From House to House: How to Cultivate Genuine Fellowship sermon audio video notes. Jesus said it all boils down to loving God and loving your neighbor – the people doing life around you. I want to talk about how a DISCIPLE relates to people. A DISCIPLE breaks bread FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE. How do you do with this one? When was the last time you met in a house with other believers, had a meal with them, ministered to them, and allowed them to minister to you?
DISCIPLE
By Pastor Delbert Young
From House to House: How to Cultivate Genuine Fellowship
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From House to House: How to Cultivate Genuine Fellowship
Scriptures: Acts 2:44-47, John 13:35, Acts 2:42, Matthew 18:20, John 13:34, Romans 12:10, Galatians 5:13, Acts 2:44-45,
I read a story about an old house like this in Chicago that had been left idle for years. The rundown, overgrown, and abandoned house finally went up for auction because of back taxes. Someone was semi-familiar with the old house, and it sold for such a low price that they bought it if for nothing else, the property. When they went into it, they found a horrific situation.
They found an old rundown house but also found a dead man named Adolph Stick. He apparently died of natural causes. He was sitting alone in his chair. Next to Adolph Stick was a newspaper from 1997. Adolph Stick had been dead for four years, and no one even noticed, not a neighbor, not a relative, not a friend. The man had been dead for four years, and no one cared. How does someone die, and no one notices, and no one cares? The Lord does not want us to live a life where no one cares.
Adolph Stick is a sad story.
It speaks of a life that did not give to others, so no one cared about him. Once, a Pharisee asked Jesus, “What’s the most important commandment of all?” Someone said there are 1,613 commands in the Bible. Without so much as a blink, Jesus took the 1,613 commands and condensed them down to an absolute focus. He said, “The most important thing is this: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your might, all your soul, and all your strength. This is the first and the greatest commandment. The second command is like it.
You should love your neighbor as yourself.” No one cared about Adolph Stick. Could it be because he didn’t care about anyone? Jesus said it all boils down to loving God and loving your neighbor – people doing life around you. It all comes down to our relationship with God and our relationship with people. Today, without blinking an eye, I want to talk about how a DISCIPLE relates to people. A DISCIPLE breaks bread FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE. How do you do with this one? When was the last time you met in a house with other believers, had a meal with them, ministered to them, and allowed them to minister to you? Let’s talk.
Today, I want to talk to you about the relational aspect of being a disciple.
Acts 2:44-47 And all that believed were together, and had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
So, this is a major part of reaching a community, reaching family, and reaching friends. Allow me to give you a few examples of this, and I could go on for days.
When I first came here to minister, I would go over to Linda and Willis Wilkey’s house nearly every week, and they would feed me. Their family and friends would come by, and we would talk about the Bible. I think everyone who came by ended up coming to church, i.e., Duran and Valerie. We were doing a Life Group at Joe Chambers a few years ago, and Mike and Wanda came. I think the next Sunday they began coming to church. It’s nearly a given. If you get people to a Life Group, they will come to the Lord.
Acts 2 reflects, in many ways, the heartbeat and the philosophy of what the church is supposed to be.
A disciple does life with other disciples. A disciple of Jesus breaks bread FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE.
The disciples met in two different places. First, they met publicly in the temple courts, which is much like what we are doing now. Second, they met together to break bread FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE, which they did regularly in their homes. Doing life together was important to them. Is it important to you?
The meals in the New Testament were much more like our Thanksgiving meals. People gathered together. There were several food courses, and relations developed around those meals. They did life together, and it was a high priority to the disciples for their own spiritual well-being and the tremendous effect it had on reaching those far from God. People saw their love for each other and bought in.
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Let’s look at two critical thoughts about breaking bread FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE. (1) FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE DEMANDS EXTREME COMMITMENT. The context of Acts 2 is the Day of Pentecost. The disciples first took the gospel of the kingdom of God to the streets, where three thousand people came to Christ and received baptism that day. Then, they took it to the homes where people came to Christ daily. The “three thousand” from Pentecost sounds like “WOW!” However, if you think about it, more people came to the Lord FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE than did from the big “Pentecost” meeting. It’s called “Personal Evangelism.”
