Well, good morning to everyone. Beautiful morning. We had a few clouds up in the UP by the lake, so it was a little bit warmer than what you guys had down here, but it looks like we're going to be chilly the next few days, so put another log on the fire.

We're going to be looking at Acts 2 verses 42 to 47 this morning. We've seen in our study of Acts 2 so far as we've been going along some really amazing, profound events. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was working mightily through the apostles to found the church of Christ. We saw signs and wonders, a sound as of a mighty rushing wind, the divided tongues as of fire, the sign of other languages proclaiming the wonderful works of God. We had a clear, powerful gospel message about Jesus of Nazareth, who He is and what He's done, accomplishing our salvation at the cross, rising again, ascending into heaven to the right hand of the Father, waiting until His enemies are made His footstool. 

We see the hope and promise of His coming to set up His kingdom in Peter's sermon, the promise to Israel. All of this on the birthday of the church, the called out ones, the fellowship of believers. As we come down to verse 42 and following, we see what the first group of believers, that 3,120 believing souls that made up the church in Jerusalem were like, what they were doing, how they were acting, and in this, we see God's vision and intention for the body of Christ in this world.

I think this is a most instructive passage for us to consider because it gives us great insight into the crucial elements, what really matters and what must not be sacrificed in the context of the local church. It's a description of the first church, the first local body of believers. It's not necessarily a prescription for us, but I think the principles here are vital and they're very enlightening for us even today. And if we pay heed to these elementary principles of the body and the focus of the church, then we'll come to learn what it means to live as believers, as a church in this evil age, accomplishing God's will in this world and living with simplicity of heart. That phrase in the text struck me. That's what I've titled the message, simplicity of heart.

Let's look together at Acts 2:42. It says, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together and had all things in common and sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

We have four points on our outline this morning. First, we're going to look at the apostles' doctrine, fellowship, prayer, and simplicity of heart.

Well, it is a fascinating, if not highly disturbing thing to make a study of the evangelical church today in our world. Certainly, there are many places where God is working and He's doing wonderful things and faithful people are carrying out God's will and intention with love and passion to bring the good news to the lost in this world. But on the other hand, there are quite frankly some disturbing and downright bizarre things going on in the church in the name of Christ.

From the strange yet pervasive elements of the Pentecostal movement involving all kinds of charismatic chaos to the strict legalistic external religion of some of the Baptist denominations, to the worldly man-centered philosophy of the seeker purpose-driven movement, to the mysticism and pagan rituals of the emergent church, there's a broad scope of error under the umbrella of evangelicalism. The frightening reality is that elements, parts, and pieces of all these errors have begun to creep in and affect mainstream evangelical and Bible churches to one degree or another.

How we do church has become a hodgepodge of man's ideas, Satan's false religious schemes, with God's prescriptions in the Scriptures sort of mixed in. Men have invented all kinds of ideas of how worshiping God, fellowshiping together, and reaching the lost should be done, but few are willing to go back to the simplicity of the early church, the core principles of a focus on God and His Word, trust in Him, dependence on Him, a daily need for Jesus and His truth to renew our minds and to produce fruit that He desires for our lives, for His glory. 

Now certainly there are many preferences and different ways of doing things in the church in different times and different places, and that's fine. That is why I say this passage is a description and not necessarily a prescription for us as to how we must conduct ourselves in the body. However, there are crucial elements laid out here in our text. Elements that must take center stage, must be our focal point regardless of what other activities we engage in. 

And first, we see the paramount truth that the church must be continually about learning and studying the apostles' doctrine. Verse 42 says, “...and they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine.” At this time in the infancy of the church, they did not have the New Testament Scriptures. God was still revealing these truths through direct revelation, and the Scriptures were yet to be written. Because this was true, God had a plan for validating the words, the teaching, the doctrine of His chosen men, the apostles.

In Mark 16, Jesus gives us these words with the central command to His disciples. He says, “...go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe. In My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then after the Lord had spoken to them, they proceeded up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, and they went out and preached everywhere, listen, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through accompanying signs.

