THE BEAUTY OF COMMUNITY: DEVOTION

Sermon Notes, June 11, 2017

Rev. Garry McGlinchy

          

           Rev. McGlinchy started a new sermon series this week, a study of the Church.  His first sermon was titled "The Beauty of Community: Devotion," and was based on Acts 2:42-47, which talks about the Early Church.

           After Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost roughly 3,000 people believed, were baptized and were welcomed into the Church family.   These new converts were one with the other believers.  They were taught by the Apostles (discipled).  They were included into the daily workings of the church, daily times of prayer and fellowship. 

           These new believers were "devoted" to the Apostles' teaching.  In Greek proskartereo means 'to be devoted to.  It can be translated as 'persist obstinately in;' 'associate closely; serve personally;' 'hold fast to, endure in, stand perpetually ready, persevere in;' ' to be devoted to; to attach oneself to; to attend constantly; to be devoted to.'  This is the first thing to look at.  Where is our devotion?

           Peter and the other believers recognized the new converts as brothers and sisters in Christ!  And in doing this they shared what they had with their new family members.  They had it in their hearts and minds that all members of God's family should benefit from the gifts of God that they had received.  It's tempting to shut ourselves off from the rest of the world, and from one another, and hoard the blessings that God has given us.  However, God did not give us His gifts and blessings for us to keep to ourselves!  They were meant to be shared with those in need!

           We live in a self-serving, self-reliant, selfish society.  It's a society that seeks to fill one's own desires and needs at any cost, a world that seeks ways to take rather than give.  As the Church, it is our responsibility to seek out those who need our help and meet those needs.  As members of god's family we are to see the needs of the community, our neighbors, and fill them.  Teamwork makes the dream work!  We are better together, and we were meant to live in community together.

           A healthy Church is attractive.  The zeal of the Apostles' worship and the authentic love for one another was extremely contagious.  So much so that nearly 3,000 people joined them!  Now that's a revival!  The reality is that if we are authentically loving one another and zealous in the way we  worship the Creator, we will become more attractive, as His Church, than anything that the world may offer.

           It is when we allow doubt to creep into our worship that we fail to portray Jesus properly.  Somewhere down the line, man Christians and Church leaders have allowed the enemy to cast doubt into our weekly and daily times of worship.  Our worship should point people to Jesus!  Have we forgotten what Jesus told Peter in Matthew 16:18-20 about building His church?  Where is our HOPE?  It's in Jesus! 

           God sent us here for a reason.  We need to BE THE CHURCH in Culpeper!  "The devil ain't got nothin' on us, Church!"