#248 - Living Out the Acts 2 Church: Discipleship, Fellowship, and Growth

Transcript

0:07

You're listening to Al Pastor, the show that helps you love God, love your neighbor and eat more tacos.

I'm your host, Pastor Brian.

Welcome to the show.

Hey friends, I want to welcome you to today's podcast.

0:24

We're going to be walking through Acts chapter 2 verses 40 through 47.

We're actually going to finish the chapter.

In this episode.

I have a whole bunch of other supplemental topics that I want to cover, but not in this episode.

0:40

Now, as I promised in the previous episode, I have a special guest in studio and his name is Caspian.

Caspian, do you want to greet everybody and say hello?

Hello.

0:56

So how do you feel?

Do you feel nervous?

Excited.

What?

What do you think?

Like.

You don't know, huh?

You'll figure it out.

We warmed up a little bit that way because it's weird hearing your own voice like on the headphones and stuff like that.

1:12

And so you'll you'll warm up will will do pretty good.

So I want to give you a little gift for being on the ALPA store show.

These are some stickers.

Use them wisely.

I'm putting this on my John book, on my Axe book.

There you go, put it on your axe book or a water bottle or something like that.

1:31

I also have in studio Mr. Noah.

Noah, why don't you greet everybody?

Hello everybody.

Hey, so here's what we're going to do.

Right off the bat, we need to ask Caspian about his favorite tacos.

What do you think, Noah?

Sounds like a good idea.

1:46

Then we're going to judge him because this should have been a prerequisite to see if he's worthy to be on ALPA store.

So Caspian, tell us about your favorite Taco.

Now I got to guide you.

You have to be detailed because everybody can only hear you.

2:01

They can't see.

You OK?

OK, OK.

So be detailed.

Let's start with the basics.

Tell us about your Taco.

OK so I like carne asada but I just don't like any pico or anything.

I only like like.

I usually like a corn tortilla, like the small tortillas.

2:19

OK, yellow, yellow corn tortilla or white corn?

Yellow.

OK.

And then just the garden on it and.

Now is the is the meat chopped up or is it like whole?

2:35

How do you do it?

Oh, chopped up, OK.

And then some shredded cheese and then put some chili vette on it.

And you know, with cheese, that's like the white boy coming out in you, right?

But the chili Vette.

Is good.

It's good.

OK, so we've got ASADA, we've got a yellow corn tortilla, we've got cheese, and then what else?

2:59

The.

So do you mean like green salsa?

Yeah, green, green.

Green salsa And who makes the green salsa or where do you get that from?

Just wherever you get it.

Yeah.

All right.

Now, what about the tortillas?

The tortilla, is it does it have any grease on it?

3:16

Is it just warmed up?

How?

How do you do that?

You just, like, warm it up and then, yeah.

All right, so starting with Noah, how would you judge his Taco?

From a skill from like 1:00 to 5:00 or like one to 10 you mean?

3:32

You pick, man.

You're you're judging.

What do you?

What do you give his Taco?

If it was a 10, probably like a 7 or 7.5.

Oh, come on, man, You're I get, I give it a nine.

I give it a nine.

3:48

So you welcome to the Alpa Store podcast.

So you pass the Taco Taco test.

So yeah, that's a good Taco.

That's actually one of my favorite tacos too, even with the cheese.

4:04

However, I prefer when I do asada, I like it's called ranchetta meat.

It's really soft and putting it in a, in a, in a flour tortilla.

I know technically people say well that's not a Taco, but it's good.

Never tried it but I'll get to that.

4:22

Flour tortilla with the sauna, some white Monterey Jack cheese, green salsa.

I'm with you.

I would add in some avocado as well.

And oh and some red onions.

Oh I love red onions some.

Radish too.

Yeah, I'd be.

4:38

I wouldn't put the radish in the Taco, but I'd eat it on the side.

So all right, let's get to the word.

I've got AI got a few questions for you.

First of all, both of you know, and Caspian, have you guys read?

Have you been?

How's your week going in in this walk of discipleship, starting with Noah?

4:56

It's been pretty good some days.

I have forgotten to listen to it both days, but other than that it's been pretty good.