In Hebrews 2:3 it says, “...how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, the apostles, God also bearing witness, with signs and wonders, with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will.” 2 Corinthians 12:12 says, “...truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you.” Just as we saw the sign of other languages on the day of Pentecost, the sign which Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 14 is a sign for unbelievers to show them that the words that follow, the gospel message, as we see Peter preach in Acts 2 for example, are from God, are truth. 

Because the Scriptures were yet to be written, God was working through His apostles by signs and wonders to validate their message as from God. And that is why we see in this early church in verse 43 that many wonders and signs were done through the apostles and because of this it says, “...great fear fell upon the people.” It's amazing to look at some of the things that were done in the early church. The word fear means reverence. It means awe. They were inspired. They had awe. All the people were in awe of the amazing works that God was doing through the apostles. It truly must have been an amazing time.

Turn over to Acts 5 with me please. Let's look at a passage in Acts 5 verse 12. It says, “...and through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were done among the people, and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly, and believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also, a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.” 

Clearly, the apostles were God's spokesmen. Clearly, they had been given authority to speak, speaking the words of God, the truth, the doctrine of Christ. Turn over to Ephesians 2 with me. Ephesians 2:19. A very important passage. Ephesians 2:19, "'Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God."

You see, the apostles were given the keys to the kingdom. They were given the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they were told to go out and preach this good news to every creature. They took this gospel, this truth about Jesus, who He is and what He's done, and they made Jesus the cornerstone upon which they built their doctrine. They received direct revelation from God, and they spoke and taught truth, building on that cornerstone, laying down the foundation of doctrine, of teaching, of truth, concerning Jesus and the salvation He provides and His life in us.

The apostles' doctrine is the foundation of the church. And it is the apostles' doctrine that they met together to hear, to learn, to study, in order to grow. This was the experience of the believers in the first days of the existence of the church, the body of Christ. And this, my brothers and sisters, must be the centerpiece of our meetings together, of our worship, of our fellowship as well. The Word of God, the doctrine of the apostles, must be taught and preached and learned and believed in order that we might grow today just as it has always been since the days after Pentecost and all through the history of the church.

Those who deviate from this plan of God for His people do so to their own detriment and certain distraction and delusionment leading to fruitlessness and impotence in the church. Doctrine, God's Word, must be the first and foremost purpose of the meeting together of the local body of believers. Paul makes this clear in Ephesians 4:11 when he says he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying, the building up of the body of Christ till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect, mature, complete man to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

That we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men and the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things into Him who is the Head, Christ, from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies according to the effective working by which every part does its share causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. 

I want you to listen further in that passage down in verse 17 to what Paul says. This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. Paul's describing the lost man in Adam who being past feeling, having given themselves over to lewdness to work all uncleanness with greediness. 

Now listen to what he says in verse 20. The contrast. But you have not so learned Christ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus. Truth. Doctrine. Teaching. The doctrine of the apostles. The foundation of the church. The truth is in Jesus. He says that you have put off the old man concerning your former conduct. You are being renewed in the spirit of your mind. That you have put on the new man. Therefore, put away lying. Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole, steal no longer. But rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 

Do you want fruit in your lives for the glory of God? In your individual life? In the body of believers at Living Hope Church? Do you want to live a holy life consistent with who you are by the power of Christ living in you? Do you want this church to be a powerful, loving witness to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and salvation for every man who will believe? Do you want to see men saved in these communities where we live, impacted with the gospel, for the cause of Christ, for the glory of God? 

Then we better spend our time coming together for the preaching and teaching of the apostles' doctrine, the Word of God, the truth. And we better be in fellowship together, studying, singing, learning, and applying the Word of God written in this New Testament by the apostles of Jesus Christ. The doctrine, the teaching, is the foundation of all our growth, of our sanctification, of our fruitfulness. And we better make the preaching and teaching, and study and learning corporately and individually focused on these words, these truths about Jesus and who He is.

Unfortunately, in the church today, doctrine has become a dirty word. We have involved ourselves in all kinds of programs, systems, philosophies, ideas of men, so that we are very busy, in fact, overwhelmed most of the time. But what has been undermined, what has been laid aside in all this is a focus on and a dedication to the apostles' doctrine, to the preaching and teaching and exalting of the Word of God and the God of His Word. 

