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So I want to invite you to grab a seat and grab a Bible as we get started this morning. I do want to join and just say that we are so glad that you're here with us this morning. We're so grateful that you decided to worship with us this morning. And hey, if you're here for the first time or you call Living Oaks your church home, We're just genuinely excited to step into this season together. We're genuinely excited to step into summer together.
And not the least of which includes one of our favorite programs of the year that we all know as Vacation Bible School. So let me just take a moment to introduce you to what we're calling Emerald Crossing as we take an epic Irish adventure through Psalm 24. Where green pastures meet still waters and a hundred little sheep are going to encounter their good shepherd this week at Vacation Bible School.
Would you join me in thanking our staff and volunteers for putting all of this together for our kids this coming week? There's no greater joy as a church than seeing the next generation learn about Jesus, and that's exactly what's going to happen in this room. Now, that's also what's going to happen in this room this morning as we continue in our series in the book of Acts. So if you have your Bibles, turn with me to Acts chapter 2 as we pick up in our series in the book of Acts.
And as you turn there, I want to invite you to think with me this morning about a phrase that we've all heard before, and that phrase is teamwork makes the dream work, right? Teamwork makes the dream work. Now that's true in a lot of settings. That's true in a lot of contexts, but it's especially true in the context of sports and sports teams, right? Whether it is a pickup game with friends or a professional game with the pros, what makes the dream work is teamwork and teams coming together to accomplish a common goal and a common purpose.
It was on Friday night that my wife and We ordered takeout from a local restaurant. And so I went to go pick up takeout for dinner on Friday, and I walk into the host stand. And I'd say, I'm here for my online order. And they say that the takeout stand is all the way at the end of the bar, right? So I can promise you that I can count on one finger how many times I've walked into a bar on a Friday night.
And this last Friday night was that Friday. And so I walked into the bar and this place was packed on Friday night. There was not a free table. There was not an empty seat. I mean, like barely standing room only. Everybody was at this restaurant on Friday night. And I'm just thinking I'm just here to pick up my takeout. I was worried about one of you seeing me in the bar on Friday night. Picking up my takeout and I'm walking through the bar and I'm sitting there and I'm just thinking to myself like I guess this is what people do on Friday night, right?
And then I look up and I see what's on the TV and it's the World Cup, right? And what we saw, what they were all there to see was Team USA scoring not one, not two, not three, but four points in a historic win against Paraguay. I mean, would you just celebrate? Team USA winning the opening game of World Cup, right? And you know what? As you think about teams, you think about sports, what makes the difference between a good team and a great team?
It's not individual talent and it's not individual commitment. What makes the difference between a good team and a great team is collective talents and collective commitment, right? What makes the difference between a good team and a great team is everybody coming together and using their talents and using their commitments to show up in each other's lives, to show up at practice, to commit themselves to a common goal and a common purpose.
To maybe make some real sacrifices, to demonstrate some real commitment, and to pursue that common goal of not only scoring a point, but winning that game. And I think even Friday night we saw the difference between a good team and a great team. And that difference is not individual commitment or talent, but collective commitment. commitment and talent. And as we turn to Acts chapter two this morning, I want you to see that we are going to be looking at the greatest team in the world that has been given the greatest goal on planet Earth.
And that team is called the church. And that goal is making Jesus known to the world around us. This morning, we're going to be talking about the difference between being a good team and a great team, and how the greatest team in history is called church. And the greatest goal that that team has been given is making Jesus known to the world around us. So this morning, we're going to be talking about how church is a team sport in Acts chapter 2.
And we're going to be thinking about how What makes us great is not any one of us, but the collective talent and the collective commitment of all of us coming together to pursue the goal and the mission that God has given us as his church. Church is a what? Team sport. And this morning we're going to be thinking about the dynamics of that team sport and the things that we are called to do together as God's people, as God's church.
And I want to show you three things this morning. Number one, church is a team sport because we practice together. And we're going to look at some of the practices of the early church. We're going to look at what it means and what it looks like to show up for practice, to show up with purpose. And to get involved in each other's lives and to do certain things together because good teams, no, great teams, they practice together.
And we're going to see what it looks like as a church to practice certain things together. Number two, church is a team sport because there are certain things that we share together. Right? Teams end up sharing not just practice and not just games, but a lifestyle and a shared life. As they work together and they commit themselves together. And we're going to talk about what that looks like to share certain things together as a church.