That's good.

And have you have you read through your discipleship guide?

The commentary, yeah, Yeah, OK.

5:12

So we're going to be covering 40 through 47.

Caspian, how's your discipleship walk going?

How are you doing?

I'm doing good.

It's kind of hard to understand, but I'm also like just while I'm writing notes on the side of like what I think this verse means.

5:27

OK, good, good.

And where are you writing that?

Are you writing it in your journal Bible?

Yeah, my.

Journal Bible.

Awesome.

Now how are you guys doing on your memory verse?

Let me ask you that.

You're usually the memory guy, Caspian, right?

Are you doing?

Are you going to nail it this week or no?

Yeah, you are.

5:42

What about you, Noah?

I have like half of them memorized.

OK, So what is our memory verse?

First, it's Acts chapter 2 verse. 38. 38 Do you anybody want to quote it?

No, I I can't like.

5:59

I can like the first half.

I can do the 1st 2:00.

Words.

Here it is.

Here's our memory verse.

Then Peter said to them, repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

6:19

That's a good verse right there.

I like that verse.

All right, well, let's keep focused on that for Sunday.

I want to go ahead and read from verse 40 down to 47.

6:35

So I'm going to ask you, Caspian, you're going to do us the honors.

Would you read Acts 240 through 47 with us?

Yes.

All right, go for it.

And with many other words, he testified and exhorted, yeah, then saying them saying, Be saved from this perverse generation.

6:57

Those then those who gladly received His word were baptized, and that day about 3000 souls were added to them, and they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers.

7:20

Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

Now all who believed were together and had all good things come in common, and sold their possessions and goods and divided them all, as anyone had needed, had need.

7:45

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.

8:04

And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Good job, good job.

All right, right out of the gate, I'm going to give the floor to you guys.

What any any observations?

Any thoughts?

Any any pressing questions?

8:20

Anything that you guys want to bring to the table?

I don't really have anything that I had.

Did anything stand out as you were studying this as?

I was studying this, yeah, from like where?

8:40

Where Peter said to be saved from this per perverse, perverse generation.

I just like wondered a little bit of what perverse means.

OK, well, let's get into that.

So that's that is that is verse 40.

8:56

And with many other words, he testified and exhorted them saying be saved from this perverse generation.

So let's first the first thing that we're going to do, because I also want to show you guys how we would answer that question.

OK, because we're not interested.

9:12

Yes, we all have our thoughts, we all have our opinions, but we want to what does this mean?

So I'm going to the first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to click on this word perverse, and I want to see what does this word mean?

Now look at look at this.

Here's the definition of biblical definition.

9:29

It means crooked bent.

It means warp, pervert, crooked, perverse, wicked.

And so it gives us the sense of what that means.

Now here in our discipleship guides, I'm going to read just a little bit and then we'll we'll talk about it.

9:48

It says the essence of Peter's pleading was that they should save themselves or let yourself be saved from this corrupt.

There's that word.

See how he defines it here for us.

Perverse, crooked, twisted, vicious generation, namely that means like in other words, they should turn away from the perversity and corruptness of those around them who were here.

10:15

Here's the meat and potatoes who were rejecting the truth about Jesus and notice this next part living for self, living for themselves.

And so the idea, guys of Christianity is that as we've been exploring, one of the purposes of Pentecost is God is affirming that his presence, his dwelling place, is no longer confined to a temple.

10:46

We are now the temple.

And because you are temples of the Holy Spirit, because God dwells in us now, we don't live for ourselves.

The Bible tells us that we were bought for a price.

11:02

We are his.

So let me ask you guys both, what do you think it means to live for yourself?

Can you give me some examples of that?

To like not be created.

Like you gave yourself life and you think that you rule everything.

11:21

That's a that's a great way of looking at it.

What do you think?

What do you think it means to live for yourself?

Not caring about not caring for anyone else.

The the only thing you think about is yourself.

Nothing else matters And and and the world revolves around you.

11:37

Yeah, that's a really good way of, of putting it.

So it's always about me, me, me, right.

And God doesn't ever say that we don't think about ourselves or care for ourselves in a sense.

