Please open your copies of God’s word to Acts 9:26. Our annual preaching theme last year was, “We, Not Me.” But there were more things that I wanted for us to talk about but we ran out of time last year. So I do hope to be able to come back to this series from time to time and continue thinking about the importance of considering one another and not just ourselves as we walk with God. As we begin this lesson I want us to be looking at Acts 9. Acts 9 records the amazing conversion of Saul who is also known as Paul. Paul was actively trying to extinguish the faith and teaching of Jesus as the Christ by persecuting Christians. Paul was not only causing havoc in Jerusalem, but also would go to surrounding cities like Damascus, arresting Christians and bringing them to Jerusalem for trial (cf. Acts 9:1-2). Acts 9:1 records frightening words if you were a Christian then. Paul was breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. His threats were not empty because we oversaw the stoning of Stephen (cf. Acts 8:1). But while on the way to continue his efforts to destroy more Christians, Jesus appears to him. Paul believes and is baptized and now is proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God in the synagogues (cf. Acts 9:17-22). Before we move forward, I want to assert firmly in your minds that this event is one of the strongest proofs of the resurrection of Jesus. What could possibly cause an ardent enemy and active persecutor against Jesus and his followers to turn and become an ardent believer and active proclaimer of Jesus as the Son of God? Paul’s own words will tell you when you read his account in the book of Acts: he had an encounter with the risen Lord (cf. Acts 22:6-9; 26:13-18). Paul’s life was forever changed by this encounter as he preached the gospel of Jesus and was a powerful apostle in service to the Lord. Paul wrote 13 letters which have been preserved as the inspired word of God which you hold in your hands today. Now I want you to turn your attention to Acts 9:26.
And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. (Acts 9:26 ESV)
I have an important question for your consideration today that will be the basis of this lesson. Why did Paul try to join himself to the disciples in Jerusalem when he moved to that city? Paul is an apostle of Jesus. The Galatian letter will tell us that he went to Jerusalem three years later after his conversion (Acts does not record these details). Paul will strenuously argue that he did not go to Jerusalem to be taught by the other apostles. Further, Paul says he did not meet with any of the apostles when he lived in Jerusalem except James, the brother of Jesus (cf. Galatians 1:18-19). But what Paul did do when he was living in Jerusalem was try to join with the other disciples who lived in Jerusalem. Why?
We live in a time that bristles at the idea of church membership. People want to be able to stay home rather than go through the effort of coming to a location for worship to our Lord. Technology has only encouraged this as it becomes easier and easier to think that church membership is an antiquated idea. Further, it is argued that you do not see any command in the scriptures to go place your membership at a church. So why do we need to join a church? Why don’t we just come and go as we please and we will be here for you whenever you think you need us? As I address these questions, I want us to consider that God does not tell us everything he expects of us through direct commands. What I mean is that the way we are not to read the scriptures is by only looking for all the commands that say to do something and not do something. In fact, if you went through the New Testament with that reading lens, you would not read much of the New Testament because God did not hand the world a book of rules. Rather, God gave us narrative accounts of the life of Jesus, letters written by various apostles, sermons from his inspired writers, and a prophecy through the apostle John. My point is that just because you may not find a verse in your copies of God’s word that says, “Thou shalt join a church,” this does not mean that this is not God’s expectation for his people. So let me present three points that show God’s desire and intention for every Christian to belong to a faithful group of disciples where you live.
God Gave Us Family
Perhaps one of the most important pictures God uses to describe us, but can be easily overlooked, is the picture that we are family. The New Testament describes his groups of disciples in their local areas around the world as a family. Listen to how Jesus describes his relationship he has with his disciples and the relationship disciples have with each other.
While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:46-50 ESV)
Notice that Jesus does not merely call for us to be disciples who follow Jesus. Jesus calls us to be family. Paul described our relationship a few times with that kind of imagery.
Love one another with brotherly affection. (Romans 12:10 ESV)
Why do we need to love each other with brotherly affection? Why use the “brotherly affection” imagery? The answer is self-evident. We love each other with brotherly affection because we are brothers and sisters. Unfortunately we can toss this term around easily and call each other brothers and sisters. But we need to realize what this implies when we say it. Being brothers and sisters to each other means we have a deep connection to each other as family, a connection that is far deeper and of greater importance than any other connection.