And lastly, we're going to talk about what it looks like and what it means to truly win together as a church. Did you realize that if you're on Team Jesus, you're a part of a winning team this morning? Did you realize that Team Jesus is the winning team? And if you flash forward to the end of the book, let me just... Give you a spoiler on how this message ends. Jesus wins. And we are his team. And we're a winning team.
And we're called to win together as his church. So one more time, I need you guys to say with me the title of today's message, the theme of the morning. And that is church is a team sport. So let's look at this team sport together. In Acts chapter 2, we're going to be picking it up in verse 42. All the way to verse 47. I'll read and then we'll get started together today. This is what it says about our heritage.
This is what it says about our history. This is what it says about our team and about our sport. It says this in Acts chapter 2 verse 42. And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul. And many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed in verse 44, it says, 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. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes. They received their food with glad and generous hearts. And in verse 47, praising God and having favor with all the people. And what was the result that day? And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
That's our heritage. That's our history. That's our identity. That's our team. That's our sport. Let's pray together this morning. Father, thank you for just the opportunity to come together and study your word together today. Lord, we want to think about what it means, what it looks like that church is a team sport. God, we want to be invited in to consider that this isn't a spectator sport. And we're not called to sit on the sidelines.
This is a team sport. And all of us are supposed to get involved. And be a part of the mission that you've given us. Father, what an incredible picture of the early church. God, I want to be like Acts 2.42. God, I want my life to resemble what it looked like for the church to be committed to the mission. Radically committed to that mission. Lord, nudge us closer to that goal. Nudge us closer to that mission.
Lord, nudge us closer to that commitment. Nudge us closer. to truly being your church today. Father, thank you for this time. We just ask that you bless the study of your word. We thank you, we praise you, we pray all these things in Jesus' name and all God's people said, amen. I wanna welcome you to our church. I wanna welcome you to this series. I wanna take a moment just to set up where we are and where we're going in our study this summer in the book of Acts.
The book of Acts is actually often called the book of Acts because it refers to the acts The Spirit, the Acts of the Church, the Acts of the Apostles, or the Acts of the Disciples. It's an action-oriented book, and it's all about who we are and what we're called to do. So I want to take a moment to think about where we are in the storyline of Scripture, where we are in the timeline of Jesus' life and ministry.
And I want to take a moment to think about how Acts actually, it's a hinge. The book of Acts, it's a bridge. The book of Acts, it's a launching pad or a stepping stone that helps us connect who Jesus is and what Jesus did to who we are and what we're called to do. The book of Acts picks up where Jesus' ministry stops on earth and where our ministry picks up on earth and who we are and who we're called to be.
and what we're called to do. Now, the author of Acts, his name's Luke, and he actually wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. It's one unified story, but it's presented in a two-volume set, right? We talked about this last week, that if you read the end of the Gospel of Luke and you read the beginning of the Book of Acts, they're essentially one and the same. That's a seam, that's a hinge, and I like to put it this way.
The Gospel of Luke is the story of Jesus and the book of Acts is the story of the church. So what we're doing this summer is we're studying our story. We're studying what it means and what it looks like to pick up where Jesus left off and to carry on the mission between his ascension, which happened in Acts 1, all the way until his return, which is what Revelation chapter 21 prays for. Come, Lord Jesus.
So that's what we're thinking about this summer. What does it mean that we are the church? What does it look like to be the church? What does it look like to remember the story of the church is present and active today? Now, here's what happened. Do you guys remember how Acts chapter 1 left off? Jesus ascended into heaven and the disciples are all just doing what? Standing looking into the sky, right?
And two men... We believe our angels appeared to the disciples and told them, what are you staring into heaven for? Essentially saying, it's time to get to work, right? And that's how we left off in Acts chapter 1. And here's what happened. In Acts chapter 1 verse 8, Jesus commissioned his disciples and he said, you will be my witnesses. Well, let me back up. Acts chapter 1 verse 8. Just turn there.
I don't want to get this wrong. We got to get this right. Acts chapter 1 verse 8. Jesus says, but you will receive what? Power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Okay, I'm glad I didn't miss that part. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you in verse 8. Then Jesus says, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. And so that's what we reflected on last week, how Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would fill his church.