Acts 2:42 They DEVOTED THEMSELVES to [1] the apostles’ teaching and to [2] the fellowship, to [3] the breaking of bread and to [4] prayer.
They devoted themselves – extreme commitment. What happened here was neither accidental nor incidental. The disciples intentionally devoted their selves to four issues: (1) the apostles’ teaching, (2) the fellowship, (3) the breaking of bread, and (4) prayer. How many of those are you devoted to doing? You are okay with the teaching part, but most of us are weak in the other three.
The Greek word translated fellowship is an interesting word.
It is koinonia and means partnership, participation, (and social) intercourse. It is an intense word. Don’t let your mind drift into a sexual nature. Keep it relational. It is a relational nakedness. It is doing life at such an intimate level with fellow believers that your life is open.
How many of you are actively involved in a Life Group? How many are not actively involved in a Life Group? Life Groups represent the Biblical community. You are only getting half of church if you do not have a Biblical community. We tend to come up with reasons not to go. A disciple will find reasons to go – extremely devoted.
After church on Sunday, I enjoy going home and crashing.
I get up at 5:30 on Sundays and begin preparing. After church, I capture the lesson and upload it to the internet, where thousands of people read, listen, and watch the sermons every month. It takes all afternoon, and since Lance left, Judy and I have not been faithful to Life Groups. I have lots of excuses, and that is all they are—excuses. Last week, Judy and I went to the hospital immediately after church.
Then we went home. Then we went to one of our Ringgold Life Groups. It was so refreshing. I had forgotten how good it felt to go. I was greatly encouraged, and I listened to people devoting themselves to the teaching of the Word, fellowshipping together, breaking bread, and praying for each other. So, I watched and heard what God was doing in people’s lives. It was not accidental. It was intentional, and it was a Biblical community. How can people say, “I’m too busy,” for what Jesus said was most important – loving your neighbor (those doing life around you)?
We have talked over the past weeks about the difference between being a part of a “Christian belief system” and being a “DISCIPLE.”
Jesus called us to be disciples and to make disciples, not Christians. The Lord did not call us to simply be a part of a “social belief system.” To me, there is a profound difference between a “Christian” (social belief system) and a DISCIPLE. I have said it this way: Every DISCIPLE is a Christian, but every Christian is not a DISCIPLE.
A DISCIPLE will have a personal relationship with Jesus. It has to be personal because no one can do that for you. However, THOUGH YOU HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST, HE NEVER INTENDED TO BE PRIVATE. DISCIPLES, the followers of Jesus in the New Testament, rather than having a private relationship, experienced a shared relationship.
What I see so much today in “Christianity” is an “It’s God and me.” “I’ve got God in me, and I am fine. I don’t need a church. I don’t need other people. It’s me and God, and we are fine.” Well, not if Jesus meant what he said about not only loving God but loving people. It must be a shared relationship where people share their reality with each other.
Matthew 18:20 For where TWO OR THREE COME TOGETHER IN MY NAME, there am I with them.
There is something profoundly powerful about his presence when we come together, participating in the family of Christ.
The way we do life today has to be heartbreaking to God. We are so busy making money, making a name, going here, getting the kids to their activities, and we got to go here and here and here. Many families today don’t even eat together. Why?
The evolution of society has stopped us from knowing our neighbors and sometimes our own families.
Before the air conditioner, people would sit on the front porch and talk to their neighbors. Now we stay inside. We have garages to drive in and doors that close behind us. We don’t even see our neighbors and fenced in the backyard.
Also, we have answering machines, so we do not need to talk to people. Add the wonderful caller ID to see if we even want to talk. We do our banking online and shop online. We can even download movies or get them delivered to the mailbox. It seems everything society offers causes us to avoid people – our neighbors – rather than love them. It is strange how technology is supposed to save us time, but when it comes to doing things like Life Groups, we say, “I don’t have time,” though the scriptures tell us to “one another” one another.
