Day by day. The lives of ordinary men and women were being powerfully transformed.
- Transformation began with conviction (Acts 2:37).
- Conviction produced devotion (Acts 2:42).
- Devotion was fueled by awe (Acts 2:43).
Where does the ancient “newborn picture” of the Lord’s church in Acts 2 take us next? Fellowship. A word that implies joint participation, sharing, commonality, or partnership.
1 Corinthians 1:9 contains incredibly wonderful news!
- “God is faithful” — this opportunity is made available by the grace of our Creator.
- “By whom you were called” — this good news is calling for a response.
- “Into the fellowship” — we are called to become a part of something larger than ourselves.
- “Of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” — this relationship revolves around God.
When you are convicted and answer that call and I am convicted and answer that call and we devote ourselves to “walking in the light,” we enjoy fellowship with one another (1 John 1:5-7). The gospel brings us into:
- Communion (John 17:20-21)
- One body (1 Cor 12:12-13)
- Agreement (1 Cor 1:10)
- Unity (Eph 4:1-6)
- Family (2 Cor 6:14-18)
- Community (Eph 2:13-19)
- Membership (Eph 3:6)
- Partnership (Phil 1:3-5)
- Full accord (Phil 2:1-2)
This fellowship isn’t simply theoretical; it powerfully, visibly, and tangibly shapes real life (Phil 2:3-4; 2 Cor 13:11; 1 Thes 5:11-15; Heb 3:13-14; 10:24-25; 13:1-3; James 5:16; 1 Pet 3:8-9; 1 John 3:18).
Acts 2:42-47 describes the beautiful fellowship of the very first Christians.
- They devoted themselves to learning… together.
- They worshiped the God who is awesome… together.
- When necessary, they sold and shared… together.
- They spent time in homes… together.
Do you want to grow in 2016? Do you want to develop authentic relationships in 2016? Do you want to have real impact on the lives of other people in 2016? Don’t settle for “theoretical” fellowship!
This sermon was delivered on February 7, 2016.
“Day by day” is our theme for 2016 at Laurel Canyon. Click here to download our theme booklet. For more sermons, visit the sermon archive or subscribe to the sermon podcast.