And indeed, the Holy Spirit has filled his church. Let me turn your attention to a few verses here in Acts chapter two. We pick up in verse four and we're reminded it says that they all were filled with the Holy Spirit. And then we go all the way down to verse 17 of Acts two. This is Peter saying, Peter's first sermon. This is his opportunity to declare the gospel for the first time. He quotes from the prophet Joel, and he says in Acts chapter 2 that God promised, I will pour out my spirit on who?
On a few? On all flesh, Joel says and Peter says. And so that is exactly what happens in Acts chapter 2. God shows up. The Spirit descends and dwells in his people and the church is born. And actually if you look at Acts chapter 2 verse 41, immediately preceding our passage, it says, So those who received his word were baptized and there were added that day about what? 3,000 souls. So the first church was a mega church there in Jerusalem, 3,000 believers.
Now following Jesus and filled with the Spirit. That's where we pick up in Acts chapter 2 verse 42. The life of a Spirit-filled church. And that's what I've been asking this whole week. That's what I'm going to be asking this whole series. And I want to invite you to ask it together with me. What does a team of Spirit-filled Christians commit to doing together? What does a team... of spirit-filled christians commit to doing together today is all about church as a team sport and we're called to show up to practice and we're called to show up with purpose and so i just want to reflect this this morning in this summer what would it look like to be his church and what does it look like for a team of spirit-filled christians to just show up
To do what God has called us to do, to engage in practice, to show up with purpose and to commit ourselves to the mission and the purpose that God has given us. What does it look like for a spirit-filled team of Christians to commit to doing certain things together? And that's where we pick up in verse 42. A group of Christians, a team of Christians committed to growing in their faith, Committed to growing as the church and here are four practices that made up their practice as a team sport.
Here we are number four commitments of the early church for practices of the early church. Let me just name them one by one. They continually devoted themselves to what number one is the apostles teaching. In Acts chapter 2 verse 42, the apostles' teaching. Now at the time of the apostles, they had the Old Testament, but they didn't yet have what? The New Testament. And so the early disciples committed themselves to the apostles' teaching, which we now have in our Bibles as the 27 books of the New Testament.
So they committed themselves to the apostles' teaching. And certainly that would mean understanding God's word and applying it to our lives today here on Sunday and engaging with this teaching. But it's certainly more than that, right? Like my goal is to teach you the whole counsel of God's word. Do you know how long it's going to take me to teach you the whole counsel of God's word? There are 66 books in this book.
And that means I got to be here for a few years to try to tackle it all. Right. I can't adequately teach God's Word to you every week. I just can't. There's so much I have to leave out. There's so much on the chopping block every week, every sermon. But you can commit yourself to studying God's Word each and every day, can't you? You can engage with the Apostles' teaching, even if it's not presented here, polished up on Sunday morning.
You can roll up your sleeves and dig into the text and learn how to engage in personal Bible study. And that's what the early church did. They got it wherever they could get it. And you realize we can get it in a lot of places, right? We can have access to God's word each and every day in so many different mediums and platforms. And then it says that they devoted themselves to what? The fellowship.
Okay, we're going to talk about that in a little bit, but the fellowship is certainly this community expression, this shared life, the showing up together during the week, certainly on Sunday. You know, we give you one minute to greet one another. That's just not enough. Have you noticed I try to get your attention every Sunday and you won't give it to me? Because you enjoy the fellowship and you enjoy relationship and you know how important it is to be involved in each other's lives.
But you know a minute per week is not enough. I hope you're showing up in each other's lives. I hope that you guys get together outside of Sunday. I hope that there's fellowship happening in your personal lives with the people to your right and to your left. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching to the fellowship. What's the next one? The breaking of bread. A lot of you devote yourselves to the breaking of bread, I know.
Now, let me clarify. You'd think if faith's valued, that means what? Meals. Like sharing meals together. Like literally breaking bread together. And that's true. We're going to see how they actually met in each other's homes to break bread together. But I think in this context, I think in this verse, Acts 2.42, the breaking of bread refers to what? Communion. What Jesus did with his disciples in that final meal before his death, burial and resurrection, he took the bread and after giving thanks, he broke it and said, this is my body given for you.
Do this what? In remembrance of me. We celebrate communion together as a church monthly. That might not be enough. Because they continually devoted themselves to the breaking of bread. It's a picture of the gospel. When you break the bread and you remember that Jesus' body was given for you and the Christian needs the gospel every day, you realize that we're called to break bread together as a church to remember what Jesus has done for us.
