Sermon by – Lead Pastor Justin Kendrick – Vox Church
My Personal Sermon Notes …
Part 1: Promise Fulfilled in the Coming of the Holy Spirit to the Early Church
Part 2: The Early Church Was a Prayer-Saturated People
Part 3: The Spirit driven growth of the early church through Miracles
Part 4: Community and Sacrificial Love
Response to Peter’s First Sermon
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
The Fellowship of the Believers
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. Acts 2:36-47 NIV
We were not created to go it alone…
Loneliness has become the modern-day leprosy—widespread, isolating, and deeply damaging.
Despite being more connected than ever through technology, people are increasingly living apart, growing lonelier by the day—and it’s taking a serious toll.
Research consistently shows that meaningful relationships are not just beneficial—they’re essential for our happiness, health, and longevity.
“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” Genesis 2:18 (NIV)
Cheers Theme
Sometimes you wanna go
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came
We connect with these shows and songs because there is something in us that aches for community and to be known.
Barriers to Community
Something in our story often holds us back from fully embracing deep community.
Wounds from the past can leave us guarded, making it difficult to pursue the very connection our souls long for.
These experiences, though often hidden, can quietly shape our resistance to the kind of belonging we were made for.
We come to church longing for the kind of joyful, loving community our hearts ache for. But all too often, we’re met with disappointment.
It’s not Jesus who lets us down—it’s His people.
We take our fear, brokenness, and loneliness and we bring them all to church. We enter with high hopes, only to discover that church communities are filled with people just as broken and imperfect as we are.
Community in the Bible
The book of Acts has a lot to say about community and the verses in Acts 2:36-47 model biblical community.
So when Peter calls forth this first Gospel invitation, he says, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
“With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’” Acts 2:40 NIV
This is a historical phrase Peter borrowed. He didn’t just come up with it. It showed up often in the Old Testament.
The phrase “crooked generation” (or similar expressions like “perverse generation” or “twisted generation”) is most famously found in Deuteronomy 32:5, but the concept appears multiple times throughout the Old Testament — sometimes directly, other times allusively — often to describe Israel’s moral and spiritual rebellion, especially during times of idolatry or covenant unfaithfulness.
“They are corrupt and not his children; to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.” Deuteronomy 32:5 (NIV)
“They are all hardened rebels, going about to slander. They are bronze and iron; they all act corruptly.” Jeremiah 6:28 (NIV)
The Illusion of the Spectrum
The Bible confronts our tendency to see humanity on a spectrum—some of us good, some bad. Instead, it reveals a deeper truth: brokenness lives in all of us, and it has a name—sin.
Sin doesn’t just wound us; it blinds us. We become experts at justifying ourselves, convincing our hearts that we’re “not that bad.”
This is where community matters. Authentic community doesn’t let us hide. It brings our brokenness into the light—not to shame us, but to heal us.
The Law of Entropy and the Soul
Similar to the law of entropy—the tendency to move toward chaos and disorder in the natural world—
in our lives, we must work to move toward order. It doesn’t happen on its own.
We have things in our lives that crawl into our souls, die, and decay,
and we need friends and community to come alongside us and help us pull it out.
Cultural Bias and the Gospel
We all see the world through the lens of our generation.
We come to church to accept Jesus, and then we add a little Jesus to our bias.
But Christianity was never meant to be added on top of our lives—and then we wonder why we don’t experience change.
Jesus is not an addition—He is a replacement story.
He is to be an entirely new story that elevates above our generation,
allowing us to transcend our generational assumptions—not just be an addition to them.
Generations are defined by their story.
Jesus is meant to define ours.
Identity Through the Gospel
If the Gospel is true,
you don’t ever have to prove your value again through what you do.
The love of God becomes the definition of your value.
Every other identity marker becomes secondary.
In Christ, we discover both our true identity and our spiritual family.
What Is Church?
Church is a community of people; it is not a building.
Acts 2 gives a basic understanding of the church:
- A doctrinal church
– They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.
– Christians become students—studying God’s Word to grow. - A charismatic church
– Exercising spiritual gifts. - An attractional church
– Growing and attracting new people.
Vox Church seeks to be found at the crossroads of this model.
The Devotion of the Early Church
The early church devoted themselves.
They gathered daily.
They gave resources.
They didn’t treat anything like it was their own, but shared everything.
They didn’t do this out of pressure or to curry favor.
They did it because they wanted to—
because they caught a glimpse of ultimate reality.
The Heart of God
All of history culminated at a cross where God stepped into the story to show the truth of Himself.
At the center of all things,
there is a God who gives Himself away.
He is not by nature a taker—but a giver.
If the God of the universe is a giver,
then all of life must be lived differently.
“This is how God showed His love among us:
He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.” 1 John 4:9 (NIV)
Becoming a Devoted People
If you believe that,
the only reasonable response is to become a devoted people—
A flawed people, devoted to the process of growth.
People who attempt to transcend cultural bias
and come together as the community of God,
to establish a small part of heaven here on earth.
Church and Community
Church isn’t just about finding friends.
Social groups gather around similar likes and interests.
If we look for friends, we look for people like us.
But in church community, we find people not like us.
We are drawn together to live out the Kingdom together.
The goal is not to find a friend,
but to find Jesus and follow Him in community together.
Sacrifice and Spiritual Maturity
Christian community only comes through personal, committed sacrifice.
- Jesus sacrificed His life for the church
- The church matures by reflecting His sacrifice
If we don’t sacrifice, we have no skin in the game,
and our hearts won’t mature.
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV)
The Church in Acts: A Messy, Real Community
The picture of the book of Acts isn’t just a group of friends or a social club.
It is a messy group of different people who struggle, forgive, and reconcile.
It is going to be tough to be a part of the church community, which is why there is only one power strong enough to bring them together. GOD
The Last Supper: Jesus’ Call to Community and Sacrificial Love
Jesus’ message during the Last Supper highlights the importance of Christian community through unity, love, servanthood, and sacrifice.
By instituting communion (Luke 22:19-20), He emphasized our shared identity in Him.
He commanded His followers to love one another as a defining mark of discipleship (John 13:34-35) and demonstrated humility by washing their feet (John 13:14-15), showing that true community is built on service.
In His prayer (John 17:20-21), Jesus asked for unity among believers, reflecting His relationship with the Father.
His sacrifice (Matthew 26:28) became the foundation for a community that is not self-centered but marked by commitment and self-giving love.
Ultimately, the Last Supper teaches that Christianity is not an individual journey, but a life lived together in sacrificial, transformational relationships.
My Takeaway – Created to be in genuine Community
Loneliness is everywhere, but we were never meant to do life alone. Deep down, we all long to be known and belong. That’s because we were created for community.
Church isn’t just a gathering—it’s a family. It’s messy, because we’re all broken. But through Jesus, we find healing, identity, and purpose together.
Real community takes sacrifice, grace, and commitment. It’s not about finding people just like us—it’s about following Jesus side by side.
We’re a people in progress—flawed, but devoted to growing together and living in grace.
VoxNotas 
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