What Does A Spiritual Church Look Like?
Acts 2:41-47
Introduction
Illustration: The Tater Family
Some families make church their home. Others find other uses for the church. Take the notorious Tater family, for example. Perhaps you’ve met some of them.
· The chief of the clan is old Dick Tater, who insists on running everything in church.
· His brother Ro Tater keeps everything in a spin.
· Aunt Agi Tater has a knack for stirring up trouble;
· and her husband, Irri Tater, is always getting under someone’s skin.
The next generation of Taters has its own characteristics.
· Hesi Tater and his wife, Vege Tater, would just as soon wait until next year whenever a new project is suggested.
· Aunt Imi Tater would love to create the first generic church.
· Devas Tater announces constantly that everyone in the church is doomed,
· Her husband Poten Tater promises he can lead the church out of trouble.
(Adapted from an article in Today in the Word, May, 1996, p. 8.)
I. A SPIRITUAL CHURCH IS UNIQUELY DEVOTED TO JESUS CHRIST. Acts 2:41-42
Illustration: Our Daily Bread
A guy from Tyson Foods arranges to visit the Pope. After receiving the papal blessing he whispers, "Your Eminence, do we have a deal for you. If you change The Lord’s Prayer from "give us this day our daily bread…" to "give us this day our daily chicken…" we will donate $500 million dollars to the Church."
The Pope responds saying, "That is impossible. The Prayer is the Word of the Lord and it must not be changed."
"Well," says the Tyson man, "we are prepared to donate $1 billion to the Church if you change the Lord’s Prayer from "give us this day our daily bread…" to "give us this day our daily chicken…."
Again the Pope replies, "That is impossible! The Prayer is the Word of the Lord and it must not be changed."
Finally, the Tyson guy says, "This is our last offer. We will donate $5 billion to the church if you change the Lord’s Prayer from "give us this day our daily bread…" to "give us this day our daily chicken..." and he leaves.
Next day the Pope meets with the College of Cardinals to say that he has good news and bad news. "The good news is that the Church has come into $5 billion. The bad news is that we are losing The Wonder Bread account." (Source unknown.)
Note: Churches, as well as individual Christians, who are motivated more by economics than by morality are not living up to the biblical standard of righteousness. 1 Timothy 6:9-10
A. A Spiritual Church Is A Saved Church. Acts 2:42a
“And they continued steadfastly…”
1. A church must be composed of only saved individuals if she is to devote herself to the holiness and righteousness of God.
2. The presence of unbelievers in the membership of the church causes problems in every aspect of the life of the church.
a. Worship becomes forced and unnatural because unbelievers cannot worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:24.
b. Fellowship is artificial and contrived because believers and unbelievers have no common spiritual ground upon which they can stand. 2 Corinthians 6:14-15
c. Discipleship is impossible because an unbeliever has no desire to be conformed into the image of Christ. Psalm 42:1
d. Ministry is hindered because unbelievers have no spiritual gifts through which they can minister.
e. Evangelism that involves unbelievers in the presentation of the gospel falls into the category of the blind leading the blind.
3. This does not mean that unbelievers should be excluded from the church service, only from the membership.
a. They need to hear the gospel.
b. They need to see the gospel at work in the lives of genuine believers.
4. Membership, however, is reserved for believers only. Acts 2:47b
B. A Spiritual Church Is A Scriptural Church. Acts 2:42b
“… in the apostles’ doctrine…”
1. The Bible is the only authoritative source of spiritual information, and is useful in all matters of faith and practice.
2. A commitment to biblical preaching and teaching is absolutely necessary for a church to be spiritually healthy. 1 Peter 2:2
C. A Spiritual Church Is A Fellowshipping Church. Acts 2:42c
“…and fellowship…”
Illustration: Separatists?
A church had a sign in front: JESUS ONLY. One night a storm blew out the first three letters and left US ONLY. Too many churches have come to that. (Vance Havner, from The Vance Havner Quote Book/On This Rock I Stand. Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no. 16.)
