Doing Life Together: Foundations of Community in Christ

Devotional

Day 1: Centered on the Word of God

The early church was unwavering in its commitment to the apostles' teaching, which was rooted in the eyewitness accounts of Jesus' ministry. This dedication to Scripture is essential for any church that seeks to avoid confusion and stay aligned with God's will. By molding our lives around Jesus and His teachings, we can experience the fullness of life in Him. This means prioritizing the study of the Bible, allowing it to shape our thoughts, actions, and decisions. A church that is not centered on the Word of God risks drifting into confusion and losing its way. Therefore, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to Scripture, just as the early believers did. [50:24]

Acts 17:11 (ESV): "Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so."

Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to deepen your commitment to studying the Bible and allowing it to shape your life?

Day 2: Fellowship and Generosity

True fellowship in the church goes beyond financial giving; it involves sharing life and supporting one another in meaningful ways. The early church demonstrated this by selling their possessions to meet each other's needs, showcasing a deep bond and mutual care. This kind of generosity is a powerful testimony to the world and a vital part of our community life. It challenges us to look beyond our own needs and consider how we can support and uplift those around us. By practicing this level of fellowship and generosity, we reflect the love of Christ and build a stronger, more unified community. [56:44]

Hebrews 13:16 (ESV): "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."

Reflection: Think of a specific way you can support someone in your church community this week, whether through your time, resources, or encouragement.

Day 3: Breaking of Bread and Hospitality

Hospitality is not an optional extra but a key function of the church. The early believers gathered in each other's homes, sharing meals and building relational equity. This practice fosters transparency and authenticity, allowing us to support and celebrate with one another in a more intimate setting. By opening our homes and sharing meals, we create opportunities for deeper connections and meaningful conversations. This kind of hospitality helps to break down barriers and build a sense of belonging within the church community. It is through these shared experiences that we can truly do life together and grow in our faith. [01:09:53]

1 Peter 4:9-10 (ESV): "Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace."

Reflection: How can you practice hospitality this week by inviting someone from your church community into your home or sharing a meal with them?

Day 4: The Importance of Prayer

Prayer is indispensable for inviting the Holy Spirit's power into our midst. It softens our hearts, aligns us with God's will, and strengthens our community. Whether in personal prayer closets or corporate gatherings, prayer is a vital function of the church that keeps us focused on God's purposes. Through prayer, we can seek guidance, find comfort, and intercede for others. It is a powerful tool that connects us with God and with each other. By prioritizing prayer in our daily lives and as a church community, we can experience the transformative power of the Holy Spirit and grow in our faith. [01:16:21]

Colossians 4:2 (ESV): "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."

Reflection: Set aside a specific time each day this week to pray for your church community, asking God to guide, protect, and strengthen each member.

Day 5: Community and Maturity

Our maturity in Christ cannot happen in isolation; we need each other to grow and fulfill God's purposes for our lives. The early church's commitment to the four functions—teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer—provides a model for us to follow. By engaging in these practices together, we can support one another in our spiritual journeys and grow in our faith. Community is essential for accountability, encouragement, and growth. As we commit to being a church that does life together, we can experience the fullness of God's plan for our lives and become more like Christ. [41:14]

Ephesians 4:15-16 (ESV): "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

Reflection: Reflect on how you can contribute to the growth and maturity of your church community. What specific actions can you take to support and encourage others in their faith journey?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Welcome, everyone! Today, we are diving into one of our core values at Tab Church: "We do life together." This value is rooted in the early church's practices as described in Acts 2:42-47. The early believers devoted themselves to four key functions: the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. These functions are non-negotiable for a biblically-based community of faith.

First, the apostles' teaching is crucial. A church that isn't centered on the Word of God will quickly drift into confusion. The early church was committed to the teachings of the apostles, who were eyewitnesses to Jesus' ministry. This commitment to Scripture is vital for us as well. We must mold our lives around Jesus, not the other way around.

