1:36, 37 when they heard this they were cut to the heart and said, "brothers what shall we do?"

Have you been cut to the heart by the statement: "God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord, and Christ!"?

What is the appropriate response?

Repent and be baptized–Will you accept this message?

Only then you can experience what the believers experienced.

What are the four things in verse 42 that the early church members did? Acts 2:42

42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

What does devoting themselves mean? What did it look like in the next four verses? (How are these four enlarged in vv. 43-47)

43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.

44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;

45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,

47 praising God and having favor with all the people.

What was the Lord doing all this time?

And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Why was the Lord willing to add daily to their number? If we understood this, and put it into practice, what might He also be willing to do among us? Add daily to our number those who are being saved.

In order to understand why the Lord was willing to add to their number daily, we need to know what is significant about these four activities. Why these four? What sense can you make of them? How would you organize them? How do they relate to each other? Into what different areas to they fit?

M, S, Ph, Sp

Understanding the four, how important is it to have all four? Why? Balance, health in the body of Christ. (How God has created us)

What would happen if the church got out of balance in any one area?

–read first few verses in chapter 6.

Take modern day examples.

social church

physical church–feed the hungry, but not spiritually–not connected socially, no trust

spiritual church–no impact on the practical

mental church–all head and no heart

How does this explain why the Lord would be willing to add daily to their number if they continually devoted themselves to these four things?

What is the significance of the order in which these activities are listed? For instance, what happened in the previous verses when people heard the apostles' teaching? They were able to accept it and were" added to their number." Who's number–what does that mean? The became church members/believers–so how does that explain the significance of the apostles' teaching being listed first? To which of these other elements did the apostles' teaching lead?

There is a priority to hearing the word of God–that is what cut them to the heart in the first place and next to fellowship, why? The social tie was what undergirded their physical ministry to each other. And it was this experience of having a common Savior and trusting each other and sharing everything with each other that left them with no option but to be doing what? Praising God! Why don't we have more praise in our churches? One reason is we don't have this kind of practical support–we don't share everything in common. Why don't we share everything in common today? We don't trust each other, we're not in fellowship. Why don't we trust each other or have fellowship? We aren't sure if the other person is accepting the apostles' teaching and letting Jesus be their Lord and Christ, to say nothing of ourselves.

With all this confusion, it's no wonder the Lord is not so excited about adding to our number 3000 in a day. What would He be getting them into?

So I guess that brings us full circle: Is Jesus your Messiah? That's the first order of business. Are you sick of playing church? Are you willing to admit openly that you are responsible for killing your own Creator–the One who made you and sustains your life–not a very smart thing to do–unplug yourself. Are you willing to stop trying to run your own life and let Him take over? If so, then the question is are you willing to be part of a radical community, Jesus' body, in which all the parts care for each other and feed each other as though they were feeding themselves? That's the challenge. My wife and I have a group of friends that we'd be willing to hold everything in common with because we trust them. Who do you know and trust at that level? If you join with others with your need for Jesus as your common bond you can have that kind of bread-breaking community.

Mental: devoted to Apostles' teaching,

Social: fellowship This is a special NT word that describes the intimacy and community between believers and God and among believers. It has two basic uses. One is best translated fellowship–this is not mere socializing, however, it is the sort of intimacy and trust that would bring about the second major use–it's also the word for a 'relief offering' when one group of Christians sacrificed their own comfort to relieve another group of Christians. In other words, koinonia is not just talking and visiting at "fellowship dinner" it is a lifestyle that recognizes other Christians as part of my own body–therefore it's good for me to be good to them. When the mouth is dry the feet don't say, "too bad, we're not thirsty, don't expect us to move anywhere just for some water." No, when mouth is dry, the entire community of the body takes it just as seriously as the mouth, and any part of the body that has it within its power to help the mouth will do so! That's koinonia, that's fellowship! What form did this fellowship take right here among the believers in Jerusalem? They held everything in common, and met anyone's needs.

Physical: breaking of bread, They hadn't become so heavenly minded that they were no earthly good.

Spiritual: and prayer

Where have we seen these four things before? SDAs of all people ought to recognize why these four elements are mentioned here.

Balanced people. Whole people. This is the Adventist message that we are whole beings. These folks had not become imbalanced. They weren't fasting all the time or only praying, or isolating themselves. They were in balance physically, mentally, spiritually and socially. They were a healthy community, and what developments took place in this healthy community?

Review four elements in balance allows four exciting developments

sense of worship/God's presence/ which comes from the Word Incarnate. God's word is a revelation of Himself. You can't have a manifestation of God's presence if people are not into the word. We enter into relationship with Him through His word. That's how we know He's trustworthy.

Following from this is a sense of, "I trust God, and you do to. I can trust you, then."

and we enter into fellowship/trust which leads to

Meeting physical needs. Can You imagine what that sort of a life would be like? To be mentally, socially, and physically whole. What would be a natural response? Praise to God. And that was their response.

Praise to God

What happens if you don't start by entering into relationship with God through the word? We create a false fellowship that is superficial and not based on true trust. We invent ways of ministering to each other that don't meet real needs, and our praise is man-centered.

Acts 2:42-47

42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.

44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;

45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Tell Canvasback tanker story. What was wrong? No captain. We had people at every station, but no one watching where we were going. It was dangerous to give authority over the operation of such a vessel to a group of young people who were not yet a balanced and unified team, and who weren't clear as to who was really in charge.

Likewise it is dangerous for God to give power and authority to heal when we do not have one mind–the mind of Christ–we'll crash the boat.