Do we remind ourselves of the gospel each and every day? Hold me accountable to remind you of the gospel every Sunday, because that's my job as your pastor. But we need to be reminding ourselves of the gospel each and every day. And remember that it's not about what we do and don't do that saves us. It's about what Jesus did that saves us. And his life and his death and his resurrection is all that we want and all that we need.
And when we break bread, we remind ourselves of the gospel. What's the fourth thing the early church committed themselves to? The prayers. And that's plural, right? They're praying morning, afternoon, evening. There's corporate prayer. There's individual prayer. There's all kinds of things that the church did in order to grow together in their faith and grow together as a church. Now, if you're an endurance athlete or you're something like me,
And you like to watch endurance athletes on TV from the comfort of your couch. Anybody with me on that one? Okay, so if you're an endurance athlete or if you watch endurance athletes on your TV, you know that they go a long distance, right? Whether they're running a marathon or they're cycling a grand tour. I mean, endurance athletes go the distance and they know the importance of fuel and nutrition, right?
Because what happens is after you're miles into your run or you're miles into your ride, Your body begins to be depleted of the energy reserves and then the nutrition that it needs to power your performance, to fuel your body, to keep you going so that you can go the distance and reach the goal of that marathon or that century or that monument or that tour, right? Endurance athletes know how important it is to fuel themselves.
Sports nutritionists and dietitians understand I advise pro athletes on the level of intake that they need of certain supplements and certain nutrients, right? Key ones for endurance athletes include what? Electrolytes, which is in the form of sodium and water and whatnot. Carbohydrates, some protein, and my personal favorite, caffeine, right? So you know what I started to do? I started stuffing my pockets as a cyclist with gels, right?
And I just started loading up on... Precision fuel and carbs and then they've got other things like blocks. I just started stuffing my pockets full guys because I want to pretend like I know what I'm doing on the bike. I want to go as far as I can so there's electrolyte mixes and there's blocks and chews and there's carbs and gels. And you fuel up on these so that you can keep going the distance. You know what I realized when I first started?
I was fueling at about 25% of what I needed to sustain the rides I was going on. So I was feeling depleted and frankly destroyed after each ride, which is why I prefer to watch endurance sports from my couch on TV. But then I started fueling at 100% each ride, and I actually found myself being sustained and my body not being depleted. And you know, I wonder if there's any Christians here today who are feeling depleted in their relationship with God, that are feeling a little disconnected in their walk with Jesus.
And you just need to be reminded that there's certain fuel for your body and your soul, and there's certain things that the Bible teaches powers your performance. And that's what we see in Acts chapter 2 verse 42. There were four kinds of fuel that powered the early church to accomplish the mission that God had given them. And what were those four sources of fuel? The apostles' teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers.
And so I just want to ask, are you feeling depleted today? Are you feeling depleted? Are you in any way, shape or form feeling a little disconnected or a little depleted in your walk with God? I just want to ask you to then reflect on which of those four fuels do you need in your life today? Right? Maybe you're fueling at 25 or 50% when you could be fueling at 100 and feeling great and hitting on all cylinders and walking with God and pursuing the mission he asked for you.
But if you're not fueled up, you might be depleted. And so which is it? Just reflect for a moment. Do you need to increase your engagement with the apostles teaching God's word? Maybe beyond Sunday morning. I'll fuel you up, guys. Keep coming. but it's not enough to get you through the whole week can the fellowship that one minute greeting is great i can't get your attention i never will but it's not enough are you fueling up with relationships in the church ah maybe it's maybe it's the breaking of bread maybe maybe you need to engage with communion here in a couple of weeks and remember what jesus has done for you maybe
Maybe it's the prayers and God is inviting you deeper into your prayer relationship with him and maybe your prayer relationship with your spouse. I don't know, but you know. And I just want to invite you to begin thinking about what would one concrete step be this week? What would one concrete step be this week for you to fuel up in your relationship with God? And charge up so that you're ready for the mission.
Which of those four is he calling you to engage with this week? Now let me promise you something. Here's what you're going to experience if you do it. You are going to be filled with more awe and more joy and more wonder and more energy than ever before. I'm going to make you that promise. Because look at verse 43. What happened when the church was committing themselves to these things? It says... Awe came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
Okay, if you commit yourself, give me a week, give me a month, give me your summer. Commit yourself to those four things, the apostles teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers. And I promise you awe will come upon your soul and you will grow in your walk with Jesus like never before. I promise you. Because there's something about Acts as a whole that reminds us that this is how God designed the church to work.