But my friends, what a privilege it is to really dig into this book. What an amazing, transforming effect we see in our lives and ministries when we do it God's way and follow the examples of these believers meeting together to know and believe the truth, to give themselves to the study of doctrine, to truth about Jesus and live in simplicity of heart, keeping the plain things the main things. 

What a contrast we see in the church today, so busy, so filled with activities and programs and so-called ministering, but so devoid of truth and therefore devoid of power. The church is tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. There's no clear message for the world, and no growth, no foundation for the believers. I pray that we at Living Hope Church will never compromise, abandon, or forsake the focus of the preaching and teaching of this Word, this doctrine of the apostles. 

Because my friends, this doctrine, this teaching is the only way we can know Jesus, and the only way we can grow and renew our minds and learn to trust and depend on and abide in Christ one day at a time. And it's the only way, God's way, for us to be fruitful and to live a holy life and to be a witness for Him in this world. 

So we see the crucial element of the doctrine of the apostles in the life of the church. Next, we see the great need of fellowship. I was talking to a friend the other day who's very interested in Christ, but is just coming to understand the gospel, and she asked me, what do you mean by fellowship? She said, isn't fellowship just friendship? And why can't an unbeliever and a believer be friends? 

Well, this is an interesting and important question, I think, for us to understand. The word translated fellowship here is koinonia. It literally means partnership. When we turn to Jesus in faith, we are saved. We become partners. We are joined in purpose with God and with fellow believers. That which separated us is taken away. We now walk together in faith and in purpose, in agreement. 

Turn over to 2 Corinthians 6, please. Let's look at 2 Corinthians 6, verse 14. Paul's instruction for the believers in Corinth. He says, “...do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God and they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you. I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Clear instruction to be separate, to come out. And it's based on the truth of 2 Corinthians 5. I want to begin in verse 14. “...For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus, that if one died for all, then all died. And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh, even though we have known Christ according to the flesh. Yet now we know Him thus no longer.” 

Listen to verse 17. “...Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” That is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God were pleading through us, we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God, for He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, in order that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

My friends, when we are saved, God does an amazing work in us. Not only are we released from the penalty of sin and the wrath and judgment of God, but we also are delivered from the power of indwelling sin. We are new creations in Christ. We are born again, regenerate. We are totally different creatures. Now all things are of God. Our life, our desires, our purpose now is centered on the person of Jesus Christ, serving Him, glorifying Him, telling others about Him. 

Before, in Adam, our life was all about us. We were dominated by the sin that dwells in us. We were consumed with ourselves, our wants, our desires, our own benefit. But now, our life is all about Jesus and others. We are no longer slaves to sin, bound by the law, headed for eternal death. We are now under grace, displaying righteousness, and destined for eternal life in heaven with Jesus. 

This is why there is no fellowship between believer and unbeliever. There's no partnership. There's no commonality. Because we are two totally different creatures with different motives, different purposes, and different destinies. But for those who are in Christ, we have a tremendously powerful bond. We have a commonality of nature and purpose. And the truth is that God's prescription for our daily living is that we know and understand this fellowship. This fellowship we have because we are in Christ. And also, that we spend time together to foster and further this fellowship with one another. 

The author of Hebrews says in chapter 10, 23, "'Let us hold fast our confession of hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the gathering together of ourselves, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching.' My brothers and sisters, God has designed us for fellowship. And His plan is for the church to come together. First, for the apostles' doctrine. But also for fellowship, to encourage one another, to help one another, and to stir one another up to love and good works. 

This is the command of the Scripture. And it's an absolute necessity for us to be fruitful and to grow in Christlikeness. It makes me think of the biblical definition of sanctification in Romans 12, 2. You're familiar with that passage. Paul beseeches us in that passage to take the apostles' doctrine, all that he has taught us back in the first 11 chapters of Romans, and to apply that by presenting our bodies as living sacrifices to God. And he goes on to explain how this works, by renewing our minds to the truth of God's Word, by ceasing the practice of being conformed outwardly by this world, and rather, by being transformed. That is to have our outward expression continually and gradually come into consistency with the truth of who we are. 