Illustration: Warmth Rather Than Light
People join churches more because they want warmth than light. We like to think it’s our stunning proclamation of the truth that keeps them in the pews. Sermons may get them into church the first time, but what keeps them coming are friendships that foster inward awareness and support. (Jack R. Van Ens, Leadership, Vol. 8, no. 3.)
1. Fellowship is a natural desire of one who is regenerated.
2. We are all brothers and sisters in the same spiritual family.
3. Removing oneself from the fellowship of the church is at best disobedience, and at worst may be an indication of a false profession of faith.
a. We are admonished to assemble ourselves together, especially in these last days. Hebrews 10:25
b. No man is an island, and no Christian can sustain their relationship with Jesus Christ without the encouragement and help of other believers.
c. Those who say they can worship God as well at home seldom do.
d. They have been deceived, believing that they don’t need the help of other believers.
e. They are exalting self, supposing that their worship is superior to that of other believers.
f. They usually do it with a judgmental spirit, highlighting the sins of others while hiding their own.
D. A Spiritual Church Is A Christ-Centered Church. Acts 2:42d
“… in the breaking of bread…”
Quote: Our church must stand for Christ with our feet embedded in concrete. Our church must not become just another country club with a steeple on top. - B. Smith, 1982 SBC.
1. Communion displays the fellowship of Christ in the church. 1 Corinthians 11:23-25
a. Communion brings believers together at the foot of the cross.
b. We focus on the redemptive work of Christ, acknowledging our inability to do anything to save ourselves.
c. We focus on our future redemption when He returns. 1 Corinthians 11:26
2. Communion calls for self-examination and confession. 1 Corinthians 11:27-32
a. We judge ourselves so we will not be judged by God.
b. Subjecting ourselves to the scrutiny of the Word of God provides the worthiness required to participate in this divine ordinance.
E. A Spiritual Church Is A Praying Church. Acts 2:42e
… and in prayers.
Quote: Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscles of omnipotence. (John MacArthur. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (c) Moody Press and John MacArthur, Jr., 1983-2002.)
1. The apostolic church understood the importance of prayer.
2. Prayer is the source of God’s provision for the church.
3. A church that neglects prayer forfeits God’s blessings.
II. A SPIRITUAL CHURCH IS EXPLICITLY REPRESENTATIVE OF JESUS CHRIST. Acts 2:43-47a
A. A Spiritual Church Is An Awe-Inspiring Church. Acts 2:43a
“Then fear came upon every soul…”
Note: Phobos (fear) refers to fear or holy terror related to the sense of divine presence, to the attitude of reverence. It describes the feeling produced when one realizes God is at hand. It is used in Acts 5:5 and 11 to describe the reaction to the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. In Acts 19:17 it depicts the reaction of the citizens of Ephesus to the attack on some Jewish exorcists by a demon-possessed man. Luke 7:16 uses it to portray the reaction to our Lord’s raising of the widow’s son. (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (c) Moody Press and John MacArthur, Jr., 1983-2002.)
Illustration: God Can’t Get In Either
For more than a year a little old cleaning woman, who lived on the wrong side of the tracks, had been trying to join a fashionable downtown church. The pastor was not eager to have a seedy looking person in faded, out-of-style clothes sitting in a pew next to his rich members. When she called for the fifth time to discuss membership, he put her off for the fifth time.
"I tell you what," said the pastor, "you just go home tonight and have a talk with God about it. Later you can tell me what He said."
The poor woman went her way. Weeks moved into months, and the preacher saw no more of her and his conscience did hurt a little. Then one day he encountered her scrubbing floors in an office building, and felt impelled to inquire, "did you have your little talk with God, Mrs. Washington?"
"Oh, my yes," she said, "I talked with God as you suggested."
"Ah, and what answer did He give you?" asked the pastor.
"Well, Preacher," she said as she pushed back a wisp of stringy hair with a sudsy hand, "God said for me not to get discouraged, but to keep trying. He said that He Himself had been trying to get into your church for 20 years, with no more success than I have had." (Pulpit Helps, Sept., 1990.)
1. The church should be so filled with spiritual power that it instills a sense of awe and respect, even to those who are outside the fellowship.
2. We too often bypass spiritual power, however, in favor of activity.
3. We want people to be impressed by our buildings and programs, by our degrees and abilities.
4. What should make an impression on people is the supernatural character that is displayed.
B. A Spiritual Church Is A Miraculous Church. Acts 2:43b
“…and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.”
1. Although the sign gift of miracles is no longer in existence, God still performs miracles in response to the prayers of His people.
2. They are not, however, public signs like those in the apostolic era.
3. The greatest of all miracles God performs today is the transformation of rebellious sinners into His beloved children, who are becoming like His Son.
4. Such miracles occur in the life of the church that is committed to the fulfillment of its spiritual duties.
C. A Spiritual Church Is A Sharing Church. Acts 2:44-46
Note: In these early days, before strife and divisions affected the church, all those who had believed were together. They possessed not only a spiritual unity but also a practical oneness. (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (c) Moody Press and John MacArthur, Jr., 1983-2002.)
1. The emphasis today is not in selling all that we have and distributing to those who have need.
a. The Bible never endorses a “Robin Hood” philosophy.
b. The Scriptural emphasis for the believer is in “giving” not “taking.”
2. There are three ways for the church to share.
a. Share the gospel with those who are lost. Mark 16:15
b. Share the needs of those who are destitute. James 2:15-16
c. Share the burdens of those who are in Christ. Galatians 6:2
D. A Spiritual Church Is A Joyful Church. Acts 2:46b-47a
“…with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God …”
Illustration: Selfish Strife
The secret of every discord in Christian homes and communities and churches is that we seek our own way and our own glory. (Alan Redpath, Leadership, Vol. 3, no. 2.)
1. An awe-inspiring, miraculous, sharing church will be a church filled with joy.
a. Simplicity and sincerity enable a believer to be joyful.
b. Simplicity is derived from the Greek word “aphelotes” meaning “without rock, smooth, plain. (from Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, PC Study Bible formatted Electronic Database. Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
c. A selfish heart is stony; a heart of simplicity is joyful.
2. Gladness and simplicity always leads to praise.
a. Those who are bitter and selfish cannot praise God as they should.
b. Those who are joyful are unhindered in their praise.
III. A SPIRITUAL CHURCH IS EVANGELISTICALLY WORKING FOR JESUS CHRIST. Acts 2:47
“…and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
Note: One of the biggest mistakes we can make in witnessing to the lost is to try to discuss theological issues with those who have no understanding of the Scriptures.
Illustration: Jesus Freak
A recent survey conducted among members of the Catholic Church found that the majority of those who were interviewed reported having mystical, life-changing experiences with God. But the majority of those who reported having such experiences also said they had never told anyone about them. When they were asked to explain that, most of them answered, "Because people would think I was crazy, or a Jesus freak or something." (Johnny Dean, www.eSermons.com, Jan 2003.)
A. A Spiritual Church Is An Attractive Church. Acts 2:47b
“…and having favor with all the people.”
1. The transformed life of a believer should be enough to cause people to want what we have. Matthew 5:16
2. As we fulfill the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) we honor the church, and thereby honor Jesus Christ.
3. Strife and division, however, brings reproach upon a church, hindering its ministries and its outreach.
a. Its fellowship is frustrated.
b. Its witness is impeded.
B. A Spiritual Church Is A Growing Church. Acts 2:47c
“And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
1. As we witness for Jesus Christ, the church sees new converts coming into the fellowship on a regular basis.
2. As we fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) the church grows and Jesus Christ is glorified.
3. If we abandon the Great Commission we cease to be relevant to the kingdom of heaven.
Conclusion
A spiritual church is not an easy accomplishment. Obviously each local assembly is composed of individual members who must be “spiritual” in order for the church to be so. Therefore, let us consider some hard questions.
· Considering what a spiritual church looks like, how do I fit in?
· Do my actions honor the church (and the Lord), or do they bring reproach upon the church (and the Lord)?
· If every member of the church were like me, what kind of a church would it be?
· Do those who know me want to come to my church?