We're a team sport. And when we practice certain things, we grow in our walk with God. And I want to remind you, I'll be the first to admit. Listen. There's something about the book of Acts that feels like God used to work in a qualitative and quantitatively greater way than he does today. Does that resonate with you? There's something about the book of Acts or even the whole of scripture that seems as if God used to work qualitatively and quantitatively more than he does today.
I'll be the first to admit that because sometimes I feel that. But what I want you to understand as we go through the book of Acts is there's a principle when you study the Bible That makes you ask the question, is this passage descriptive or is this passage prescriptive? Has anybody heard this before? So does this passage describe something that happened one time and it's not repeatable and it'll never happen again?
Or does this passage describe something that's prescriptive and it's actually prescribing how you should live your life today? So what do you think the book of Acts is? Descriptive or prescriptive? Yes. It's both. And it takes, you know, some thought and some study to figure out which is which. But I think by and large, as a whole, the book of Acts is prescriptive. This is how you should live your life as a spirit-filled Christian.
So let's commit ourselves to these four things and believe that when Acts chapter 2, verse 43 says, awe came upon every soul, awe is going to come upon your soul. This summer, as you do these things together with our church, let me move on and say that church is a team sport. We practice those things together. We also share certain things together. And I want to think about these next couple of verses together.
And I want to point out in verse 44 how it says that the early church, all who believed had what? All things in common. Can everybody say that word common with me? Common. All who believed had all things in common. And now here's what I need to do. I need a backup. I'm going a little fast this morning. I mentioned I like caffeine. I had plenty today. I have plenty every Sunday. I'm fueled up and I'm ready for you.
But I need a backup. I went way too fast over fellowship. In Acts chapter 2 verse 42. You know what the word fellowship is in the original? Many of you have probably heard it before, so I feel comfortable saying it today. The word fellowship in the original is what? Koinonia. It's the original word for fellowship. Koinonia. And I bring it up because there's actually something unique here. In chapter 2 verse 44, it says that all who believed had all things in what?
You know the word for common in the original is koina. Do you see something similar between those two words? Fellowship means koinonia and common is koina. Okay, so these words are related. They're connected. They have the same root, the same meaning. And what I'm trying to show you is that fellowship is the state of having all things in common. What does it mean to have fellowship with your church?
What does it mean to have fellowship with another Christian? Fellowship just means we have all things in common. Now I'm looking around the room and I see a group of people that don't have everything in common. But I see a group of people that have the most important things in common. And those most important things are our belief about Jesus and our belief about the Bible. And our belief about God and salvation and the Christian life and future and hope and heaven.
Guys, we believe and therefore we have all things in common. And that word koinonia, it's so special. That's why I wanted to share it with you. There's so much to it. There's so much warmth. And closeness and connectedness. There's a partnership going on in that word of koinonia. And I can barely describe it in words. So what Luke does is he describes it in actions. You see the actions of this church sharing all things in common?
Let's look at the couple of things that they shared. Number one, they shared their resources together. Right, if we pick it up and it says that they had all things in common and then what happened? They were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need. I mean, when Luke says they had all things in common, he means quite literally that they had what?
All things in common. Now, has anybody here recently put on or or stopped by a yard sale or a garage sale on their street or or their neighborhood recently any yard yard sale garage sale goers nobody okay no problem has anybody heard of ebay craigslist facebook marketplace Tried all those recently. Facebook marketplace is where it's at. Like if you're trying to sell something, that's where it's going to happen.
I'm just being honest. I do not get any commission from Facebook for saying these words this morning. Now, okay, you think about a yard sale, you think about a garage sale. I actually have great memories of garage sales growing up. It was kind of fun as kids. Like, we'd go out Friday night, we'd put up cardboard signs around the neighborhood and on the stop signs and the streetlights. And, you know, then we'd wake up way earlier than we ever would on a Saturday morning.
Does anybody remember being a part of a garage sale growing up? And, you know, there magically appeared a box of donuts every time at a garage sale, which I loved. And then you'd practically haul half the house onto the front yard, you know? And it's like, and then you're just waiting patiently for complete strangers to show up and like buy your stuff for money. Like it's yard sales are great. Like let's have a comeback.
