Author: Ekko Church

One practice that has endured the test of time with the people of God, from the beginning to the present, has been the discipline of listening. God’s people are constantly listening—whether it’s to stories and narratives passed down over centuries, to the law being read aloud to the people, letters written to churches by apostles, and nowadays, sermons preached during Sunday services. We are a people constantly immersed in the practice of listening.

In Acts 20, there’s a somewhat unconventional story that illustrates the importance of listening:

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.”

What makes this story remarkable is two elements: first, apparently Paul spoke so long that someone fell asleep, fell out a window, and consequently died; but secondly, and perhaps more importantly, after resurrecting him, Paul returns to speaking after doing so! Which highlights something very important about what Paul thought—even if what he was teaching was apparently not the most captivating (after all, someone fell asleep and died from it), the apostle Paul thought it was important enough to for the people to listen to for him to continue speaking.

“The basic task of a sermon is to expound on a passage from the Bible, on a bit of theology or on a bit of religious history. The goal is to make these various topics both understandable and edifying…” — Bishop Todd Hunter

The Word of God, delivered through a sermon, is contextual and rooted in the locality of the church. Sermons are not simply information and inspiration, but rather, vehicles for communal transformation and formation.

What sermons are meant to do for us is a journey of invitation:

An invitation into God’s Ways and Will;

An invitation to re-enter into God’s Reality;

And an invitation to repent, confess, and be made whole.

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So how do we hone in on this common practice of listening? Well, Jesus gives his disciples instructions:

“Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

So how do we practice this? Some thoughts for us to meditate on as we go throughout the week…

• Begin your quiet times with stillness and silence and invite the Holy Spirit to speak. Tune yourself to God by clearing out all of the unnecessary noise, thoughts, and distractions of the day, and invite God’s voice to speak clearly.
• Listen to sermons with an open and humble ear—even if it isn’t explicitly relevant to you, what can you glean from those teachings? What small nugget may be important for your spiritual walk? And begin forming groups to discuss, process, and figure out how to apply the key markings of those teachings after each week.
• Listen to the Word of God being read to you via Lectio Divina (such as d365.org or Lectio 365). What speaks to you? What word resonates as you’re hearing it? What does it remind you of?

For more discussion and behind the scenes of this sermon in the Common Series, listen to our new podcast: The Common Podcast. We upload new episodes every Wednesday! Stay tuned as we continue to learn the Common practices that keep us united as Christ-followers.

The followers of Jesus are all united in the common practice of singing. The church was united in their practice of praising God daily as their normal practice.

“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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” — Acts 2:46-47 

But why is singing so integral and importance as a practice for the Church?

To understand the importance of singing, we have to go to the first recorded worship song in Scripture: the song that Miriam and Moses lead after God delivers the people of Israel from the oppression of Egypt. It would not have been enough to simply say “thank you” to God for the miraculous work that He had just performed—the song bursts forth out of them as a spontaneous expression of their gratitude and love for him!

Singing is our way of rehearsing our story of redemption.

Singing is our way of expressing gratitude for our salvation.

It’s as if we are redirecting the attention of looking in a mirror at ourselves for our own self-gratification, towards the King who has saved our lives. That very act of turning our mirrors towards God will in turn redirect the attention of others around us towards him as well.

“Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way.”

Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz

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So how do we practice the common discipline of singing?

One of Jesus’ countercultural instructions to his disciples is to “rejoice.”

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

We practice the art of singing by finding a reason to rejoice in every circumstance—no matter how hard, and no matter how difficult. We sing even when we’re persecuted, insulted, frustrated… because in the end, our reward in heaven will be great!

So some invitations for us as we enter into the practice of singing…

• What are some things that I can give thanks for, right here and right now? The early church centered their schedule around prayer: 6:00AM, 9:00AM, 12:00PM, 3:00PM, 6:00PM. Set timers for yourself and practice the art of gratitude wherever you are at those hours.
• Where can I sing songs of gratitude and worship? In your car? Shower? Bedroom? Find a place where you will be on a regular basis and remind yourself to sing when you arrive there.
• Read the Psalms and write a psalm of your own based on one that resonates with you. Don’t disregard or whitewash the hardship, but write and sing in faith what God is doing in the midst of your circumstances.

For more discussion and behind the scenes of this sermon in the Common Series, listen to our new podcast: The Common Podcast. We upload new episodes every Wednesday! Stay tuned as we continue to learn the Common practices that keep us united as Christ-followers.