But what happens is, is this society, this culture, it is all about you.

11:54

It's about your, your thoughts, your preferences, what you like, what you want to do at the expense of others, but more importantly, what this verse is also teaching us about the pervert.

We OK, this is all contained within this phrase.

Perverse generation.

12:11

It is.

It is at the expense of God as well because the Bible tells us that we should always seek first the Kingdom of God and then all these things will be added.

So yes, you've got desires.

Yes, you have wants, seek God first and he will give you the true desires of your heart.

12:32

And so this is what Peter saying quit living for yourself, quit, quit, quit, quit going your own way.

Come to God, be saved from this perverse generation.

Any any other thoughts?

You mean out of this verse or like out of the?

12:52

Out of this verse, yeah.

Well, not for this particular verse, no.

Yeah.

Let's go to the next verse then.

We've got that one.

We'll, we'll, we got that one pretty good.

Verse 41.

Then those who gladly received His word were baptized, and that day about 3000 souls were added to them.

13:13

All right, kicking it over to you guys.

Give me something here.

What do you got?

Well first of all I like how it says 3000 souls.

Yeah.

I I like the souls part Witnesses.

Tell me, tell me what?

13:29

Why you like that part about the souls?

What is it?

What is it about that you like?

Because because Luca just said like 3000 people or like anything but I felt like he was specific when he said souls.

13:45

He is being specific.

Now the question is, is why?

Maybe because maybe because that day their souls were saved and that's why he's saying souls.

OK.

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.

14:02

Any thoughts Caspian on that?

Just that it was like, I don't know that I like how he was also specific on like 3000 souls because souls instead of like people because people are just like.

14:27

Yeah, here's here's here's a key inside about that, about this word souls, I think I believe that it communicates the way in which God created us when God created us, right.

We are eternal beings.

14:43

Now you either saved or you're unsaved, but either way you're eternal.

And so at this moment there eternal destiny right where they're going to be going changed.

So that's more it's much more than just saying people or persons.

15:01

This was 3000 souls.

But I also want us to notice that these folks they received his word very important term here received his word.

This is Jesus has echoed this I use this word echoed because Jesus has said it many, many times.

15:21

This concept of receiving the word.

Do you remember the parable about the about the sowers when Jesus talks about sowing seed and some fell on some hard ground and Stony ground and good ground.

It's all about how we listen and how we hear.

15:39

In other words, how do you receive?

How do you receive God's Word now?

How did they receive it?

Greatly.

Gladly, Gladly.

Yeah, they received it.

Gladly.

They they welcomed his word and then they were baptized.

15:57

Now this is this is really, really interesting.

I probably, I say this all the time.

I probably should have brought it up.

Maybe I can post it on Mighty.

But Marcia and I, we got to go when we were in Israel.

They have just outside of the temple, just down, down the stairs from the upper room is something that's known as a mikvah.

16:20

And that's a big word.

A mikvah is like a pit that's dug into the ground.

It has cement and it's got stairs.

And this is where every time a Jew would enter into the temple, they would ritually cleanse themselves.

Like it's not like taking a bath, but it was, it was a, a ritual that they would do, they would submerge into the water and they would come up and it was symbolic of them being cleansed just like baptism is.

16:47

So they would do this every time they entered into the into the temple.

So as you walk just outside, there are dozens, if not up to 100 mikvahs that they have excavated.

Archaeology, archaeologists have dug, and so we know that most likely on the day of Pentecost, it's like, well, what do you know?

17:10

Here's some mikvahs right here.

So they were baptized.

There's two things, most likely they were baptized in water and they were baptized as well in the Holy Spirit.

And we're going to see that here, some of the evidence of that in just a moment.

17:26

Now let's talk about this, these 3000.

That's a big number, isn't it?

Yeah, it's a really big number.

Now, did these people have they like, was this all new?

Here's my question to you.

Was this all new information Peter was giving and about God?

17:46

No, because.

Who were these people that were listening and gladly received?

The Were they the Jews?

They were.

They were, and Lucas told us that they were not only just like Jews.

We might take that for granted, but they were devout Jews.