Second, fellowship, or generosity, is essential. Fellowship goes beyond financial giving; it means sharing life together and supporting one another. The early church sold their possessions to meet each other's needs, demonstrating a deep bond and mutual care. This kind of generosity is a powerful testimony to the world.

Third, breaking of bread, or hospitality, is not an optional extra but a key function of the church. The early believers gathered in each other's homes, sharing meals and building relational equity. This practice fosters transparency and authenticity, allowing us to support and celebrate with one another in a more intimate setting.

Finally, prayer is indispensable. It's how we invite the Holy Spirit's power into our midst. Prayer softens our hearts, aligns us with God's will, and strengthens our community. Whether in personal prayer closets or corporate gatherings, prayer is a vital function of the church.

As we strive to live out these functions, we must remember that our maturity in Christ cannot happen in isolation. We need each other to grow and fulfill God's purposes for our lives. Let's commit to being a church that does life together, anchored in these four foundational practices.

###

Key Takeaways

1. Apostles' Teaching: A church must be centered on the Word of God to avoid drifting into confusion. The early church's commitment to the apostles' teaching, who were eyewitnesses to Jesus' ministry, is a model for us. We must mold our lives around Jesus, not the other way around, to experience the fullness of life in Him. [50:24]
2. Fellowship and Generosity: True fellowship goes beyond financial giving; it involves sharing life and supporting one another. The early church's practice of selling possessions to meet each other's needs demonstrates a deep bond and mutual care. This kind of generosity is a powerful testimony to the world and a vital part of our community life. [56:44]
3. Breaking of Bread and Hospitality: Hospitality is a key function of the church, not an optional extra. The early believers gathered in each other's homes, sharing meals and building relational equity. This practice fosters transparency and authenticity, allowing us to support and celebrate with one another in a more intimate setting. [69:53]
4. Prayer: Prayer is indispensable for inviting the Holy Spirit's power into our midst. It softens our hearts, aligns us with God's will, and strengthens our community. Whether in personal prayer closets or corporate gatherings, prayer is a vital function of the church that keeps us focused on God's purposes. [76:21]
5. Community and Maturity: Our maturity in Christ cannot happen in isolation; we need each other to grow and fulfill God's purposes for our lives. The early church's commitment to these four functions—teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer—provides a model for us to follow. Let's commit to being a church that does life together, anchored in these foundational practices. [41:14]
### [41:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[32:12] - Breaking the Monday Rule
[34:08] - Core Value: We Do Life Together
[35:50] - Acts 2:42-47: The Early Church's Focus
[37:20] - Individualism vs. Community
[39:07] - The Challenge of Community
[41:14] - Sanctification Requires Community
[42:52] - The Danger of Consumerism in Church
[44:38] - Jesus at the Center
[46:21] - Core Value Statement
[48:27] - Four Non-Negotiable Functions
[50:24] - Apostles' Teaching
[55:47] - Fellowship and Generosity
[59:06] - Commonality and Generosity
[66:40] - Breaking of Bread and Hospitality
[76:21] - The Importance of Prayer
[82:56] - Conclusion and Communion

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What were the four key functions that the early church devoted themselves to according to Acts 2:42-47?
How did the early believers demonstrate their commitment to fellowship and generosity? [56:44]
What role did hospitality play in the early church, and how was it practiced? [01:09:53]
Why is prayer considered indispensable in the life of the church? [01:16:21]

Interpretation Questions

Why is it important for a church to be centered on the apostles' teaching and the Word of God? How does this prevent the church from drifting into confusion? [50:24]
How does true fellowship go beyond financial giving, and what does it mean to share life and support one another in a church community? [56:44]
In what ways does breaking bread together foster transparency and authenticity within a church community? [01:09:53]
How does prayer align us with God's will and strengthen our community? Why is it vital for both personal and corporate gatherings? [01:16:21]