As Christians, we are united around the common practice of eating. The early church was not just marked by what they learned or how they served, but by the practice of communing together in the breaking of bread.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. — Acts 2:42-47

But why is eating and partaking of the Lord’s Supper so important?

“The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life.”

Thomas Aquinas

When you look at Jesus’ life, one of the last things he did before his crucifixion and death was to institute the Lord’s Supper. He reminds his disciples to practice this in remembrance of him. It’s a tangible reminder of his nearness to his disciples—and by extension, to us.

It’s a reminder of God’s desire for relationship with us—yes, even when we have gone through sin and suffering, that he still wants to be near us.

But the Lord’s Supper is also a reminder that Jesus is doing something with us at the table. You see, it’s at the table where Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors and Pharisees alike. All were invited to the table to dine with him, and in doing so, they were transformed. And so it is with us as we partake of the bread and the wine.

It’s a reminder that he is changing us, even if we can’t feel it.

It’s a reminder that we are in the midst of transformation.

It’s a reminder that resurrection is happening all around us.

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So how do we practice the common practice of eating?

Jesus instructs his disciples to “take, eat, and drink.”

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Matthew 26:26-28

Here are some ways we can do this:

• You can remind yourself of God’s goodness and transforming power every time you sit down to take a meal. In your prayer of grace, ask God to remind you of what Jesus is doing, even if it doesn’t feel like anything is changing.
• You can “host” someone by inviting them to a meal—just like Jesus did. Ask yourself: who is in need of encouragement, hope, or faith?
• Send a meal to someone who is down, disappointed, or overwhelmed, as a gesture of love, and trust that the Holy Spirit will minister to them in the process of eating what has been given out of love.

For more discussion and behind the scenes of this sermon in the Common Series, listen to our new podcast: The Common Podcast. We upload new episodes every Wednesday! Stay tuned as we continue to learn the Common practices that keep us united as Christ-followers.

Studying the Scriptures is a common practice that we share as Christians. One of the reasons we gather is to study Scripture and nurture a faith that seeks understanding.

As Christ-followers, we aren’t just one-time converts, but are life-long learners, ever-growing and transforming in the likeness of Christ and in the wisdom of God, led by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The church is gathered to be schooled, to be discipled.

A disciple by definition is “a follower or student of a teacher” – and for us that teacher is Jesus.

And we do this by committing ourselves to study God’s Word. We open ourselves to transformation by the Spirit and submit ourselves to the mentoring & training of others.

We study the Scriptures both corporately and privately.

Corporate Study looks like:

• Sunday Services | Expressions of corporate worship and receiving the Word of God as a Church
• Ekklesia | Learning through the Spirit through Word and sharing life with one another. Breaking bread and extending God’s acceptance to one another.
• Advances | Deeper dives into specific areas of study with experienced guides and fellow travelers.
• Orthopraxis | Learning the art of discipleship through becoming accustomed to the ways of God, life and the local church.

Private Study looks like:

• Reading the Bible frequently and coming to the Word daily and often. 

• Reading the Bible in small and large portions. A lot of us watch movies through YouTube clips. While it’s nice to watch parts of a movie in five- minute clips, it’s not the same as watching it in its entirety. While you learn about the story in bits and pieces to digest it, we also need to read scripture in larger swaths, going through, for example, the entire book of Acts.

• Making a plan: Be intentional!

Here’s a 6-week Study Plan for the book of Acts that we can follow together during the next six weeks of our Common series:

How do we get schooled in the Will and Way of our Lord?

• We commit ourselves to the study of God’s Word
• We open ourselves to the transforming work of the Spirit
• We submit ourselves to the mentoring and training of others

Through the Holy Spirit, we have the capacity to change, to be more Christlike. Let’s open ourselves to ways the Spirit of God can transform us, through the renewing of our minds and the disruption to our former patterns, values, and ways of being and seeing others.

The humble will surrender to the Spirit and discover, learn, grow, hear, regard no one from a human point of view, see God’s redemptive work all over the place, including in our own lives! The proud will resist, critique, presume, lack redemptive imagination, and be self- reliant and self-righteous.

Submitting to the church is a vital part of our discipleship. You know if it’s your church if you are able to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph 5:21).

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Another way we can practice Study is to follow Christ’s commands to take His yoke.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Study allows us to frame our understanding of the truth of God’s Word. It helps us to take Jesus’ yoke upon ourselves and find rest for our souls.

Some questions you can ask as you reflect:

• What are ways I can implement study (corporate or private) in my daily life?
• Who are the mentors and trainers in my life?
• Am I teachable and humble? Do I readily invite people into my life to teach and mentor me?
• Am I open and listening to the Spirit working in me?