18:02

So let me let me paint a picture for you.

You guys have both grown up in the church.

How old are you, Caspian?

I am 11.

Hey, you're like me.

I forget how old I am too.

So you're 11?

Noah, how old are you, 14?

18:18

You just turned 14, so you guys have been in church all your lives, right?

So these are Jews that have grown up.

They've grown up as a Jew.

They are familiar with going to synagogue, like we would say church every year.

They go to all the festivals, Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles.

18:38

Imagine for a second that you guys didn't live in Jerusalem.

Let's say you lived up where Jesus grew up, like in Nazareth in the Galilee area.

Can you imagine 3 * a year?

Your whole family takes a week now.

Caspian don't does don't.

All you Machado's go to the beach and camp out every year.

18:54

Yeah, we go every July.

And so you guys, what, what do you go?

How long do you go?

About like sometimes we go for like 8 days.

It's a range between like yeah 6 to like 14 now.

What do you guys do?

19:10

Do you stay in tents?

Tense RV's just hang out.

And, and is it fun?

Do you look forward to it?

It's cool, isn't it?

That's a fun time.

Now, when you get older, it might not be a bunch of fun.

It's like I need an RV or something, right?

I need a little bit more comfort.

19:26

But I want you to imagine now you've grown up, you've got all your friends, you've got all your family.

And even three times a year, for a period of a week, you will always travel.

Like we're going on trip.

Where are we going?

We're going to Jerusalem and you're going to go for a week and yeah, you go.

19:44

You have church, you have prayer, you listen to God's Word, you're listening to the Torah, but all each one of these festivals is always in honor of something that God was going to do.

Do you guys know what that was?

Oh no.

Send the Messiah.

20:01

It was always to say, you know what, we have hope because the Messiah is coming and they would look forward to this.

So these people that are now hearing.

Peter's sermon they are they are hearing that everything they have grown up with has come to pass and they now have believed and they've gladly received it and 3000 people have just become saved.

20:28

Now here's a trivia question.

Doesn't doesn't mean this is important.

This was in our discipleship guide.

How many people does Stanley Horton say were in Pentecost came to Pentecost to visit in Jerusalem?

20:49

No clue.

No clue either.

All right, he says.

At the beginning of our discipleship guide, there's about a million people that would converge on to Jerusalem.

That's a lot of people.

21:06

So all right, any thoughts from verse 41 or questions?

For me, I also like how it said at the end of verse 41 it says were added to them.

21:23

Yes, yeah.

So tell me why you like that.

What do you think that means?

I think it means like the 3000 souls were like adds like the family.

Correct.

Yeah, like all of a sudden our family just got bigger.

21:39

And if you remember, we've been reading and talking, I've tie in and I'm not seeing you guys have been in on the whole thing.

But even in the podcast and Bible study and everything else, remember what what what the fire was a representation of on the Day of Pentecost.

Oh my God.

21:57

It was a it was a representation of God, but it was also God's saying I accept and I acknowledge you guys that are here, this 120 in the upper room as the temple and as the church.

I'm recognizing you.

So adding to them.

22:14

He's not adding to the Jewish system.

He's not adding to the synagogue.

He's not adding, he's adding to the people of God, to the family of God.

Yes, beautiful, beautiful.

All right, Noah, go ahead and read verse 42 then for us, OK?

22:31

And they continue steadfastly, and the apostle doctrine and fellowship, and then breaking out of bread and prayers.

All right.

So any thoughts on this?

Any notes either one of you guys take it?

I don't have anything for this, no.

What about you?

22:46

Cast me anything.

I just like says how the in the breaking of bread and in in prayers.

You think it was torture?

Bread could be.

23:04

Could be.

So what do you what do you like about that though, Caspian?

I I was just like, I was saying it because I don't really like get it what they mean.

Oh, OK, by like breaking bread and well, I mean I know they're like what Anna and prayers means, but like not the breaking of.

23:23

Bread.

OK, good, good, good.

Well, I want to read a little bit out of our discipleship guide and then we can talk about it.

OK, it says at the beginning most of the responsibility for the work of the Church fell upon the shoulder of the apostles.