Let's do some garage sales guys. And, and you know, there, there, it wasn't much of a sacrifice, right? Cause everything you threw out into the driveway was like stuff that you really didn't like want anymore. Right. You didn't really need it anymore. It wasn't like a sacrifice. It's like, I don't, you know, we don't, we don't need that. You know, we don't use that. Just throw it out front. Right. And there wasn't much of a sacrifice involved, but the satisfaction, right.
Of a complete stranger giving you money for something that you didn't want anymore. Like garage sales are great. And it, And it's like the even greater satisfaction of generating a few extra dollars to help with whatever the family needed, right? Whatever the family, whatever was going on in the family, like Garage Sale, it just boosted your income that month and it helped out. It went a long way. That was the real satisfaction, not the donuts, not the strangers, not the dollars.
It was being able to help out with whatever was needed. That month. And that's what we see going on in the early church, right? I mean, these are the OG yard sales and garage sales guys back in first century. They didn't have eBay or Craigslist or Facebook marketplace, but they were able to creatively begin selling some of their possessions and belongings as a family to contribute to the needs of the church, right?
What is the end of the verse say in verse 45? They began distributing the proceeds to all as any had what? Needs. Like there's needs in our church. There's needs in our family. There's needs in one another's lives. And we're called to be the church and share our lives and share our resources creatively. Now, I'm not saying that that means you've got to go put on a garage sale this week, guys. Though if you do, let me know and I'll come by.
I'm not saying you got to start selling all your belongings and possessions. But yeah, maybe you do have something to sell. Maybe you do have something to give. Maybe there's something you could do creatively to contribute to the needs of your church family. Maybe you actually need to be challenged a little bit in that category as you read about the early church authentically sharing their life. and being willing to let go of their own possessions in order to contribute to the needs of the church.
Like maybe you need to be challenged in this category. Maybe you need to receive in this category. I think all of us should be able to say one of two things. One, I have a need and my church will meet that need. Or I don't necessarily have a need But I will meet the need of my church and give out of the overflow of God's provision in my life. So what would it look like for each and every one of us just to say, like, I know my church will meet my need.
Or I am committed to meeting the need of my church because we're a family and that's what the early church did. They shared their resources, but let me go on. They shared in relationship with one another. This is the beautiful character and chemistry of the early church. They had all things in common. What's that word that means common? Koinonia. It's warmth, it's connection, it's closeness, it's relationship.
And that's what it was all about. Again, Luke can't put it into words, so he puts it into actions and he tells us what they did. Verse 46, day by day, what did they do? They attended church. Temple together that was their place of worship at the time they found a little colonnade. It's called Solomon's portico You can read about it in acts they didn't gather in the temple proper because that's where the Jews worshiped So they gathered in a colonnade on the side of the temple as this new Movement called Christianity to worship King together and so they gathered in the temple and then it says that they what?
Broke bread there it is again Guys, everybody loves breaking bread. They've been doing it for 2,000 years. They broke bread in their homes and they receive food with glad and generous hearts. You know, there's something so simple and yet personal and intentional and authentic and real when you share a meal with somebody, right? I mean, just think about the intimacy there. Like, Families gather around the table, but we're a church family.
And when we gather around the table, literally to share a meal together, like there's relationship, there's conversation. Like I'm looking you in the eyes and you're looking me in the eyes. And we're talking about life and we're talking about God and we're talking about faith and we're enjoying food. It says that they enjoyed their meals with glad and generous hearts. Maybe you're paying for my meal.
Maybe I'm paying for your meal. Maybe we're fighting over who's paying the check for the meal. But we're glad. We're generous. We're personal. We care. We're in relationship with one another. What would it look like to attend church together each and every Sunday and share a meal together each and every week? Maybe there's somebody that you'll invite to lunch today. Maybe you'll reach out to somebody to begin breaking bread with them.
And you know what? You don't just have to break bread. You can break burritos. You can break barbecue. I mean, pull those ribs apart, guys. Like, we're breaking barbecue. You can even break a burger together if you'd like. Just cut that thing down the middle. Like, we can break bread. We can break burritos. We can break barbecue. We can break burgers. Like, is anybody getting hungry for lunch today?
Yeah, I'm hungry for lunch today. I hope you'd invite someone to lunch today. How cool would that be if all of a sudden you just start building relationships? We've got groups. We've got studies. We've got classes. We've got a pathway. We can help you get involved in the life of this church. But what if you all just started having meals in each other's homes and like inviting each other over for dinner or going out to brunch after after church on Sunday?