For more discussion and behind the scenes of this sermon in the Common Series, listen to our new podcast: The Common Podcast. We upload new episodes every Wednesday!

Stay tuned every Sunday as we continue to learn the Common practices that keep us united as Christ-followers.

We are united in the practice of baptizing, discipling, and helping to mature the Body of Christ.

“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… Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common.” – Acts 2:38-44

Jesus commissions us to this Holy Practice of discipleship and baptism in Matthew saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Notice: Jesus did not teach us to practice spiritual consumerism.

He did not say, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and choose a church with people that agree with you on everything, and make the church cool, effective, attractive, so that people will want to come and make friends. Teach them to behave a certain way to hide their sins.

Help them feel better about themselves by telling them I love them but do not pressure them to repent or make restitution. Convince them this is the right religion, the right way to live, and suggest that maybe their dreams can come true if they follow me well. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So why is it that many times we expect church to be a social club, rather than a place of training?

When Pastor Bryan first started Orthopraxis, EKKO’s introduction to discipleship, a fellow church planter told him it was the worst idea.

He remarked, “Instead of that, you need a good worship band. You need a better space to meet in. You need to be able to house people. Otherwise you’ll go broke and you won’t survive.”

But is this the goal of the church? Religious survival and to keep everyone satisfied?

At EKKO, we believe church is the place to practice repentance (letting go of ways that got us weak, beat up, powerless), formation and restoration (discipleship). 

We are called to practice discipleship, to make disciples and to be disciples ourselves. 

What does that look like?

We are essentially learning how to die by first realizing that our ways simply do not produce the Jesus-life we are all looking for.

Discipleship is the practice of denying the self and instead carrying the Cross daily.

“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.‘” – Luke 9:23-24 

We are practicing the art of giving up our take on things, our way, our pleasures, for a new life in God. Believing that his way, his will, his perspective is better.

We are submitting to a new king, we are in a great exodus from the pharaoh within and the pharaohs in our world. We are learning to submit to a new king. 

“All along I thought, I was learning how to take, how to bend, not how to break. How to live, not how to cry… But really, I’ve been learning how to die, been learning how to die.” – Jon Foreman 

• We are Gathered to talk about our humiliations and to learn new ways of living from Christ. 
• We are Sent to share our humiliations and to teach others the new ways of living.

One simple way of practicing discipleship in Christ is to practice submission to Christ. 

Submission is giving way to the will of the other.

It’s holding our interests lightly and holding the other person’s interest above our own. It’s resisting self-pity and being absorbed with ourselves.

Submission is preferring the other.

Discipleship is the casting down of the idol called self, stubbornness, and sin, and bowing down to the will and the way of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Submission to God is what unifies us as a Church.

All around the world and throughout history, Christians have sought God’s will, tried to live in God’s way, and worked to train others to do so as well. This is what makes us one, the practice of submission. We are united because we have the same Lord that we trust and submit to.

Here’s what we’re going to need to practice: We need to practice the teachings of Jesus and teach it to others. We need to practice devoting ourselves to the study of God’s Word. 

1. Baptizing: Dead to Self, Alive to God… and the practice of dying to sin and living for God

Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

• We practice the sacrament of baptism and we practice daily baptism as we intentionally die to self and come alive to God. 

2. Disciple Making

• We practice obeying Jesus’ commands until it becomes natural for us. 
• We help others align themselves with Jesus’ commands and obey them. 

3.  Maturing

• We practice studying the Word of God together. 

In midst of doing these common practices, we can forget why we’re doing what we’re doing. 

We practice these because we want to love God wholeheartedly.

And that’s what unites us. The love we have for Jesus propels us to spiritual practices like disciple-making. 

Witnessing: “I am yours. You are my resurrection and life.”

Discipling: “I am yours. You are my Lord and King.” 

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Another way we can practice being a disciple and following Christ’s commands is to make disciples and baptize them.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Some questions you can ask as you reflect:

• How can I prefer the Other today?
• Who can I submit to right now as a disciple of Christ?
• Who can I learn from, grow, and mature with?
• Who in my life can I pour into?
• What would it look like if I really believed in Scripture and the Story it is telling?

For more discussion and behind the scenes of this sermon in the Common Series, listen to our new podcast: The Common Podcast. We upload new episodes every Wednesday!

Stay tuned every Sunday as we continue to learn the Common practices that keep us united as Christ-followers.