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:14-15 ESV)
Notice again that we see the imagery of a house being used to describe this relationship that we have. But these things should have been self-evident from the beginning. Since Jesus tells us to call God our Father, then this implies that we are family as children in the house of God, functioning as brothers and sisters together. Now here is the first point for us. If we are to be family, then I need to know who is in the family. I need to know if you are saying that you belong to this family or not. I need to know if we are connected. I need to know if we have this bond in Christ together. I need to know if we are committing ourselves to each other in this way. Paul attempted to join himself to the disciples in Jerusalem because he understood that we are to be a family in Christ. We are not individuals who are all doing our own things for Christ. We are working together in Christ and for Christ.
God Gave Us Each Other
This leads us directly into our second point and that is as family we are responsibilities to each other. This should also be a self-evident idea. Family has responsibilities to each other. Being family means something. There are responsibilities and expectations to be a physical family which is true for the family of Christ. I want to do something I do not do too often. But I just want to overwhelm you with just some of the responsibilities that God gave to us as the family of Christ.
- Live in harmony with one another. (Romans 12:16 ESV)
- Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV)
- For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13 ESV)
- Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)
- And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; (Ephesians 5:18-19 NASB20)
- Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21 NIV)
- Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13 NIV)
- Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)
- And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV)
The point I want to emphasize is to see all the “one another” teachings. There are so many teachings that proclaim the responsibilities we have to each other. So there must exist a “one another” to do these things. I would strenuously point out these things require a connection to each other. How are we going to comfort each other if we do not know each other? How are we going to encourage each other if we are not spending time with each other? How can we be kind to each other if we are not together? All of these commands presume being connected as a family. This is what Paul is saying in Romans 12:4-5.
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. (Romans 12:4-5 ESV)
We, though many and though individuals, are one body. I would like us to see that this is one of a few places where we get the idea of being members. We are members of one another and we are members of the body of Christ. Do not think of being a member like being a member of Costco. Perhaps this is where some of the distain for membership comes from. You are not becoming a member here like a Sam’s Club, paying dues, and then using the service we provide. You are members like members of a family. You are members like members of a body.
God Gave Us Help
There is one more picture that I want us to consider and that is the help that we receive by belonging to the family of Christ.
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17 ESV)
The only way for this instruction to be fulfilled is that we belong to a local church. You have to know who your leaders are so that they can do the work of helping you and watching over your soul. This cannot happen without belonging to a body. Further, you need to indicate that you belong so that the leaders know to watch out for you. One of the key points that we can miss in thinking about the family of Christ is that every single person will one day need help from others. You are going to need someone to help you one day. Even if you have a wonderful physical family, none of us will always have that family. We all need a family that is greater than our physical family. So you need to connect and invest in this spiritual family now so that you can have the help you need when that time comes. Look at how James puts this idea:
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16 ESV)
You are going to need people to pray for you. You are going to need people you can depend on. You are going to need people to be your support. But here is where I want to challenge us as we bring this lesson to a close. No one can help you if you show up, but do not connect. You can be here every week and have no connections to anyone. It is very easy to do. You can show up and keep to yourself. You can show up late. You can leave early. You can keep your head down. You can say hi and smile as you walk in and out. No one can help you if you show up, but do not connect. No one can help if you do not connect in a deeper way. No one can help if you do not tell others about your life and what is happening in your life. No one can help if you are choosing to stay disconnected and go alone. Now here is where I want to challenge you. If you are connected and you need help, you will not have to wonder if you will have the help you need. You will see this body spring into action and give you overwhelming support and help. I have seen in many, many times. But if you need help and no one is there or there is only one or two, then I will tell you that you did not get connected in the way the scriptures are describing. You have been holding back rather than opening yourself up to this family.
So here are my three challenges for you. First, you need to let us know that you belong. The apostle Paul joined himself to the disciples in Jerusalem so that they could work together as God’s family. You must take ownership of this family so that you will give yourself to it. If you do not take ownership of this family and connect to it, then you will much more easily walk away from it. Second, forming relationships will require more than an hour a week. You must connect beyond 1-2 hours a week. In particular, joining yourself to our smaller group studies is how that formation will happen. The smaller groups will speed up the process of connecting as family. The studies on Sunday morning and Wednesday night are not some required activity but a critical way that we have fellowship with each other. The women’s and men’s studies are to develop this family connection in Christ. Our community studies that we have at various times are to build these relationships so that we can do what God has asked us to do as his family. Finally, as a church we need to actively seek more connections and new connections. Too many churches think they are friendly. But the reality is that they are friendly to each other, but not to guests or to new members. For the church to grow, we need to realize that we are going to incorporate more and more into our spiritual family. So be patient and keep adding more to your circle. God did not tell us to only have a couple deep relationships. God expected us to be connected to the whole body. So why won’t you connect?