23:39

Now, we'll read about this as we continue on.

But it says they were pastors, evangelist, teachers and counselors for the whole body.

So imagine now all of a sudden their workload just increased because all these people have been added, right?

It says they were concerned for the well-being of all, not only spiritually, but physically and materially as well.

24:02

The Spirit had baptized the 3000 into here's the here's the key into the body of Christ.

God, I love this statement right here.

OK, and we're going to pause and talk about this.

God never saves us to wander off by ourselves.

24:20

What do you guys think that means?

He doesn't want you to like walk the journey alone.

He he wouldn't invite you to the family and and just like abandoned you.

He like.

24:36

It would guide you.

Yeah, and how does he do?

That prayer?

The Bible.

Yeah, and by this family that God has instituted, some have been pastors, some are evangelists, some are teachers.

It's it's yeah, they're missionaries.

24:51

The beauty of God.

So we're not meant.

God doesn't just save us and say, all right, you're cool, just chill at home.

No, we have a family, so that's good.

And then it says consequently the 3000 new believers did not scatter but remained together.

25:09

And then it says they devoted themselves continuously to the apostles teaching and fellowship, continuing together also in the breaking of bread in prayer.

So we're going to cover that breaking of bread because that's what Caspian's wondering about.

25:25

Here's a really good and I'm going to share this on Mighty because this is powerful.

It says from this we see further evidence of their faith in their being filled with the spirit.

Not only did they take a firm stand for Christ with the apostles.

Think about this.

They took a firm stand.

25:42

These people that made a decision this day to gladly receive the word you we we need to pause and we need to appreciate how radical this is because by doing this and taking a stand for Jesus as the truth.

26:01

In essence, they're going to be rejected by their culture, their heritage and even some family members like it is this is a very, very big deal that they have decided to do.

And so this this infrastructure right which is known as the church needed to come along to help support them.

26:24

And so when we talk about the breaking of bread here, the breaking of bread simply means it's it's two things.

It is both eating like eating a meal.

So on Wednesdays, your grandma does what?

26:41

Bring some food, right?

And praise the Lord, she does that and and do you.

So do you know what we're doing when we do that?

We're breaking bread.

That's the term we're breaking bread.

And then also we're doing it in the context of teaching.

26:58

That's what that means.

Now.

It also what they used to do is they would also have communion.

So communion is also a term for breaking bread as well.

You know, like sometimes when we take communion at church, we'll say like, we'll quote the Scripture and then Jesus breaks the bread.

27:17

So.

He and that little tab of bread.

Yep.

Yep, exactly.

So that's what that means right there.

So here is a powerful.

I'm going to read this little paragraph because this is powerful, OK?

27:32

And I want to I want you guys to remember and know a couple of things it says from this we see further evidence of their faith and being filled with the Spirit.

Not only did they take a firm stand for Christ with the apostles.

They also here it is they had a persistent desire for instruction.

27:55

What does that mean?

It means that's the continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine.

They had something in them that wanted to know more about God.

And then it says their acceptance of Christ and the gift of the Spirit was more than a mystical experience.

28:12

It opened them up to a whole new understanding of God's plan and purpose.

And then here look at this with joy.

They become became hungry to learn more.

So I want to pause there.

28:30

How we receive God's word, we need to, we need to have a persistent desire and we need to be hungry.

This is why we do what we do, guys.

This is why you always hear me say read your Bible, read your Bible, get into your Bible, get into your discipleship guide.

28:49

We're trying to develop some disciplines.

Now here's the key.

You cannot, no matter how much willpower you have, you can have discipline that helps you get through, but it's ultimately the, the Holy Spirit that's going to give you that desire.

29:06

And so maybe let's just, let's be real for a second.

You know when you Caspian maybe do your Caspian?

Does your mom and dad have to ask you if you've read the Bible at all?

No, because I usually like I read it on Wednesdays and I sometimes read it on like Friday's answer.

29:25

OK, well, you know, sometimes I'll, I'll ask Noah, I'll check in on him and say, hey, have you read to be done your reading?

I'll let him let him be for a little bit.

