak a foreign language and how they do all they do to me long before they ever get there. They get a quick the basic fundamentals of how to perform and do the very things they been calling. Cuz I'm leaving the church. Those four fundamentals that we talked about. As the scripture tells us to put on the full armor of God. When we look at the scripture, we all seems there's something in this next picture. I think it's a Bible.

The word of God. We understand how we go about setting hostages. As Christians we go about helping others break the chains of bondage, the slavery of sin, but we learn how to use the sword of truth. The source or the basic fundamentals. There's no pass is no enemy of state but that's what he called the body of Christ out of freight. Lee better fact, give me out here. I am.

We come to our time with invitation. Let me share with you as our musician age. What does it mean for you? If you want right where you're at.

Don't let the busyness of what's going on with the hunger. Pains crack you right now. If you're a believer in Christ, welcome to ask you. So