Do you know, my brother and sister in Christ, that this cannot happen apart from doctrine and fellowship? And as we'll see in a moment, prayer. These are necessary, central, crucial elements that cannot be undermined or pushed aside by all the good things that we do in our churches. The believers in this early church met every day. I understand that this may be a description of what they did, and not necessarily a prescription for what we do, but the principle is there. 

We have a great need to continually renew our minds in the Word, but also in fellowship, encouragement, stirring up to love and good works, fostering, furthering our purpose in oneness, togetherness. Because the truth is that we spend most of our time apart from one another in this world. Being conformed if we are not steadfast, diligent to reckon the truth of God's Word moment by moment, applying it to every situation. And we will wither on the vine if we are not nourished. If we are absent from Sunday morning and Thursday night and daily reading and studying of God's Word, the world will wear us down and begin to conform us and to lead us away in our thinking. You know that this is true. 

We have a great need. That's a thought that kept coming back to my mind. I need to be together with believers. I need to hear doctrine. I need to talk about Jesus, to spend time with each other, to praise Him, to encourage one another, to be transformed by truth by the continual renewing of our minds. And if we forsake that, if we choose to spend our time with lost men in Adam, with the influx of Satan's system through all his means, or even just alone apart from the fellowship of believers, then we will see ourselves being conformed by the world rather than being transformed by the renewing of our minds. 

We are not strong enough. We are not able. We need to experience continual fellowship, influence of our partners in the gospel, encouragement and love as well as doctrine. The early church met every day in fellowship, breaking bread from house to house. This is the focus on Jesus and the cross, remembering continually what He did for them. And they encouraged one another and they renewed one another with truth and with love. 

And I encourage you, my brothers and sisters, to make coming together for these reasons your first priority. At least Sunday morning and for a midweek study and on your own and with your family. It says they continued steadfastly in fellowship. The word means to be earnest toward, to persevere, to exercise constant diligence. I think about that sometimes when it's a Sunday morning in the middle of winter and there's a snowstorm. Sometimes getting here is exercising constant diligence. But it needs to be my first priority above family and friends. Invite them. And if they don't come, be an example, be a witness to them of the priority of your life, to come together and worship and hear the Word in fellowship. 

It needs to be above recreation. I'm continually amazed at the lengths that we'll go to for recreation. Great expense, great effort. It needs to be the first priority above rest and relaxation. It's easier to stay home. We're all busy and tired. But we don't miss work. We don't miss our recreation. We don't miss the things that matter most to us. What matters most, my friends? What is our greatest need? Make fellowship and the coming together of believers your first priority because we need each other and we need fellowship and we need the truth of the Word, not the influence of the world. We get enough of that. Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much more as you see the day approaching.

So we have a need for doctrine. We see we have a need for fellowship. And next, we see that we have a need for prayer. Acts 2:42, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayer.” Prayer speaks of our need for and dependence ultimately on God and His grace and power in our lives. Without Jesus, we can do nothing. And what we see is that this was a praying church. It was a church focused on doctrine, fulfilling the need for fellowship, and it was a church fully dependent on God.

Look at verse 43. It says, “Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

I just want to make a comment on verses 44 to 45. This is a passage that some have used to promote socialism among Christians, even communes in some areas. But the tense of the verbs is interesting because it says they were selling as they had need and distributing as they had need. It was not that they all sold all their stuff and divided it up equally and lived in a commune. It was that there were a lot of people who were left there, who were saved on the day of Pentecost. Three thousand. Most of those people weren't from Jerusalem. They were visiting for the feast. And they stayed there to learn the apostles' doctrine, and they had need, and other believers had need, and persecution came, and there was need. 

And what it says is that the believers, when they saw a need, would sell something they had to meet that need, or give of themselves to meet that need. That's no different than what we do today. James speaks to that. If you see a brother who's hungry or naked, and you don't feed him or clothe him, say, “depart, and I'll pray for you,” and “be well, and be filled.” Right? When we see a need, we need to help each other. We need to meet that need. This is not a commune or socialism. The Bible's very clear about those things, and private ownership, and self-sufficiency, and working with your own hands, and minding your own business, and all those kind of things. So I just wanted to make a comment to make that clear.

