THE BLUEPRINT FOR CHRIST’S CHURCH
Part 2
Acts 2:41-47
Recently I began to look through all of the many resources in my personal library. A great number of those books are focused on church growth, organization and church health. One of the books that I found is focused on churches that are dead; another describes how to bring a dead church back to life, then another is aimed at stopping a church from dying. I have some books that talk about starting a church, some tell how to “replant” a church and there are many that tell how to grow a church. There are several others that are centered on church revitalization and revival. Ironically, many of those focused on “how to do it”, were written by people who have never done it! I do not mean to be hypercritical about every book that is written with the intention of helping pastors and assisting churches, there are certainly some great resources that are available. However, I am of the opinion that everything we need to know about starting a church, revitalizing a church and growing a church is found on the pages of God’s Holy Word.
One of the most important passages concerning the Church is the very chapter that we have been studying for the past several weeks. The second chapter of Acts chronicles the birth and initial growth of the Church. In these verses and the (chapters that follow) we find a blueprint for Christ’s Church. On the Day of Pentecost some 3,000 people responded to the Gospel by repenting and believing in Jesus Christ; they were baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. The actions that follow give us a blueprint for how Christ’s church has operated throughout the ages and how it should operate today.I would like for us to pick up where we left off last time and continue to examine “The Blueprint For Christ’s Church”.
On the Day of Pentecost, some 3,000 souls repented and believed in Christ. After this they began to study, pray, worship and serve together as members of Christ’s Church. When examining the actions, attitudes and the attributes of those in the first century Church, we see the things that God would have His people to be involved in today. Let’s quickly review what we saw in part 1 of this message.
- We began by considering the importance of:
CONVERSION: The church began with the conversion of a great multitude. (v41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.) One of the first things that these new coverts became involved in was learning more about Jesus.
- This shows us the importance of:
DOCTRINE: v42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. The people “continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine”, this means that they listened, learned and obeyed the teaching of the Apostles. Furthermore, they were consistent in their new way of life.
- We also saw that another important aspect of the early church was:
FELLOWSHIP: (v42 “they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”) These new converts had a desire to spend time with the other people of God. Though there were many different people from different backgrounds, they were joined together by the common bond of Jesus Christ.
- Another vital element of the early church was:
PRAYER: Throughout Acts we see many occasions where the Church prayed together. The Believers gathered on a regular basis and sought the Lord in prayer.
- Another important aspect of the early Church was:
POWER: (v43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.) The Holy Spirit had descended and indwelt the followers of the Lord. His presence was evident in the “wonders and signs” that He performed “through the Apostles”. As a result of this power “fear came upon every soul”;
- So far we have seen the importance of conversion, doctrine, fellowship, prayer and power in the church. As we move deeper into the text we will also see the importance of:
UNITY
v44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
The believers consistently spent time together, Luke says that “all who believed were together, and had all things in common”. Throughout the Book of Acts you will see the phrase “in one accord”. They were of the same mind, they were focused on the same mission and they were not consumed with their own selfish desires. The members of the early Church were so overwhelmed by the love of God and their new life in Christ that they were not focused on the things of this world; they had no concern for material possessions or earthly wealth. There was a beautiful attitude of self-sacrifice that was prevalent in the early church.
- Intertwined with this unity was:
COMPASSION
Any time there was a physical, financial or spiritual need within the church; these Christians would do whatever was necessary to meet the needs of their fellow Believers. So much so that they would even sell their own possessions and share the proceeds with the one in need.
It is important to note that the giving that was done was all voluntary. It was not mandated by the government or even some church hierarchy. The people within the Church retained personal possessions such as houses and lands and they were under no obligation to sacrifice what they had for the benefit of others. The fact that their giving was voluntary and sacrificial makes this act all the more beautiful.
- All of the positive attributes that are seen among the members of the early church wouldn’t mean much if their actions were short lived. However, the scriptures point out that they were steadfast and devoted to their new found faith. This shows us the importance of:
STEADFASTNESS
v46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
This multitude of new converts “continued daily with one accord in the Temple”. There was something of a transition period in the days of the early church. The Jews who made up the first generation of Christians continued to attend the temple services for some time after the formation of the Church; in fact, this went on until the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D 70. Throughout the book of Acts you will see the Apostles and other believers present (and often sharing the Gospel) in the local synagogues.