Application Questions

Reflect on your personal commitment to the apostles' teaching. How can you ensure that your life is molded around Jesus and not the other way around? [50:24]
Think of a time when you experienced true fellowship and generosity within a church community. How did it impact your faith journey, and how can you contribute to fostering this kind of environment at Tab Church? [56:44]
Hospitality is a key function of the church. What practical steps can you take to open your home and share meals with others in your church community? How can this practice enhance your relationships? [01:09:53]
Evaluate your current prayer life. Are you inviting the Holy Spirit's power into your personal and communal life? What changes can you make to prioritize prayer both individually and corporately? [01:16:21]
The sermon emphasized that maturity in Christ cannot happen in isolation. How can you actively engage with your church community to grow and fulfill God's purposes for your life? [41:14]
Consider the idea of "doing life together" as described in the sermon. What specific actions can you take this week to support and celebrate with others in your church community? [34:08]
How can you contribute to the culture of generosity at Tab Church, especially in light of the Helping Hands Fund mentioned in the sermon? What steps can you take to meet the needs of others in your community? [01:02:02]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "We exist to share God's story from Norfolk to the nations and it's been a great summer of many opportunities to do just that and so thankful for what God is doing around our church." [32:12] (12 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Sanctification, our maturity in Christ, the process by which we mature in Christ is not one of those things that we can do on our own. We just can't. Again a bold statement we cannot fully be the people that God has called us to be individually we cannot be the person that we are called to be to fully live into the purposes that God has for our life separate from the context of community it just can't happen." [41:14] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Generosity is just good. It's good for our heart. It's good because our stuff has a way of like, of, of entangling us. So I'll even challenge you. Maybe you're here today and you're not a believer yet, but you're, you're wanting to know what this generosity thing is all about. Helping hands is a great way to give because a hundred percent of that, a hundred percent of that flows right back out to whatever needs come up within our, our church family, but also in our, in our community." [01:03:13] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "How amazing would that be if there was a group of Christians that were sitting around in a front yard and they weren't talking about politics. They weren't talking about how bad the culture was. And weren't talking about all this stupid stuff that we waste all, all. This God-given breath talking about, and we were actually sitting around a table and we were talking about the goodness of God. Hey, what did God do in your life this past week?" [01:14:14] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Prayer is so so so important you prayer is also important because it softens our heart man as we're praying for people that especially people that are just harder for us to connect with or maybe we've been wounded by somebody man you start praying you know Jesus said pray for your enemies because when you start praying for your enemies the funny thing happens is it starts to actually shift and mold your heart towards that that person and God frees us from the captivity of that person and we're able to really understand mercy." [01:19:28] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "When you look at Acts chapter 2 and you look at the way the early church the things that they were focused on those functions of the church that they were that they were committed to it was just really humbling for me right I think if there ever was a time in our culture where we really go back and we just look at the basics the 101s of what church is is all about man this is this is a time where where we need to do it." [35:50] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The church isn't an organization it's an organism we're a living being that we come together and there's something so special and unique about our connections with one another that scripture actually refers to to the the gathering of believers as the body of Christ as we are in Christ and because of our individual relationship that we have with Jesus Christ we're we're in this thing together." [37:20] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "We can do some things on our own I understand that but sanctification our maturity in Christ the process by which we mature in Christ is not one of those things that we can do on our own we just can't again a bold statement we cannot fully be the people that God has called us to be individually we cannot be the person that we are called to be to fully live into the purposes that God has for our life separate from the context of community it just can't happen." [41:14] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "The apostles teaching a church that's not centered on the word of God is a church that will quickly drift into some kind of hot mess. Mark my words on that one. Mark my words on that one. Early church was committed to the apostles teaching, which the apostles, right? We talked about this, I think last week, as we were talking about, we're also a church that bends to the, that bends to the book." [50:24] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "When we say we do life together, we do life together and we go back to the template because it's God's word and the forms can take whatever forms and that's okay. There's freedom in the forms that different churches have. Like that's a beautiful thing. That's the way that God intended this thing to be. But there are some functions that are non-negotiable and those functions that are non-negotiable are not negotiable." [01:21:08] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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