Sermon Notes
”A study of the world’s largest churches reveals three common fundamentals: prayer, cells, and missions. Prayer is the root, cells are the trunk, and missions is the fruit. And where does the Word come in? It should inform and direct all these three. Yet these are the three weakest areas in many churches! Of these three, infrastructuring (sic) the disciple making church through small groups is the greatest leadership challenge.”
—Edmund Chan
There are two prominent traits that characterized the spiritual vibrancy of the early church which we should learn to emulate.
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1. They are Devoted!
a. Clearly, the object of the believers’ devotion was Jesus Christ. He was a living reality to them, and his power was at work in their lives.
b. Their devotion to Jesus was evident in their steadfast commitment to four main activities:
• Word – “the apostles’ teaching”; deals with biblical insights
• Work – “to the fellowship”; deals with godly influence.
• Walk – “to the breaking of bread”; deals with genuine integrity
• Worship – “to prayer”; deals with secured identity
c. The result of the believers’ holy devotion was the manifestation of God’s awesome power in their lives.
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2. They were Together!
a. The four main activities became part of the believers’ lifestyle and routine…activities that they eagerly anticipated.
b. The three key ingredients to their strong bond and vibrant growth are:
• Frequency – they met together every day. (Constancy of Rhythm)
• Proximity – they met together in the temple courts. (Closeness of Reach)
• Intimacy – they met together in their homes. (Commitment of Relationship)
c. The result of the believer’s constant attention and care for each other was the multiplication of God’s people in their church.
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Action Points
• Join a small group.
• Help start a new small group.
• Help your small group become healthy.
