[Sunday Sermon] The Gospel(6) - Church: A New People
“42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
God created the world and made humanity, but humans have experienced the breakdown of four aspects of relationships due to sin. However, to resolve this, God sent Jesus Christ. Jesus, who is both fully God and fully human, came to die for us. When we humbly respond to this amazing invitation of love with faith, we receive God's salvation. Yet, the gospel does not end with individual salvation. The purpose of salvation is to restore the original order of creation and establish a new community.
From the beginning, God designed humanity to live in community. The creation of man and woman reflects the love within the Trinity. Humans were made to live together, not alone, and even sin was committed in community. Just as Adam and Eve sinned together, salvation must also be experienced together. Salvation is not merely about an individual going to heaven, but about the restoration of the community God intended. That is why Jesus, when He began His ministry, gathered disciples and formed a community. Through the coming of the Holy Spirit, a new community—the church—was born.
The early church's model can be seen in Acts 2. Those who received the Holy Spirit devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer, demonstrating the first steps in the restoration of their relationship with God, themselves, the community, and the world. As a new creation community, the church serves to manifest God's kingdom in the world through worship, fellowship, discipleship, service, and evangelism.
However, the church is not perfect. Even the early church faced conflicts and divisions over time because all believers remain imperfect. Yet, despite these weaknesses, God uses the church to train us, teach us patience, and lead us to experience His grace more deeply. Therefore, rather than being discouraged by the church’s shortcomings, we should look to God's grace within it and grow together. The church is God’s beautiful community, where we are called to love and serve one another while fulfilling our mission of revealing God to the world.
Prayer: Lord, we praise You for establishing Your church on this earth and for planting our church in Reading as part of Your body. We thank You for allowing us to worship You through the church, for renewing our lives and character, for giving us a taste of Your kingdom, and for enabling us to reveal You in the world. As You are the head of the church, we desire to display You through faithfulness, obedience, love, patience, service, and ministry. Even in our weakness and shortcomings, use us, and in this process, transform our character and faith so that we may grow into the full stature of Christ. Amen.
(Note: This summary was created based on an AI draft.)