Review:

Mental, Social, Physical, Spiritual all in balance, then the presence of God is manifest in a powerful way, in a sense of awe, in miracles, praise, and most of all in trusting relationships between the people of God.

greatest miracle in this whole passage is the holding all things in common and giving to each according to need, –we're talking about 3000 plus people here at most if they all stayed and 120 at the very least if all the visitors went home. I know less than half-a-dozen people with whom I would even consider holding everything in common, let alone 120 or 3000. To have that kind healing of trust is indeed a greater miracle than all the physical healing and resurrections in the entire Bible. And without this kind of community and trust, miraculous healing can be dangerous.

In fact, God can't often give power for healing miracles and the like if there isn't a balanced, unified people. If God were to pour out that kind of power now, we'd crash the boat. God must give miracles sparingly, for whenever He does allow such, the ones He uses to do the healing begin to take credit for it, and their own spiritual life is damaged as well as those who follow them. It's like being on a boat with no captain. I was in just such a situation once, one the tiller, another a sheet, next thing we knew we were about to collide with a tanker! The real crew and captain had to spring from below decks, start the engines, and w/ full power astern they barely kept us from crashing! God can't unleash this kind of power until we're sure who the captain is, and we have people on every station.

So what allowed God to give such an outpouring of His Spirit? What prevented it from being abused?

That was the only time in history when a diverse group of people has come together in unity, putting their differences aside. When the Spirit of God is in something, there will be balance, not fanaticism. And the balanced elements are? Mental, Social, Physical, Spiritual.

Which two are vertical? Mental and Spiritual, One is (receiving and giving), listening and one is talking.

Which two are horizontal? Social and Physical, giving and receiving again.

Why are they in this order?

We have to look at the application of each. What is the apostles' teaching? The study of the word. Why would it be important to begin in the word of God? We don't even know how to have fellowship with each other until we are both trusting in God through His word.

Shouldn't the spiritual come first? Well, "faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Rom 10:17) Can't even enter into the spiritual life without the word. "Be transformed by renewing of your mind" (Rom 12:2) The mind is God's chosen channel to reach us. The mind is where we choose to believe in Him. If God hasn't got your mind, He hasn't got any of you. Oh sure, Your body may go through the motions of religion, outwardly fellowshipping, meeting physical needs, and praying, but as Jesus put it, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." (Matt 15:8) The heart here of course referring to the mind.

Through the word, we learn to trust God, and only as we trust God can we enter into fellowship with one another. Did you know that there is no real fellowship among non-believers. Only those who have been loved by God can love unselfishly. Every other relationship on this planet is most concerned with, "What do I get out of it." Only God can give a person concern for others because of their intrinsic value. My question for you is, "Are you letting God love you today?" No one who is not receiving the love of God as taught in His word day by day is capable of entering into the koinonia fellowship we talked about last week. That's why the word comes first. Until we are in the apostles' teaching together, learning to trust Him together we won't be able to trust each other.

Likewise, if you want to know if God has Your mind, look at the quality of your relationships in the church. If God doesn't really have your mind, what sort of relationships would you expect to have with fellow church members? Ones full of suspicion and mistrust. If someone were to confront you regarding a sin in your life, you would take it as a personal attack, get angry and treat that person with hostility.

Some friends started a study, frustrated, but when we began getting into the word together we became the closest of companions. We would drop whatever to help one of this circle. It's been a long process, the trust has not come without struggle, pain and cost, but the Word of God is what's at the center of our unity. One person actually broke up with a professing SDA young man because they were not united in their study of the word.

How did they carry out fellowship and breaking bread together? Holding all things in common and meeting each others' physical needs.

How about the prayer? What kind of prayer is it? Praising God.

What would they be teaching? Peter teaches and explains the OT and His own experience of Jesus. Let me summarize two salient points. v.23 Jesus , was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God." In other words, God, knowing what we'd do to His Son, sent Him anyway, and placed Him in our power. Are you hearing that? You don't just sneak up on the God of heaven and crucify His Son. He lets you do it. Why is God doing this? He's showing us that He is totally trustworthy, and we are not. We are His enemies, we'd kill our own creator if given the opportunity, and our Creator is willing to die, to cease to exist if that would let us live happily ever after. Now, that's love. That's trustworthiness. That's the parent who is willing to die to let the child live. But would it do us any good if God were to actually die? What would happen to us all? It is by Him we live and move and have our being. He is not only the Creator but the Sustainer of all things, so if He dies, we die. So God can't let us destroy Him and live happily ever after–we are designed to live in submission to Him, and our lives don't work apart from His will, but not only that–God can suffer the second death on our behalf as He did at the cross, and what effect does Peter say that death has on Him? "It was impossible for Him to be held it its (death's) power." "Therefore let all the house of Israel know that God has made this Jesus whom You crucified both Lord and Christ." Notice what kind of conviction follows this sermon. "Brethren, what shall we do?" They're ready to hand their lives over to this God. So what is the apostles' teaching? Simply this–God is trustworthy, and we are not.

Why would it be important to start here with this message? "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." (Rom 10:17) No one becomes a Christian w/ out hearing. Unless you are regularly in the business of hearing the word, you cannot remain balanced. How many were devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching? All. Devoting does not mean going to church and listening to a preacher once a week. That is hardly organizing ones life around the apostles' teaching. You cannot expect to remain in balance if the only time you are in the word is on Sabbath listening to a sermon.

Focus on the mental

When a person gets out of balance, which is the first area to show it? Where should we begin then? Can we expect to keep doctrinal purity without fellowship, compassionate ministry and dynamic worship?

Was everyone who participated in the selling and giving trustworthy? Ananias and Sapphira. What did Peter tell them? Lied to HS. This is a serious trust issue–can you imagine being struck dead for not turning in everything you had decided to put in the offering plate–even though no one else knew? I'm telling you it's the same issue as eating fruit from the wrong tree. Not a big act, but a big mistrust.