God was working through them in this day with signs and wonders, confirming their words. They were not clinging to the things and the goods of the world, their personal portfolio, but they were depending on God, looking to Him, praying to Him continually without ceasing. They were one accord. And this speaks of their need for Him, their trust in Him, their humble, simple dependence on Him, that abiding relationship that He desires as our perfect Father. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

You see, Jesus must build His church, and He will only build it His way. I believe that the reason that the church is so frail today, lacking power to witness to win people in our country anyway, the reason the church is tossed to and fro and into all kinds of crazy doctrine, programs, and plans, the reason so many have abandoned the Word, and the truth, and the central focus on these basic elements of doctrine, and fellowship, and prayer, is because men are building the church. 

The church is filled with carnal men, with unbelievers, because the truth is not taught. I was just talking the other day to someone about a leader of a local church in my community, leading a program in that church, and I found out this person's not even saved. I hope they get saved, and they're leading a program. What's going on, my friends? What's going on is the plans and philosophies of men, and a lack of emphasis on doctrine, teaching, fellowship, and truth, and dependence, a desperate need expressed through prayer for our God, our Father. 

Do you talk to Him, my brother, my sister, continually through the day, moment by moment? Do you dedicate time to pray for the lost people in your life, in our community, for fellow believers, for our church, for opportunities to be an encourager, to be a witness, to live a life worthy of your calling, for wisdom and discernment, to bring glory to God, and all that you do to be pleasing to Him? Is prayer, is humble daily dependence on Jesus, on God, and His grace, the hallmark of our Christian life?

This is what we see in the early church. And the Lord was building His church, building these believers. Not fancy buildings, not slick programs, or quality entertainment, or inspirational speakers, or even any kind of system. All they did was meet together and study the Word, and have fellowship and prayer, and go out and witness. 

It reminds me of when I was in India. I was so impressed with those people. Our missionaries that we support, every day they just went out and preached the Gospel. That's what they did. This is what we see in the early church. Not sermonettes for Christianettes, but a real dedication to the Word, and to fellowship, and prayer, and dependence on God for all they did, one day at a time, each day, each moment, looking to Him. 

This is the abiding life in Christ, my friends, and I believe it's simple. I love that phrase, simplicity of heart and gladness, praising the Lord. Paul talks about the simplicity that is in Christ. And I think that in my life, I cannot do much. I don't have much ability, or power, or wisdom, or anything. I'd like to do great things. And there's an allure to adopt the ways of the world. The marketing principles of business and advertising, the entertainment and crowd-drawing power of the means of the world, and see great growth in numbers and activities, and the size of our building, and the hustling and bustling, and the church filled with people, busy about something, so many things. 

But the truth is, this is man's way to build a church. A group of people, actually. Franz Habener said, “What you win them with, you win them too.” Because a true church is a body of believers, dedicated, committed to the apostles' doctrine, to fellowship, and the building up and encouraging of believers, of prayer, and daily dependence of God to build His church as we go out and witness to the world. 

The church that the gates of hell will not prevail against. I cannot do much. In fact, without Him, I can do nothing. But with Him, His way, dependent on Him, I can do all things, he says. The fact is, my brothers and sisters, if we do not heed the words before us today, in the words of the book of Ephesians, where Paul lays out the doctrines of the church, God's plan for the church, then we labor in vain. 

Because we need doctrine, we need truth about Jesus, we need fellowship, we need to build one another up and stir each other up to love and good works, and we need prayer. We need dependence on God and fellowship with Him, His strength, His power working in and through us. And we need to remember the cross. We need to continually come back to the gospel, just as the believers in the early church did daily, breaking bread and eating their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.

Let's close in prayer. 

Father, we're so thankful for Your Word, which sets us straight, keeps our mind thinking right, helps us to think Your thoughts. Thank You for giving us understanding through Your Spirit, giving us wisdom and discernment, Lord. Thank You for continually building us up and helping us grow through Your truth. Thank You for our fellowship. Thank You for this church and the commonality and purpose that we have. We want to be a witnessing church, Lord, and we know that we need to be built up and encouraged, continually renewing our minds and depending on You if that's going to work. Thank You that You make it work. In Jesus' name, amen.