We have to have this joy and this desire, but also realize it comes from the Holy Spirit.

29:41

And so if we don't have that, if we if we see that absent in our lives, it's a good way to pray to say, Lord, I need your help.

I need your spirit.

So let's go on.

It says this also shows that the apostles had a body of teaching which came to be included in the four gospels.

29:59

So if we wonder what is the apostles doctrine, that word doctrine simply means teaching.

They were they were telling the stories about Jesus like, all right, guys, let's let's gather around.

Let's break some bread and then guess what you had today.

30:15

It's the apostle Peter.

He stands up and says, let me tell you about a time that God fed 5000, right?

Yeah, They they were learning.

They were learning.

And it says they were obeying Jesus and making disciples as he had commanded.

30:34

It also shows that discipleship includes this kind of eager desire to learn more of Jesus and God's word.

That is powerful right there.

Discipleship includes an eager desire to learn more of Jesus in God's Word.

30:55

And then it says we can be sure that the baptism in the Holy Spirit made the Spirit their great teacher as they listened intently to their human teachers, the apostles, the Spirit made the truth real and help them.

Here's the other part.

Help them apply in their own lives.

31:12

And he increased their joy as well.

All right, we're going to move on.

We're going to go a little bit quicker because I don't want to lose you guys.

OK, I know the, the glossed over glazy look if I ever saw it.

31:27

I'm I, I can recognize it.

So let's, let's go through this.

It says in verse 43.

And then fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

Anything you guys don't understand out of that verse, I'm fine.

31:45

What do you think that means?

Fear came upon every soul.

Like that, if the devil was in their soul, then he would be afraid because of God's power and his wrath.

OK.

That could be that could be.

32:00

We'll put that there.

What do you think?

Don't you have any thoughts?

I do not know, OK.

This word fear is more, it's, it's where we get the word phobia from.

Have you ever heard of the word phobia?

Now I have a phobia of needles.

That's my confession.

32:16

I hate needles.

I will.

I do not want to get a shot.

So guess what happens if I go to the doctor's office and I know that he's going to give me a shot?

Everything changes on the inside of me.

I begin to feel it.

I begin to tense up.

I I know that's what a phobia does Now in this sense, fear has that has that sense, but it also means a reverence.

32:41

It means a respect.

So for the things of God, just like, just like I change when I know that there's a needle coming.

They now have a new found respect for the things of God.

Like listen, this is holy.

32:56

We are about to learn about God.

They're not casual in their approach to God's word and their fellowship and the breaking of bread doesn't mean that they weren't relaxed and didn't have a good time and things like that, but it just means they now have a reverence and respect.

33:12

Imagine going walking into the temple and seeing this great big temple.

Something would overcome you as like, wow, this is cool.

You would have a reverence for that they, this reverence transferred from the temple to these very things that we could take for granted, the teaching, the breaking of bread, the fellowship.

33:36

That's what that means on the fear.

And, and so verse 44.

Now all who believed were together and had all things in common and sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need.

33:53

Do you guys have anything on that?

For me, I had like that because of 45 when it says and divided them among all as anyone has need.

Yeah.

When I was reading the commentary, where was it?

34:08

Where's Yeah?

44 Let's see.

Hold up, because in the commentary it was talking about how how they only sold their stuff when there was a need.

34:29

And I had like that because because it wasn't like them just trying to like sell everything all at once and just trying to pocket the money.

Like they only did it when there was like a genuine need that could be used for like a good.

Cause correct now, now this also leads us to another point is imagine all these people that have gotten saved and remember I told you this is a big deal.

34:54

And when you are leaving the system of Judaism there, you're leaving all your comfort.

Some of them probably left some income.

Some of them are sacrificing a lot to become discipled and to learn all of this stuff.

35:12

So there were some real genuine needs that came up and that's what that's where they stepped in and we're able to provide beautiful, beautiful picture anything else out of this verse you guys have all right, verse 46 So they continued daily with one accord key phrase right here 1 accord.

35:33

They were together in the temp and notice where it says in the temple.

Now this is an interesting phrase because although they have they will eventually separate from Judaism, but they still would go for the time of prayer.