John 13:34 A new COMMAND I give you: Love ONE ANOTHER. As I have loved you, so you must love ONE ANOTHER.
COMMAND??? Oh my! But would you agree with me that we mostly “avoid one another”? I remember Judy and I were in Walmart one day and saw someone that we really did not want to talk to, so we looked away and pretended we didn’t see that person. Have you ever done something like that?
Romans 12:10 Be devoted to ONE ANOTHER in brotherly love. Honor ONE ANOTHER above yourselves.
Would you agree that, in reality, we try not to be devoted to one another but to be independent from one another? Do we honor one another or find ourselves doing more dishonor to one another?
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve ONE ANOTHER in love.
We do not want to serve anyone. The Bible also tells us to be compassionate to one another, to submit to one another, to encourage one another, and to spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Scriptures tell us to do all these things with one another, yet we say, “I don’t have time. I am too busy.” No, you are lying, you are lazy, and you are making excuses. You are not doing what the Bible instructs, and you may be a Christian, but you are not a DISCIPLE.
I agree that doing life with one another is a pain in the… neck and other places. You have to put up with the whining, hurting, misunderstandings, arguments, fighting, bickering, etc. However, there is also restoration, healing, forgiveness, crying together, rejoicing together, etc. You cannot have the good part without the pain in the… neck part. However, it honors God and makes him smile for us to do life this way. Breaking bread FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE demands an extreme commitment. However, (2) FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE PRODUCES EXTREME RESULTS.
Acts 2:43 says they experienced miracles, which is pretty extreme. Then we read in verses 44 and 45…
Acts 2:44-45 All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
That’s extreme. Do you realize that virtually every need that you or the people sitting around you, in front of you, or beside you have could be met by God through his people immediately if we function like the family of Christ is supposed to? Let that sink in. Let me give you some examples.
Let’s say someone here is a couple of hundred dollars shy of making their rent, and they are about to get kicked out into the streets. Is there anyone who, without even knowing all the details, would help out? Who would do that? Would you really? Awesome! How about if there was a widow or a single mom with no family around, living in bad conditions in her home? Who would go and give a day to help out and fix up her house?
Who’d make a meal for somebody in need or sick? If someone’s car broke down, who would try to help out? How about this one? You are buying a new car, and instead of trading in the vehicle you have, you know someone who really needs decent transportation. So, you give them the car. Who might do that?
These are things a DISCIPLE will do, but not necessarily things a “Christian” will do. DISCIPLES break bread FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE. They find a way to do life together. FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE demands extreme commitment, but FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE brings extreme results.
I will end with this story.
A family in our church has been through a lot over the past few years—marriage tested, finances tested, mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health tested. But you know what? They are actively functioning in a Life Group. They pray and cook, and they frequently meet at their home. I know the “corporate” meeting is not keeping them serving God and sane. It is FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE that has saved them.
So, how many of us are “Christians” when it comes to FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE, and how many of us are DISCIPLES?
A DISCIPLE is devoted to FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE. I pray you are convicted as was I last week. I pray that you will become intimately involved in the fellowship of a Life Group – EXTREMELY COMMITTED AND DEVOTED.
It would be best if you INTENTIONALLY made it a part of your life. Christ never intended your relationship with him to be PRIVATE. It is to be shared. We have several Life Groups. The purpose of these groups is to have a small, safe place to form strong relationships. Every group is developing new leaders so that the groups do not get too large and thereby lose their intimacy. Go through the back doors and look at the board to the right. The groups are listed. You need to join a group tonight, or maybe you need to start a group at home. If so, see Pastor Doug Eaker. Please don’t put it off. Let’s pray.
From House to House: How to Cultivate Genuine Fellowship
From House to House: How to Cultivate Genuine Fellowship
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