Bible Text: Acts 2:42-47 | Preacher: Rev. Dr. Lou Saldiveri | Series: Sunday Morning Worship | Prayer and Worship and tell God how great He is and ascribe to Him His attributes Part 3
Intro: How many of you remember a tv program “Cheers”? This was a situational comedy about a bar where everybody knows your name. It was a place where people found some degree of acceptance, friendship, and a listening ear. Do you remember the cast of characters? Each was different, unique, and from all walks of life. I would like to suggest to you that bars, clubs, and local sports have become places where many people find a sense of belonging and purpose.

Jesus intends His church to be a community of Christ followers who love Him and love one another. God created us to be relational and worshipers. It should be a place where we find a sense of belonging, new life, and new purpose. Please understand that the church is a place where we can experience God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and be a united community in the Holy Spirit.

1. A Classic Church is a Generous and United
1. They shared
2. They sacrificed in love
1. They gave willingly and voluntarily, without expecting anything in return.
1. Motives count e.g. ministry vs. manipulation
1. Because of our sin nature, we are born manipulators and we think that is normal.
2. Ministry means that we will do what is best and God honoring for the other person without any expectations.
3. They cultivated unity and generosity e.g. with God’s help, they improved
1. Illus:
Auto maker Henry Ford was vacationing in Ireland when he was asked to contribute toward a new orphanage. Ford wrote a check for two thousand pounds, which made headlines in the local newspaper. But the paper inadvertently reported the gift as twenty thousand pounds. The director of the orphanage apologized to Ford. “I’ll phone the editor straight away and tell him to correct the mistake,” he said.“There’s no need for that,” Ford replied, and promptly wrote a check for the additional eighteen thousand pounds. Today in the Word, December 16, 1995, p. 23.
4. Generosity means that we  share voluntarily and gladly of our time, talent, and treasure with others. It doesn’t mean you have to meet every need. It means we should meet the needs of others as we are able.
2. A Classic Church is Engaged in Holy Gossip
1. Evangelism becomes a lifestyle
2. Individually
3. Worshiping in Spirit and Truth
4. Many were added to the church daily!
3. A Classic Church Is Attractive
1. Reaching out to all people in love
2. Relevant e.g. applying the Scriptures to every day life
3. People saw God working in the church
4. We are the Body of Christ which means we should be attractive to the same people who were attracted to Christ when He walked this earth. We need to continue to get better at loving the unlovable.
5. Making an impact in the community
1. What ways can we make an impact in our community?

Closing:  So you and I need to make sure that we understand what we do and why we do it and test it all by the Scriptures. We need God’s help to empower us to be an attractive Body of Christ. We need to remember that true beauty comes from the inside out. It is not the building, the music, the ministries that ought to make a church attractive. It is the hearts and love of the people who are in the building, play the music, and serve in the ministries that make a church attractive. My prayer this morning is that we let the Holy Spirit and the Word of God continue to transform us to be a truly attractive church for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ.