The Visible Church as the Kingdom of Jesus
The Blessings of an "Extended Family" Congregation
The Lord’s Church
Four Expository Sermons on Acts 2:36-47
With Particular Applications for Smaller Congregations
Message II. The Visible Church as the Kingdom of Jesus
Introduction: Acts 2 Background
Our passage this morning is only understandable if you are aware of the extraordinary events of Acts 2. Let me review those for you in brief. Jesus has by this point ascended into heaven. He has instructed His disciples to pray and wait. There are about 120 of them gathered together when suddenly they hear a great sound like a rushing wind and see tongues of fire somehow resting on their heads. They begin to speak and a big crowd gathers. The crowd includes Jews from many nations, but they are hearing the messages proclaimed in their own languages, and they are amazed. Some people don’t seem to hear the message and scoff at the disciples, concluding that it is some early-morning drunken party.
It is at this point that Peter speaks above the rest of them and proceeds to give a message from the Old Testament explaining the strange events that they see happening before their eyes. He says that this a fulfillment of Joel 2:28-32, and that Jesus Christ is the one that Joel referred to as “the Lord” so many years prior to this event. He also points out to them that they had a hand in the crucifixion of Jesus, but that He has risen from the dead in fulfillment of Psalm 16, and is now ruling from heaven in accord with Psalm 110. In short Peter preaches Jesus Christ using the Old Testament Scriptures, and then makes a very pointed application to those hearing his message.
The result of this is that 3000 or so of them are “cut to the heart.” They receive his message gladly and are instructed to repent and be baptized, which they do! The group that responds in this way are added to the body of disciples that Jesus called His “church” back in Matthew 16, a term that will be increasingly used throughout the book of Acts to refer to the baptized worshipping community of people that are followers of Jesus Christ.
Then what happens? That is where the two verses that make up our text for this morning come in. Here we continue to discover the captivating and important story of the Lord’s church – which is the outpost on earth still today of what Jesus called in the gospels “the kingdom of heaven” or “the kingdom of God.” In verses 42 and 43 Luke records what this first assembly of New Testament worshipers devoted themselves to. They obviously had received the promise of the Holy Spirit. They had been touched by Him and filled with Him in a remarkable way. So what did they actually do?
Before I answer that question, I think it is important for us to address the issue of why we even care about this. Is this just a matter of historical interest? Once we find out what they devoted themselves to, will we be free to conclude that what they did was for their day and time and not particularly determinative for us as the church today? Let me suggest to you an important principle of biblical interpretation. An account of the worship and ministry of the New Testament church with clear apostolic approval has the force of a command for us and for the church in all ages and all places, unless we can make a winning biblical case as to why it is no longer in effect. With that in mind, let us hear the word of God from Acts 2:42-43.
TODAY’S PASSAGE
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
As we first take a closer look at the words that God gives us here, I will organize my remarks under three headings. First, I want to look at the word “apostle” and think about the importance of this title for our understanding of the nature of the church. Second, let’s consider together verse 42 under the title of “The King’s Plan.” Finally, we’ll examine verse 43 as evidence of “The King’s Power.”
EXPOSITION
The King’s Word
The word “apostle” is one of those religious words that we use without thinking much about what it means. It certainly was a very important word to Jesus and the New Testament church. Jesus chose this term. Luke 6:13 says, “And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles.” Paul and Peter refer to themselves as apostles of Jesus Christ 11 times in their letters. This was an important word for their own understanding of who they were – particularly as leaders of the Lord’s church.
Though Jesus, Peter, and Paul were clearly committed to this term, they did not invent the word. It had a meaning before they used it. It meant “one sent forth with orders” or “he that is sent” and it was derived from another word that meant “I order (one) to go to a place appointed,” or more simply, “I send.”
The important thing for us to see here this morning is that the word “apostle” used twice in these verses makes no sense apart from the authority of one who sends. The sender is very clearly Jesus Christ. The apostles are those who have been sent out by Him and for His purposes. He is the Captain, and they are His high-level servants – His “ambassadors” if you will.
That word “ambassador” gets across the point I want to make here very well, and it has the benefit of being a non-religious term, so we see the underlying meaning more readily. In fact, Paul in one of His most detailed discussions on the ministry of an apostle uses the word “ambassador” to describe the office. He says in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” This is an apostle speaking a message given to him by the one who sent him. This is an ambassador speaking the word of the King.
But is Jesus really a King? Apparently He is, since He is the one who said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) That text clearly implies that He is a king. But there is something else that is important in these words. They prepare us to recognize that this church that He has promised to build is His kingdom. For He is the Head of the church, and the church is not of this world. Wherever He was in the gospels, there the kingdom of God was at hand. He came preaching the kingdom, and the church is both the “place” of His presence through His body, and the entity that has both an earthly expression and a heavenly fulfillment. It is the kingdom of heaven that invaded the earth in the ministry of Christ and through the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, and it will be perfected for the eternal destiny that the King died to secure.
That is not at all to suggest that the authority of our King is somehow limited to the church. Listen to what Paul says about this great Christ in Colossians 1:15-20:
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Clearly if the great apostolic leaders of the church are bound by the message of Jesus, all of us are also called to hear the King’s word. In fact this is a part of His plan for the progress of His Kingdom, not only that we would be committed to what our King says we must believe, but also that His church would be committed to what He indicates that we must do.
The King’s Plan
What is the King’s plan for His kingdom? Historically, verse 42 of the second chapter of Acts has been very important for those who were seeking answers to this question from the Bible. This verse indicates that there were certain things to which the Spirit-filled church “devoted themselves.” Incidentally, this word that is translated “devoted themselves” is a very powerful word. It has two parts. One part is “to be steadfast”, and the other is do this “towards” someone or something. We could say that they “enjoyed” certain things. We could say that they “chose” or “took advantage of” or “appreciated” certain things, or that they “focused” on certain things. All that, I am sure, is true. But this says something more – that they were “steadfast towards” certain things. The translation “devoted themselves” is appropriate. There is nothing casual about the interest of the church on these matters. In another place (Acts 10:7), the same word is translated by the King James as “waiting on (him) continually.” Maybe the picture of a devoted servant always ready for the command of his superior can help you to see what the attitude of this new church was to the items that are listed in verse 42.
What are those items, so that we too can be devoted to them?
First, the teaching of the apostles is on the list. Given what we have already said about the word “apostle,” we know that the teaching of the apostles can be nothing other than the teaching that first came from Christ. There are two essential things about this teaching. It must be 1) the “all things whatsoever that I have commanded you” that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 28:20, and 2) all those things must be understood through the lens of the cross, the central defining act of all apostolic teaching. But before we go any further in defining what the “apostles’ teaching” is, isn’t it more than plain from the context? After all, wasn’t this what Peter had just been doing in Acts 2? He stood among an assembly and presented Christ crucified to them from the Old Testament Scriptures, and helped them to clearly see what the message of God meant for their lives at that moment.
Second, they devoted themselves to fellowship. I will have more to say about this in my next message. Let me just mention now that the word that is used here has to do with the sharing of their lives and possessions with one another in the church. This “fellowship” is particularly expressed in worship when we give our economic resources to the Lord, in the confidence that they will be used for the furthering of His kingdom.
Third, they devoted themselves to “the breaking of bread.” This is a little more difficult, since the idea of “breaking bread” is employed in four different contexts in the Bible. As we examine these, however, I think that the meaning is very evident. In the New Testament the exact Greek expression translated here as “the breaking of bread” is used only twice. But a closely related expression is used more broadly, describing 1) the bread miracles of Jesus where thousands were fed, 2) the institution and later celebration of the Lord’s Supper, 3) the post-resurrection “road to Emmaus” experience of Jesus with two disciples, and 4) the common eating of a meal. Three of the four seem spiritual and mysterious, while the last is entirely common to all, regardless of faith. Let me read to you part of the Emmaus account as an example of something spiritual and mysterious:
Luke 24:30-35 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
In Acts 20:7 we learn that the church began to talk about their Sunday assemblies in terms of the breaking of bread.
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.
The other three terms in our list are about the activities of corporate worship. It stretches the imagination that God would want us to know immediately upon the momentous event of the pouring out of the promised Holy Spirit that his people devoted themselves to the common exercise of eating. Food is a wonderful gift from God to be received with thanksgiving, but it is also true that there is Scriptural warrant for us to reject the idea that it is OK for us to devote ourselves to eating. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11 makes a clear distinction between common eating and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper as an act of Christian worship. What is most interesting here in Acts 20 is that Christians are referring to the whole of Lord’s Day worship in terms of gathering together to break bread. The remembrance and proclaiming of the Lord’s death through the means that He himself appointed was evidently one of the things that the church devoted herself to. It is the Lord’s Supper that is being spoken of, and not common eating. It is the meal that the King of the church instituted, telling us, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
Finally, the fourth item is prayers. This was an important part of the church’s work and delight when they gathered together. The rest of the Bible would help us to understand that this addressing of our hearts with all earnestness to God through Jesus Christ could be done through speaking or singing these prayers. We would also see that there could be a great variety of prayers that the church would do well to speak and sing in the presence of the Lord. But more important than the “how to” issues of prayer in corporate worship is the question of “why.” Prayer makes no sense without the continued existence and reign of the King of the kingdom. He has told us that He will be with us in the gathering of saints. We bring our praise and petitions to the ruler of heaven with the confidence that we have actually been claimed by Him as a part of His team.
All four of the things to which they devoted themselves tend to reinforce the truth that our worship together is a Kingdom meeting, where we are completely relying upon the power of the King to make these simple activities desirable to us and powerful for our growth in the Lord. Historically this list of four things has been seen as a brief summary of what we do together as a church in Sunday worship. The following note on this verse from the Geneva Bible of 1599 emphasizes the essential importance of these things:
The marks of the true Church are the doctrine of the apostles, the duties of charity, the pure and simple administration of the ordinances, and the true invocation used by all of the faithful.
And the Heidelberg Catechism, in an answer to a question about the fourth commandment says:
…that, especially on the festive day of rest [Sunday], I regularly attend the assembly of God's people to learn what God's Word teaches, to participate in the sacraments, to pray to God publicly, and to bring Christian offerings for the poor.
The strong influence of Acts 2:42 is evident.
What is all of this about? Christ the King has determined that the furtherance of His Kingdom will especially come through the corporate gathering of His people for worship, as they use the means of grace that He has appointed for their spiritual growth as the body of Christ. This was His plan, and He was prepared to back it up with divine power
The King’s Power
This power was evident in very extraordinary ways in the earliest assemblies of God’s people. Verse 43 says, “awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.” The worship that we see described in this verse is not some forced act of superficial devotion. It was worship in the fear of God, with every expectation of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
If we look throughout the pages of the Bible at what Luke calls here “wonders and signs” we find a very interesting pattern. These miraculous manifestations are not uniformly or equally distributed throughout history. There are large sections of biblical history where there are few particular miracles recorded. Then there are other periods when there are large clusters of amazing wonders performed. These extraordinary times seem to coincide with the giving of whole new sections of the revelatory record, testifying to God’s approval of the new word being preached. Therefore the events of the Exodus and the Mosaic revelation contain staggering signs and wonders, as do the ministries of the early prophets Elijah and Elishah. This is obviously the case in the days of the establishment of the New Covenant community. The wonders and signs being performed by the apostles were a divine “Amen” to the New Covenant revelation of Jesus Christ, who is himself the final Word.
But do not miss the fact that the use of these simple means of teaching, giving, communing, and praying listed in the earlier verse (42) was attended by amazing divine power, working transformation through the ministry of the apostles in the church established by Jesus. As with miracles of healing, the simple act of touching someone with a hand and telling them to rise up and walk seems most unlikely to bring about divine results for a lame man. In the same way, teaching, giving, eating the Lord’s Supper, and praying seem most unlikely to cause people to know that they have been in the presence of God and His beloved people. And yet that is what God is pleased to do.
We are quite sure that the means of grace will only have an impact if God supplies the power. When change comes in the church, there should be no question as to where the credit should go. All glory to the King!
POINT
The visible church is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus. By the way, this statement about the church is precisely what the Westminster Divines concluded in WCF 25-2. For centuries God was preparing His people for a promised Davidic King. When He came for our salvation, He said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Yet He surely did come preaching and teaching the Kingdom of God. That Kingdom is an institution in this visible world, but it is a heavenly institution in a world that is passing away. When we disobey the King in rejecting His plan of ministry, we do not negate the reality that the visible church truly is the kingdom of God. But we do err, and perhaps we even rebel against the King who has called us to observe all things whatsoever that I have commanded you.
What we must see is that there is a vital connection between what theologians call “Christology” and what they call “Ecclesiology.” Christology is reasoned biblical discourse about Christ. Ecclesiology is reasoned biblical discourse about the church. There is a vital connection between what we think about Christ and what we are to think about the church, for Christ is the King of the visible church, and we have no right to treat His church as our human institution.
APPLICATION
In particular, there are special dangers that most American churches face in our day – dangers that are worthy of further examination. When I use the word “most” this morning, I am talking about the very large number of churches that are small, having between 50 and 150 attendees or members. They face a special danger concerning the way they view the ministry.
National data tells us that 50% of the churches in America have less than 100 members. Last year in our denomination (PCA) the number among reporting churches was 52%, so essentially the same as the national data. The most common size church according to many observers has 50 to 150 worshippers on any given Sunday. This is true in more than one nation, and more than one era. My guess is that there is a reason for this fact that has to do with the things that humans are created to best handle within differently sized assemblies.
The beauty of Acts 2:42 is this: it is a plan that will fail without God the Holy Spirit. It seems designed to give glory to God and not man. Most American churches face a powerful temptation to turn away from the preaching-giving-communion-prayer plan in order to do something that will work. When we make that determination, we are not trusting God. We are acting like kings when we are called to be ambassadors.
One of today’s leading American pastors started as a newcomer to the place where he felt called to minister. He determined to plant a church “for people who hate church.” He spent 12 weeks going door to door taking an opinion poll in his target area. He identified people that had no active in-person involvement with any religious sect, and then asked them their thoughts on why most people don’t attend church. He asked them what kind of things they would be looking for if they were looking for a church.
Through that research he found the four biggest (self-assessment) reasons why people don’t go to church. 1) Sermons are boring and don’t relate to my life. 2) Members are unfriendly to visitors. I feel like it’s a clique. 3) Most churches seem more interested in your money than in you as a person. 4) We want quality children’s programs for our children.
As a businessman I have to applaud this approach, but as a minister of the Word who has just been expounding Acts 2:42-43, something feels funny.
Now I hasten to add that I think that there are things that we can learn from those four observations. Furthermore, I have to echo the comment of a pastoral friend of mine regarding the quality of our worship offering when he said, “Yeah, but it can’t stink.” He’s right. We can’t just embrace laziness, ugliness, and sloppiness and then call it “faithful” and snub our noses at people that are actually trying to do a better job.
But I find myself thinking of what the four or five items Acts 2:42 might be if the people of our world were voting on it today. What do adults and kids in our community actually want in a church?
I think that there is some evidence that adults might choose the following:
1) Inspirational musical theatre/video,
2) A variety of self-help/expression/esteem groups tailored to “my” perceived needs/desires,
3) Well-run community benevolence opportunities including some opportunity for travel, and
4) A good environment (with coffee) for meeting friends and contacts.
What about the kids:
1) Pizza,
2) Good videos (no particular need that they be inspirational),
3) Clowns, puppets, sports, crafts, or other activities,
4) A place to make friends and maybe even find romance.
There is one essential in all of this, and of course it is not the Holy Spirit. The essential is that all these things must be done well. If we did a bit of musical theatre here some Sunday, we might suppose that we would attract some interested observers. But I think that most of us would agree that the kind of production that we might put together every week would find little repeat business.
The list that the world chooses demands consumer-oriented excellence. This excellence issue is the trap for most churches – those churches with less than 150 worshipers. They may see this kind of responsiveness to what people seem to want as the only way to have the substantial growth that they long for, but the smaller church will generally not be able to do those things well, at least according to the standards of consumers.
That is a pragmatic concern. But there is a much bigger issue that we need to consider. Is it right to make our own list of what people want, and to turn that into our plan for our church? If we could die a death that would atone for someone than we perhaps would have the right to change the Lord’s plans for His church. Then we would be kings. But that cannot happen. We are the community of people that are motivated by this reality: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of which I am the foremost. We don’t need the world’s plan. We need to follow and trust the King.
Something happens when we become captivated by the consumer demands of the world around us (and of the church-goer that sees the visible church as our institution where human methodology can bring success). Unless we are hopeless cheerleaders for our own abilities, we look back at our own little extended family here and say, “We can’t do what is necessary for the success of the church.” There’s not enough money, …people, …programs, …musical talent, …video resources.
Brothers and sisters, this is simply NOT SO. Christ apparently chose a plan for His church that can work wherever God the Holy Spirit sovereignly and graciously chooses to work. That plan can work very well with a church of ten families, and it can even work in a church that is much, much larger. A small group of people touched by the spirit of God, loving the king, and seeking first the kingdom can do what this text says as a part of the world-wide kingdom of God, if God will provide the power.
And this is what we must ask Him to do. We must pray that He will be pleased to visit us and awaken His assembly here and throughout the world. We must attend to the means of grace that the King has appointed for His glory and our good.
Conclusion
If Jesus were here and He told you to do something, would you do it? Of course you would. He is here today. Let us attend to every word of our Master. Let us believe the truth about the Savior of the church. His atoning death and resurrection life is everything for us. Let us also obey the Lord and King of the church, seeking the powerful work of His Spirit as we do what Christ commands.
The Lord’s Church
Four Expository Sermons on Acts 2:36-47
With Particular Applications for Smaller Congregations
Message II. The Visible Church as the Kingdom of Jesus
Introduction: Acts 2 Background
Our passage this morning is only understandable if you are aware of the extraordinary events of Acts 2. Let me review those for you in brief. Jesus has by this point ascended into heaven. He has instructed His disciples to pray and wait. There are about 120 of them gathered together when suddenly they hear a great sound like a rushing wind and see tongues of fire somehow resting on their heads. They begin to speak and a big crowd gathers. The crowd includes Jews from many nations, but they are hearing the messages proclaimed in their own languages, and they are amazed. Some people don’t seem to hear the message and scoff at the disciples, concluding that it is some early-morning drunken party.
It is at this point that Peter speaks above the rest of them and proceeds to give a message from the Old Testament explaining the strange events that they see happening before their eyes. He says that this a fulfillment of Joel 2:28-32, and that Jesus Christ is the one that Joel referred to as “the Lord” so many years prior to this event. He also points out to them that they had a hand in the crucifixion of Jesus, but that He has risen from the dead in fulfillment of Psalm 16, and is now ruling from heaven in accord with Psalm 110. In short Peter preaches Jesus Christ using the Old Testament Scriptures, and then makes a very pointed application to those hearing his message.
The result of this is that 3000 or so of them are “cut to the heart.” They receive his message gladly and are instructed to repent and be baptized, which they do! The group that responds in this way are added to the body of disciples that Jesus called His “church” back in Matthew 16, a term that will be increasingly used throughout the book of Acts to refer to the baptized worshipping community of people that are followers of Jesus Christ.
Then what happens? That is where the two verses that make up our text for this morning come in. Here we continue to discover the captivating and important story of the Lord’s church – which is the outpost on earth still today of what Jesus called in the gospels “the kingdom of heaven” or “the kingdom of God.” In verses 42 and 43 Luke records what this first assembly of New Testament worshipers devoted themselves to. They obviously had received the promise of the Holy Spirit. They had been touched by Him and filled with Him in a remarkable way. So what did they actually do?
Before I answer that question, I think it is important for us to address the issue of why we even care about this. Is this just a matter of historical interest? Once we find out what they devoted themselves to, will we be free to conclude that what they did was for their day and time and not particularly determinative for us as the church today? Let me suggest to you an important principle of biblical interpretation. An account of the worship and ministry of the New Testament church with clear apostolic approval has the force of a command for us and for the church in all ages and all places, unless we can make a winning biblical case as to why it is no longer in effect. With that in mind, let us hear the word of God from Acts 2:42-43.
TODAY’S PASSAGE
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
As we first take a closer look at the words that God gives us here, I will organize my remarks under three headings. First, I want to look at the word “apostle” and think about the importance of this title for our understanding of the nature of the church. Second, let’s consider together verse 42 under the title of “The King’s Plan.” Finally, we’ll examine verse 43 as evidence of “The King’s Power.”
EXPOSITION
The King’s Word
The word “apostle” is one of those religious words that we use without thinking much about what it means. It certainly was a very important word to Jesus and the New Testament church. Jesus chose this term. Luke 6:13 says, “And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles.” Paul and Peter refer to themselves as apostles of Jesus Christ 11 times in their letters. This was an important word for their own understanding of who they were – particularly as leaders of the Lord’s church.
Though Jesus, Peter, and Paul were clearly committed to this term, they did not invent the word. It had a meaning before they used it. It meant “one sent forth with orders” or “he that is sent” and it was derived from another word that meant “I order (one) to go to a place appointed,” or more simply, “I send.”
The important thing for us to see here this morning is that the word “apostle” used twice in these verses makes no sense apart from the authority of one who sends. The sender is very clearly Jesus Christ. The apostles are those who have been sent out by Him and for His purposes. He is the Captain, and they are His high-level servants – His “ambassadors” if you will.
That word “ambassador” gets across the point I want to make here very well, and it has the benefit of being a non-religious term, so we see the underlying meaning more readily. In fact, Paul in one of His most detailed discussions on the ministry of an apostle uses the word “ambassador” to describe the office. He says in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” This is an apostle speaking a message given to him by the one who sent him. This is an ambassador speaking the word of the King.
But is Jesus really a King? Apparently He is, since He is the one who said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) That text clearly implies that He is a king. But there is something else that is important in these words. They prepare us to recognize that this church that He has promised to build is His kingdom. For He is the Head of the church, and the church is not of this world. Wherever He was in the gospels, there the kingdom of God was at hand. He came preaching the kingdom, and the church is both the “place” of His presence through His body, and the entity that has both an earthly expression and a heavenly fulfillment. It is the kingdom of heaven that invaded the earth in the ministry of Christ and through the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, and it will be perfected for the eternal destiny that the King died to secure.
That is not at all to suggest that the authority of our King is somehow limited to the church. Listen to what Paul says about this great Christ in Colossians 1:15-20:
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Clearly if the great apostolic leaders of the church are bound by the message of Jesus, all of us are also called to hear the King’s word. In fact this is a part of His plan for the progress of His Kingdom, not only that we would be committed to what our King says we must believe, but also that His church would be committed to what He indicates that we must do.
The King’s Plan
What is the King’s plan for His kingdom? Historically, verse 42 of the second chapter of Acts has been very important for those who were seeking answers to this question from the Bible. This verse indicates that there were certain things to which the Spirit-filled church “devoted themselves.” Incidentally, this word that is translated “devoted themselves” is a very powerful word. It has two parts. One part is “to be steadfast”, and the other is do this “towards” someone or something. We could say that they “enjoyed” certain things. We could say that they “chose” or “took advantage of” or “appreciated” certain things, or that they “focused” on certain things. All that, I am sure, is true. But this says something more – that they were “steadfast towards” certain things. The translation “devoted themselves” is appropriate. There is nothing casual about the interest of the church on these matters. In another place (Acts 10:7), the same word is translated by the King James as “waiting on (him) continually.” Maybe the picture of a devoted servant always ready for the command of his superior can help you to see what the attitude of this new church was to the items that are listed in verse 42.
What are those items, so that we too can be devoted to them?
First, the teaching of the apostles is on the list. Given what we have already said about the word “apostle,” we know that the teaching of the apostles can be nothing other than the teaching that first came from Christ. There are two essential things about this teaching. It must be 1) the “all things whatsoever that I have commanded you” that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 28:20, and 2) all those things must be understood through the lens of the cross, the central defining act of all apostolic teaching. But before we go any further in defining what the “apostles’ teaching” is, isn’t it more than plain from the context? After all, wasn’t this what Peter had just been doing in Acts 2? He stood among an assembly and presented Christ crucified to them from the Old Testament Scriptures, and helped them to clearly see what the message of God meant for their lives at that moment.
Second, they devoted themselves to fellowship. I will have more to say about this in my next message. Let me just mention now that the word that is used here has to do with the sharing of their lives and possessions with one another in the church. This “fellowship” is particularly expressed in worship when we give our economic resources to the Lord, in the confidence that they will be used for the furthering of His kingdom.
Third, they devoted themselves to “the breaking of bread.” This is a little more difficult, since the idea of “breaking bread” is employed in four different contexts in the Bible. As we examine these, however, I think that the meaning is very evident. In the New Testament the exact Greek expression translated here as “the breaking of bread” is used only twice. But a closely related expression is used more broadly, describing 1) the bread miracles of Jesus where thousands were fed, 2) the institution and later celebration of the Lord’s Supper, 3) the post-resurrection “road to Emmaus” experience of Jesus with two disciples, and 4) the common eating of a meal. Three of the four seem spiritual and mysterious, while the last is entirely common to all, regardless of faith. Let me read to you part of the Emmaus account as an example of something spiritual and mysterious:
Luke 24:30-35 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
In Acts 20:7 we learn that the church began to talk about their Sunday assemblies in terms of the breaking of bread.
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.
The other three terms in our list are about the activities of corporate worship. It stretches the imagination that God would want us to know immediately upon the momentous event of the pouring out of the promised Holy Spirit that his people devoted themselves to the common exercise of eating. Food is a wonderful gift from God to be received with thanksgiving, but it is also true that there is Scriptural warrant for us to reject the idea that it is OK for us to devote ourselves to eating. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11 makes a clear distinction between common eating and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper as an act of Christian worship. What is most interesting here in Acts 20 is that Christians are referring to the whole of Lord’s Day worship in terms of gathering together to break bread. The remembrance and proclaiming of the Lord’s death through the means that He himself appointed was evidently one of the things that the church devoted herself to. It is the Lord’s Supper that is being spoken of, and not common eating. It is the meal that the King of the church instituted, telling us, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
Finally, the fourth item is prayers. This was an important part of the church’s work and delight when they gathered together. The rest of the Bible would help us to understand that this addressing of our hearts with all earnestness to God through Jesus Christ could be done through speaking or singing these prayers. We would also see that there could be a great variety of prayers that the church would do well to speak and sing in the presence of the Lord. But more important than the “how to” issues of prayer in corporate worship is the question of “why.” Prayer makes no sense without the continued existence and reign of the King of the kingdom. He has told us that He will be with us in the gathering of saints. We bring our praise and petitions to the ruler of heaven with the confidence that we have actually been claimed by Him as a part of His team.
