August 17/18, 2019
Patrick Conrad

“We have become a society of clients more than colleagues, acquaintances more than friends…. We are often little islands of self-absorbed, self-contained individuals in a futile search for the solid continent of community.  And in our aloneness we have plenty of company.” —Edward Hallowell

Do you believe that you belong somewhere?
That there is a specific place or group of people where your presence, input and identity is specifically matched?

The Devil wants to isolate us so that he can convince us that…

• we really are all

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  ;

• we are the

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  ones going through what we’re going through;

• no one else knows or

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  about our problems.

Acts 2:42-47 (NLT)

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

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*Ethos of the 1st Church

*the characteristic or spirit of a community as manifested in their beliefs and aspirations

1 – Prioritized

vs. 42, “They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord’s Supper and in prayer.”

2 - Shared

vs. 42, “…sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper) and to prayer.”

vs. 44, “And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.”

vs. 46, “They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals”

3 – Embraced

vs. 47, “all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”

“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” —Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)