The Book of Acts 2:38-47 [NLTse]
38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” 40 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
I’ve been preaching through the essential beliefs of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church these past few weeks. (If we’re going to join that denomination we better make sure they believe as we do, and vice-versa). The Essential for this morning concerns the doctrine of the Church – “Ecclesiology” – and states:
The true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ. The Church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered in their integrity; where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where loving fellowship is maintained. For her perfecting, she awaits the return of her Lord…
(The Essentials of Our Faith, #5)
The Church. Some people look at the Church today as “a necessary evil”, saying that God never intended hierarchies of leaders, and non-profit organizations, and long sermons and disciplinary actions, and Session meetings or committee meetings or congregational meetings… Such people often say that God never intended such things, but that this is what modern-day Christians have made of it all.
I wonder if such people have ever read their Bibles? Elders were the Lord God’s idea, as were Deacons, and Pastors – Teaching Elders – are an aspect of gifts the Holy Spirit gave the Church. Acts 15 records the organization of the early church and the business of the very first General Assembly meeting. The Gospels and Acts are filled with long sermons, as a matter of fact Paul says in one way or another across his many letters, “Woe to those Christians who don’t preach the gospel!” The details of disciplinary actions are discussed in Old and New Testament passages… And as for meetings, our reading this morning from Acts states that “all the believers met together in [the same] place and shared everything they had… They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in [each other’s] homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals [together] with great joy and generosity… And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved!”
When people criticize the church they are revealing much more about themselves than they are about Christ’s people here in the world. Because, though far from being perfected, the Bible tells us that the Church of Jesus Christ has been God’s plan, is God’s plan, and always will be God’s plan, even after Jesus returns to make all things new. The Bible calls the Church of Jesus Christ the fellowship of the “called out” ones. ???????? is the Greek word most often translated “church” across the New Testament, and its verb-form literally means “to call out”. Not to “cry out” or “shout”, but like calling someone out of playing a game because it’s time for dinner. We have been “called out” from the world – “called out” from living like the world lives, “called out” from the priorities the world promotes, “called out” from involvement in the activities the world says are important – we have been “called out” from the world to be a part of the life of God in His Church.
So what is the Church? The Bible speaks of Christ’s Church as being a kingdom: The Kingdom of God; the Kingdom of Heaven. “You will be My Kingdom of priests, My holy nation” (Exodus 19:6) the Lord spoke to the newly freed slaves that were the tribes of Israel at Mt. Sinai. The Lord Jesus’ very first sermons proclaimed, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (Matthew 3:2) We are not Christian-Americans, as though we have added Jesus to our identity as Americans. No, we are God’s holy nation, and we are dwelling as foreigners far from our heavenly home here in America. Our laws, our policies, our attitudes are not to be those of the United States. We are citizens of Heaven, and our king is the King Who is over kings and presidents and congresses, and we live according to the Way He has set before us in His Word.
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What is the Church? The Bible speaks of Christ’s Church as being Jesus’ body still here in the world. “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4) the Lord Jesus said from Heaven to the apostle Paul (before Paul had become a Christian and was on his way to Damascus to imprison the Christians there). Notice that the Lord didn’t say, “Saul, why are you persecuting My people” or “My Church”. No, He said, “Why are you persecuting Me?”
After his conversion the apostle Paul writes in his first letter To the Corinthians: “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit… Our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; 18-20) The Church isn’t buildings or programs or books, it’s us, all of us who are living our lives by faith in Christ, together. And none of the parts of our bodies aren’t important; and none of the systems of our bodies get to take time off. We’re all needed: Each of us contributing our part, serving in our role, doing our duty, as the Holy Spirit has called and equipped us.
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What is the Church? The Bible speaks of Christ’s Church as being God’s Temple here on the Earth: “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16) And from Ephesians: “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself. We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through Him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by His Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22) We’re citizens of Heaven, and together we are the Lord Jesus’ presence here in the world. But it’s not just up to us and our intellect and abilities: We are His Temple; God lives in us! What we do we do by His guidance and His power; the Father and the Son live in us through the Spirit.
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What is the Church? The Bible speaks of Christ’s Church as being God’s family: “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” (Galatians 6:10) For “when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the Law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the Law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s Own child. And since you are His child, God has made you His heir.” (Galatians 4:4-7)
We are His family: The family of the Most High God. Like any family, the Father would have us look to Him and trust Him to provide for us, His family. And as we – the members of the family – grow and mature, He looks to us and equips us to join Him in providing for the household, for one other in our needs, along with Him.
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What is the Church? The Bible speaks of Christ’s Church as being a “priesthood of believers”: “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s very Own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9) Our role, our calling here in this life, isn’t just to be a store clerk or a truck driver or a student or a business manager or a nurse or a soccer player or even just a dad or a mom or a kid (though those may be some of the hats we wear day-to-day). No, Christ’s Church, whatever we do each day, our role, our calling here in this life, is the task of “reconciling people to [God]. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
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What is the Church? The Bible speaks of Christ’s Church as being Christ’s bride: “As the Scriptures say, ‘A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the Church are one.” (Ephesians 5:31-32) Our Lover, our Lord, our great Deliverer, our Savior, our Father, our Friend… has made a deal with us, an everlasting covenant: A covenant instituted by the sacrifice and blood offering of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Himself. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will never abandon us or disown us. He will never renounce us or relinquish His claims to us. He will never give up on us or turn His back on us. He’s promised. He’s committed.
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So, who are we? We are Christ’s Church! Citizens of Heaven living in a strange land; we are our Savior’s continued presence among our neighbors and co-workers and friends each day; we are empowered by the same Holy Spirit Who brought order to Creation and brought Jesus Christ back from the dead; we are sons and daughters of the Most High, members of God’s Own household, dependent upon Him to provide for us, and providing for each other out of the abundance He provides to us; we are set here in the world, in our schools, workplaces, and communities, to call people to repentance and faith in Christ and back to God; all the while knowing that our Christ is ever faithful, and forever committed to us.