All four of the things to which they devoted themselves tend to reinforce the truth that our worship together is a Kingdom meeting, where we are completely relying upon the power of the King to make these simple activities desirable to us and powerful for our growth in the Lord. Historically this list of four things has been seen as a brief summary of what we do together as a church in Sunday worship. The following note on this verse from the Geneva Bible of 1599 emphasizes the essential importance of these things:
The marks of the true Church are the doctrine of the apostles, the duties of charity, the pure and simple administration of the ordinances, and the true invocation used by all of the faithful.
And the Heidelberg Catechism, in an answer to a question about the fourth commandment says:
…that, especially on the festive day of rest [Sunday], I regularly attend the assembly of God's people to learn what God's Word teaches, to participate in the sacraments, to pray to God publicly, and to bring Christian offerings for the poor.
The strong influence of Acts 2:42 is evident.
What is all of this about? Christ the King has determined that the furtherance of His Kingdom will especially come through the corporate gathering of His people for worship, as they use the means of grace that He has appointed for their spiritual growth as the body of Christ. This was His plan, and He was prepared to back it up with divine power
The King’s Power
This power was evident in very extraordinary ways in the earliest assemblies of God’s people. Verse 43 says, “awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.” The worship that we see described in this verse is not some forced act of superficial devotion. It was worship in the fear of God, with every expectation of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
If we look throughout the pages of the Bible at what Luke calls here “wonders and signs” we find a very interesting pattern. These miraculous manifestations are not uniformly or equally distributed throughout history. There are large sections of biblical history where there are few particular miracles recorded. Then there are other periods when there are large clusters of amazing wonders performed. These extraordinary times seem to coincide with the giving of whole new sections of the revelatory record, testifying to God’s approval of the new word being preached. Therefore the events of the Exodus and the Mosaic revelation contain staggering signs and wonders, as do the ministries of the early prophets Elijah and Elishah. This is obviously the case in the days of the establishment of the New Covenant community. The wonders and signs being performed by the apostles were a divine “Amen” to the New Covenant revelation of Jesus Christ, who is himself the final Word.
But do not miss the fact that the use of these simple means of teaching, giving, communing, and praying listed in the earlier verse (42) was attended by amazing divine power, working transformation through the ministry of the apostles in the church established by Jesus. As with miracles of healing, the simple act of touching someone with a hand and telling them to rise up and walk seems most unlikely to bring about divine results for a lame man. In the same way, teaching, giving, eating the Lord’s Supper, and praying seem most unlikely to cause people to know that they have been in the presence of God and His beloved people. And yet that is what God is pleased to do.
We are quite sure that the means of grace will only have an impact if God supplies the power. When change comes in the church, there should be no question as to where the credit should go. All glory to the King!
POINT
The visible church is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus. By the way, this statement about the church is precisely what the Westminster Divines concluded in WCF 25-2. For centuries God was preparing His people for a promised Davidic King. When He came for our salvation, He said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Yet He surely did come preaching and teaching the Kingdom of God. That Kingdom is an institution in this visible world, but it is a heavenly institution in a world that is passing away. When we disobey the King in rejecting His plan of ministry, we do not negate the reality that the visible church truly is the kingdom of God. But we do err, and perhaps we even rebel against the King who has called us to observe all things whatsoever that I have commanded you.
What we must see is that there is a vital connection between what theologians call “Christology” and what they call “Ecclesiology.” Christology is reasoned biblical discourse about Christ. Ecclesiology is reasoned biblical discourse about the church. There is a vital connection between what we think about Christ and what we are to think about the church, for Christ is the King of the visible church, and we have no right to treat His church as our human institution.
APPLICATION
In particular, there are special dangers that most American churches face in our day – dangers that are worthy of further examination. When I use the word “most” this morning, I am talking about the very large number of churches that are small, having between 50 and 150 attendees or members. They face a special danger concerning the way they view the ministry.