Did you know in the temple there were there were two times a prayer?

35:50

9:00 AM and 3:00 PM Every day you would gather together for a prayer service.

How long will those usually be?

Anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour, minimum.

Minimum, Yeah.

So imagine twice a day they were gathering together in the temple.

36:06

I mean, not in this time whenever we have our devices and everything's so busy.

Imagine how hard that would be to say, hey, I mean, let's open up.

We put a sign on the church.

We got prayer. 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

Yeah, every day.

Except, you know, well, no, there is no exceptions.

36:22

And then it says they were breaking bread from house to house.

So this breaking bread is fellowship, teaching and communion.

So I am going I'm going to read just a little bit and we're almost done guys.

So you guys are you guys are doing good.

So I want you to hang in there with me, OK.

36:41

It says this table fellowship was a very important.

This is what it means breaking bread from house to house.

They took their food with glad and sincere hearts.

This means that there was a delight and great joy and yet simplicity of heart because of the influence of the Holy Spirit.

36:58

There was no jealousy, no criticism, no wrangling, no attempt to outdo each other, just joy and hearts full of praise to God.

This is what the phrase means.

Not only a breaking of bread, but simplicity of heart.

37:15

Now here's the thing, we are a church.

We are imperfect.

There is no church that's that's perfect.

Only, only God is perfect.

And when you get people involved, listen, we always, there's always an issue.

Sometimes people do things too.

37:32

And here's here, I'm going to tell you both, praise the Lord, you guys are both in a good church.

I'm not just saying that because I'm the pastor.

We are blessed guys.

Like I'm being like, we're really blessed.

We don't have a sense of people trying to like out, you know, hey, let me try to outdo you in this or let me outdo you with that.

37:48

Sometimes people may have that in their hearts, but for the most part, we have good people.

That's just like, hey, I mean, like, you know, let's just get together real simple.

And that's the point of this as well.

There was joy and that praising God, yes.

38:09

So today at school, I took my axe books axe book to school and I was reading it during one of my electives that like we had free time.

So I read my book and one of my friends walked up and he said, what are you reading?

And I said I'm reading the book of Acts, and he asked me like, 'cause I had underlined the memory verse.

38:31

Oh cool.

He had asked me what that means and I said I wrote it down.

I said turn away from sin and and pray to Jesus Christ for forgiveness.

You were dropping bars, as they would say, huh?

Yep.

Turn away from your sins.

38:47

Keep going.

Turn away from sin and pray to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and for the Holy Spirit, and you shall receive.

What'd he say?

He said, oh, that's what that means.

And like he was telling me about some stuff that had happened a couple days before.

It was like really bad.

39:04

And I told him, hey, if you don't feel like comfortable a lot, then you could like come here, come to our church with your parents and pray that you would have comfortability.

Hey, good job man.

Really, really proud of you.

That's that is what we do right there.

39:21

That's what we do.

So good job, man.

Hopefully.

Hey, now here's your other job.

When you pray, OK, when you pray, pray for him.

Pray for him.

You did your part.

Now God's going to do his part.

Look at that.

You were able to give him that memory verse right there.

39:38

Repent, right.

Turn from your sin.

Better watch out.

All right, here's the last verse, verse 47.

They were praising God and having favor with all people.

And let me highlight this because you know what this means?

39:54

Having favor with all people.

What you just described, Caspian, that's actually what you just described.

Did You Know?

That having favor with people, it means almost like having an open door, like what are you doing?

What are you reading?

40:10

And you just created an opportunity to tell somebody or witness to Jesus that that is that is the essence of what it means to have favor.

That's really cool.

And then it says the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

40:26

Beautiful, beautiful picture.

All right.

Any closing thoughts that you guys have?

Well, I had liked the verse 46 and 47 because first of all, with 46, I like how is saying so continuing daily with one accord in temple and breaking bread from the house to house the ate or filled with gladness and simplicity of heart.

40:52

When I read that, I was thinking that's pretty cool because, because it's like them spending all their time together doing, going from like place to place, like praying together.

And it it's, it was, it really is like one big family doing just like doing everything together.

41:10

Yeah.

Yeah, well, you also here's the other thing that we have to understand and know.

They didn't have a church in the sense like we go to the the 201 S Hill, by the way, you need a good church, 201 S Hill.

It's called Arvin Assembly of God.

They didn't have a place they could go.

41:27

They would meet when they wanted to get together, like as a big group.

The Bible tells us that they met in what is known in the temple courts.

This is called a colonnade.

It could.

It could because you can't get at this point there's at least 3120 people because there was 120 in the upper room.

41:45

They've added 303,000.

So there's imagine that 3120, you're not going to fit all them in a house.

So guess what?

People opened up their homes.

So it's like, you know what, hey, I'm going to go over to I'm going to go to the looks house and Machado's house.

I'm going to go over here pastor's house.

42:01

Everybody yes, small.

They were small groups, but then they also got together as a big group as well.

So this is this idea of breaking bread from house to house.

And then of course, the apostles, they probably like, they got to go break bread at a bunch of houses because like, well, I got to go over here and go over there and it was plenty.

42:23

Of food to eat.

Plenty of food, I bet.

I bet they gained a little weight, huh?

No, they probably didn't 'cause they had to walk everywhere, man, can you?

They probably lost like 10 from grabbing all that extra calories.

They lost more.

Than that.

Exactly.

And they weren't even keto because they're eating carbs in that bread too.

42:40

Wow Dang.

Wow, that's crazy.

All right, anything else you guys have?

Nope.

And then my last thing was in 47 and the last part where it says and the Lord added to the church daily those who are being saved.

Very important verse, I tell me.

42:57

I just really liked the like last part.

Yes, you know, what's important about that is there is a, I'm going to, I'm going to read this 'cause this is a powerful, powerful verse or commentary that was in our discipleship guide.

43:16

Let me see, and where did I, I under, I see, I switched to my actual discipleship guide.

Let me find it here, because this is powerful about this, about this little, little verse.

43:35

While you find that like what something I found interesting was like you can claim that you're saved, but I like this because it's like he added them to the church.

Yes, and so that would mean that that that they like genuinely want to well, they genuinely want to be like become a like actually become part of the family and they and they aren't just.

44:01

Yeah, here's here's I, I can't find it, but I'm going to summarize it for you.

Here's the point.

There is and and we're not going to get into the original, original language because that's above our heads, right.

But there is a there's a thing on here in in our discipleship guys that says that the idea or the sense in the original language is that it was God's doing because it says the Lord.

44:24

Notice who added the Lord.

It wasn't some bright idea.

It wasn't some fancy new program like, hey, let's do this.

No, it was God.

God tells us, here's what you do you here's the essentials.

You stick to the apostles doctrine, the teaching, the breaking of bread, the fellowship, the core things of the faith and let God take care of the rest.

44:47

So God added it was when you have divine edition, no one can take that away.

And so there's a lot I can say, but I'm not going to say on that.

And I can do other podcasts on there, but that is a really, really beautiful, beautiful verse as well.

45:07

So what do you guys have?

Anything else or we're going to close out.

I'm good.

All right, We need to tell the folks where they can get full podcast notes.

They can find that at www.alpastore.org.

45:23

So links will be in the description on any platform that you're listening to.

Casping, you're going to have to tell your friends, your family, TuneIn, because you were on a podcast, your dogs, everybody tell your neighbors, tell your Mama, tell your cousins, everybody right?

45:39

And good job by the way, telling your friend good job both of you guys.

And now you got some stickers too, and people know.

How to spell it?

Yeah, so you did a good job, Caspian.

What do you think?

No, I did he do good.

First, First podcast.

Yeah, I think he did good.

45:55

So show Caspian some love and we'll see you guys on the next episode.

Thank you for listening to Al Pastor with Brian Overturf.

46:11

If you found value in this, please subscribe and get updates.

Most places podcasts are available.

We're right here on Anchor FM through Spotify, also on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Amazon and iHeartRadio.

46:27

I hope you'll TuneIn for the next episode.

Until then, we'll see you later.

#248 - Living Out the Acts 2 Church: Discipleship, Fellowship, and Growth - Acts 2:40-47

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