The Believers not only assembled together in the Temple, they also “broke bread from house to house”. They regularly gathered in each other’s homes and learned more about the apostles doctrine, they studied the scriptures, broke bread together (both the Lords Supper & common meals) and they also spent time together in prayer. Not only did they do these things, they did them on a daily basis. Furthermore, they did so with joyful hearts; verse 46 says that “they ate their food with gladness and sincere hearts”. They were able to experience this joy, sincerity and unity because their focus was Jesus Christ.
- One of the most important actions that the early Christians were involved in was:
WORSHIP
v47 praising God and having favor with all the people.
As a result of the marvelous change that Jesus had wrought in the lives of these people, they spent their days worshipping and “praising God”. These people had been delivered from their sins and received eternal life. They were previously “dead in trespasses and sins”; but now they were alive in Christ and the natural response was to praise Him for all that He had done. Worship should be a natural response for us as well.
- As a result of all of the actions we have examined in this passage, the early church had an impact on the world around them. This leads us to the importance of:
INFLUENCE
Early on, these converts to Christianity had “favor with all the people”. However, it would not be long until the members of Christ’s church would experience great opposition and persecution. Jesus warned His followers that this would happen. He said in:
Matthew 10:22 you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
He said in - John 15:18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
The Church’s favor among the people was short lived and soon they faced great persecution, so much so that the church was scattered. But even in this time of trouble, they remained faithful to the cause of Christ. As the Church scattered, they took the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them and the message of salvation through Christ spread all over the world. This was all part of God’s divine plan for His Church.
Like the early church, we should have an impact on the world around us. The people of this world may not like us, they may not agree with us, they may never receive us with open arms, but they should see that there is something different about us. When we possess the attributes that we have seen in these verses, people will take notice. If we will be faithful to God and live as His people in this world, He will do great things in and through us. Stockdale Baptist Church may never grow into a mega church, but we will have an impact on the Kingdom of God! If we will be faithfully obedient to the Lord, He can use us to grow His Church.
- This leads us to the final truth about Christ’s Church that we will consider today and that is the importance of:
GROWTH
Peter declared that it was the Lord who added to the church in verse 47 “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” The Christian fellowship grew by conversions each day. At the beginning of Pentecost there were 120 followers of Christ, by the end of the day there were over 3,000; soon that number would grow to over 5,000 and then it grew to an innumerable multitude. That number is still increasing and the church is still growing today.
We must never lost sight of the fact that it is “God who gives the increase”. Though God is the one who adds to His Church, in His divine wisdom He has chosen to use us in the process of Church growth. If we will follow the example of those Christians in the first century Church, then we can be fruitful, we can have an impact, we can reach others with the Gospel, we can be a part of the growth of Christ’s Church and we can bring honor and glory to God!
In the Book of Acts we find the blueprint for Christ’s Church. It begins with a group of people who are saved and radically transformed by Jesus Christ. Following this, those believers spend time in God’s Word and studying Christian doctrine. They also spend time fellowshipping, praying, and worshipping together. When these things happen those Christians will experience power and they will have an influence on the world around them. Furthermore, those within the church will possess unity, compassion and love for one another. Christ will be their focus, ministry will be there desire and God will provide the desired growth. Just as He did in the early Church, The Lord will add to the Church, He is the one who will bring the increase. Great things are possible for the Church when we follow the blueprint that He has given us in Acts Chapter 2.
While it is vital that we look to God’s Word for how the Church should operate, it is even more important for you to ensure that you are a part of Christ’s Church. Have you been born again? Have you repented and believed in Jesus Christ for salvation? If not, I implore you to surrender to Him today, and then you can experience the same things that those new converts experienced at Pentecost and beyond. For those who have been saved, let us look to the blueprint God has given us and become actively involved in Christ’s Church!
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