What I see before me is a unique coming together of people. People from different backgrounds, culture of origin, and habits. This is only possible when Jesus is at the center. Right from creation, humans live in communities but it is in the NT that we see this principle taken to a much higher degree as a consummation of the creation principle for us to thrive when in community. In the NT, we have Jesus and his disciples, Paul and the body principle with each part being connected.
1.1. We are Created for Community: Humans are not created to live in isolation or by themselves. We are created in the image of God who is a community of three but very much one. In the Garden, the creator God says that it is not good for the human to be alone so he creates someone to be his helpmate. Please note that “helpmate” does not mean slave. Elsewhere, God is described as a helpmate.
Even, secularists accept the wisdom that “no man is an island.” This comes from the pen of John Donne, a Christian clergyman. Humans do better when they are part of a larger whole. We are part of a community and that is why we are here today. Being part of this church is important. We are not just a community but we are a spiritual community.
1.2. Community in Acts: the importance of spiritual community is seen especially in Acts. This happens after Pentecost and the church comes into being. The coming of the Spirit makes possible life as gathered communities living in close proximity, demonstrating something powerful to the outside world.
Today, I want to look at that first church. Remember, it is the Spirit who made this possible and it is the Spirit that Christian communities have to depend on for us to be the gathered spiritual community.
I ask what would you like to see in a spiritual community? Let’s take a look. ****
2.1. Power and People: Peter gives this Pentecost sermon to many people of many nationalities; from different parts of the world gathered in Jerusalem. The church has only about 120 people up to that point, but when the Spirit comes, Peter holds forth. He’s not the same guy who lost his nerve 2 months or so ago, this man is now empowered and on mission. (It is terrible when people are not on mission!). His words are not all that extraordinary but it’s fully anointed by the Spirit and it “cut to the heart” the people present.
Peter is very clear: repent, be baptized! You can’t have baptism without repentance and you cannot have repentance without baptism. Thus begins the new community. They are severely impacted by the Spirit. Peter is merely a conduit. The church now has added 3000 souls.
Something else unprecedented is also happening: the community of God now comprises different ethnicities; it’s multi-cultural! Multi-ethnic. I underline this point: church community of diverse peoples is possible when the Spirit blesses. It is the Spirit who grows and brings in the people. So, what do the people do?
2.2. Gathering and Breaking of Barriers: people gather not because it is a duty but because they want to. They want to be with people who they have a connection with. People of different backgrounds and nationalities but they are drawn together, to play sports.
This is a spiritual kinship. I heard the story of Martin Llyod Jones who was educated, worked as a surgeon, but after he became a believer and pastor, he found he had more in common with people who worked as miners than the people in the social clubs he belonged to where he could rub shoulders with people of his social standing.
In other words, those friends whom he had much to speak with before, were not friends he could share the deeper things of life with. People of the same faith feel a pull to join in fellowship and what do they do when they meet?
2.3. Nourishment for their Soul: They study, memorize and meditate on the Scriptures together. The word of God gives them light, direction and fire for their soul. For people who experienced Pentecost, the scriptures are life-giving, something they feed on.
It is not a religious manual. They have a great desire for truth because they have been living in darkness all their lives and now they want to make up for lost time.
The pull of being together is to share truth so that they invite light in to dispel the darkness that has surrounded them all their lives. They are like people lost in a desert and who have finally found water and such water is consumed by thirsty people.
It is best drunk with like-minded people.