Would you do that? How cool would that be if we just start building community this summer and really begin sharing and relationship together? And let me just say, that might be what I love the most about this church. The warmth, the welcome, the love, and the relationship that exists within this community of believers and the sense that I am genuinely known And I genuinely know so many of you and we're in real relationship together.
I just want to invite you into that. Like if you've not experienced that, I just want to invite you in to experience a shared life, that koinonia, warmth of fellowship and doing life together. I got to wrap this up. I got to land this plane. Let me finish with this. We don't just practice together. We don't just share together. Guys, we win together, right? Let's look at verse 47. This is how Luke wraps this up.
This is the end of Acts 2. This is the beginning of the church. And, you know, every sport has a scoreboard, right? Like every team has a different way of measuring success. Think about that. Every sport has a scoreboard and every team has a different way of measuring success. Right, with football, it's touchdowns in the end zone. With baseball, it's runs across home plate, like we saw on Friday night.
With soccer, it's goals in the net. Like every sport has a scoreboard, and every team has its own way of measuring success. And so I just want to ask, how does the church measure success? Have you thought about that? What's our scoreboard? What does it mean to win together as a church? That's what I've been thinking about. That's what I want to think about all summer. What would it look like to win together as a church?
Matthew 16:18. You know what Jesus said? "I will build my church," and what? "The gates of hell will not prevail against it." Like, have you heard anything more epic than that? "I will build my church," Jesus says, "and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." Okay. So Jesus is personally building his church. He guarantees its victory. Therefore, if I profess faith in Jesus and I'm a member of his church, then I'm on a winning team.
So let's define what does it mean to win? That's what I've been thinking about. What does it mean to win? Let me point your attention to the first two words of verse 47 and remind you that the most successful thing we can do as a church is We are truly winning at our best when we worship. Just think on that for just a moment. Verse 47, how did the early church win? What does it say? Praising God. You know, what is the chief end of man?
To glorify God and enjoy him forever. I think I've got that on the screen behind me. And I just want you to write that down. Like that is praise. The ultimate goal, the ultimate purpose, the ultimate mission of my life and this church to glorify God and enjoy him forever. You realize that that's not a means to the end. That is the end. And that's what it means. It looks like to win as a church when we worship and not just when we gather for worship on Sunday, but when we go from this place and we worship regularly.
All week long. Because worship is not just a song. Worship is a lifestyle. And that's what we're being invited into. Truly winning as we worship. Let me just wrap up. Verse 47. How else do we win? Spirit-filled Christians, they worship God together. But spirit-filled Christians, they win people together. Think about this. What does verse 47 say? It says... Having favor with all the people the Lord added to their number day by day those who were what?
Being saved. Okay, it doesn't say that you added to the number. It says that God added to the number. It doesn't say that they were earning favor with the people, but God had given them favor with the people. And when we live our lives authentically on mission as the church, God is going to give us favor with people and he's going to give us opportunities to speak into their life and he's going to use us as the means by which they get saved and he adds to our number and he adds to his church and he adds to his kingdom and let me just remind you acts chapter 1 verse 8 jesus said but you will receive what power from the holy spirit
And you will be my what? Witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth. So let me remind you what I asked you to do last week. I asked you to identify your Jerusalem. That's where you are right here, right now. And I asked you to draw a circle around it. Maybe that's your home. Maybe that's your street. Maybe that's your neighborhood or your office. Maybe that's your church. Maybe it's the Thousand Oaks area.
Draw your circle and begin praying and asking God to give you opportunities to speak into people's lives and show them that you love them and show them that you care about them and look for him to work and show up in your life this week to give you favor with those people in that circle. Is everybody with me? You got your circle? How many times have I drawn this circle? You got your circle? Just making sure you're all with me.
Lastly, I ask you to write down a name. A name of someone in that circle. Be praying for that name this week. Be praying that God would give you favor with that person this week. Pray that God would add that person to our number this week. The Lord added to their number, only he could do it. And ask that God would add them to the family. That God would add them to his church. That God would add them to eternity and give them a hope and a future.
Guys, don't forget your circle and don't forget your name and step into this week with excitement and anticipation that God is going to give you favor. He's going to fill you with awe. He's going to show up and work in your life and through your life. And don't forget that when we fast forward to the end of the book, you know what happens? Jesus wins. Let's pray.