National data tells us that 50% of the churches in America have less than 100 members. Last year in our denomination (PCA) the number among reporting churches was 52%, so essentially the same as the national data. The most common size church according to many observers has 50 to 150 worshippers on any given Sunday. This is true in more than one nation, and more than one era. My guess is that there is a reason for this fact that has to do with the things that humans are created to best handle within differently sized assemblies.
The beauty of Acts 2:42 is this: it is a plan that will fail without God the Holy Spirit. It seems designed to give glory to God and not man. Most American churches face a powerful temptation to turn away from the preaching-giving-communion-prayer plan in order to do something that will work. When we make that determination, we are not trusting God. We are acting like kings when we are called to be ambassadors.
One of today’s leading American pastors started as a newcomer to the place where he felt called to minister. He determined to plant a church “for people who hate church.” He spent 12 weeks going door to door taking an opinion poll in his target area. He identified people that had no active in-person involvement with any religious sect, and then asked them their thoughts on why most people don’t attend church. He asked them what kind of things they would be looking for if they were looking for a church.
Through that research he found the four biggest (self-assessment) reasons why people don’t go to church. 1) Sermons are boring and don’t relate to my life. 2) Members are unfriendly to visitors. I feel like it’s a clique. 3) Most churches seem more interested in your money than in you as a person. 4) We want quality children’s programs for our children.
As a businessman I have to applaud this approach, but as a minister of the Word who has just been expounding Acts 2:42-43, something feels funny.
Now I hasten to add that I think that there are things that we can learn from those four observations. Furthermore, I have to echo the comment of a pastoral friend of mine regarding the quality of our worship offering when he said, “Yeah, but it can’t stink.” He’s right. We can’t just embrace laziness, ugliness, and sloppiness and then call it “faithful” and snub our noses at people that are actually trying to do a better job.
But I find myself thinking of what the four or five items Acts 2:42 might be if the people of our world were voting on it today. What do adults and kids in our community actually want in a church?
I think that there is some evidence that adults might choose the following:
1) Inspirational musical theatre/video,
2) A variety of self-help/expression/esteem groups tailored to “my” perceived needs/desires,
3) Well-run community benevolence opportunities including some opportunity for travel, and
4) A good environment (with coffee) for meeting friends and contacts.
What about the kids:
1) Pizza,
2) Good videos (no particular need that they be inspirational),
3) Clowns, puppets, sports, crafts, or other activities,
4) A place to make friends and maybe even find romance.
There is one essential in all of this, and of course it is not the Holy Spirit. The essential is that all these things must be done well. If we did a bit of musical theatre here some Sunday, we might suppose that we would attract some interested observers. But I think that most of us would agree that the kind of production that we might put together every week would find little repeat business.
The list that the world chooses demands consumer-oriented excellence. This excellence issue is the trap for most churches – those churches with less than 150 worshipers. They may see this kind of responsiveness to what people seem to want as the only way to have the substantial growth that they long for, but the smaller church will generally not be able to do those things well, at least according to the standards of consumers.
That is a pragmatic concern. But there is a much bigger issue that we need to consider. Is it right to make our own list of what people want, and to turn that into our plan for our church? If we could die a death that would atone for someone than we perhaps would have the right to change the Lord’s plans for His church. Then we would be kings. But that cannot happen. We are the community of people that are motivated by this reality: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of which I am the foremost. We don’t need the world’s plan. We need to follow and trust the King.
Something happens when we become captivated by the consumer demands of the world around us (and of the church-goer that sees the visible church as our institution where human methodology can bring success). Unless we are hopeless cheerleaders for our own abilities, we look back at our own little extended family here and say, “We can’t do what is necessary for the success of the church.” There’s not enough money, …people, …programs, …musical talent, …video resources.
Brothers and sisters, this is simply NOT SO. Christ apparently chose a plan for His church that can work wherever God the Holy Spirit sovereignly and graciously chooses to work. That plan can work very well with a church of ten families, and it can even work in a church that is much, much larger. A small group of people touched by the spirit of God, loving the king, and seeking first the kingdom can do what this text says as a part of the world-wide kingdom of God, if God will provide the power.
And this is what we must ask Him to do. We must pray that He will be pleased to visit us and awaken His assembly here and throughout the world. We must attend to the means of grace that the King has appointed for His glory and our good.
Conclusion
If Jesus were here and He told you to do something, would you do it? Of course you would. He is here today. Let us attend to every word of our Master. Let us believe the truth about the Savior of the church. His atoning death and resurrection life is everything for us. Let us also obey the Lord and King of the church, seeking the powerful work of His Spirit as we do what Christ commands.
posted by Pastor Magee at 10:30 AM
<< Home