Countercultural Community, Part 2
Acts 2:42-47
After the apostles received the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, it was all about the power of the resurrection and this mindset to go against the grain and do whatever it took to honor God and bless other people. They hadn’t been tainted by religion but were transformed by the power of the resurrection. Every day filled with the power of the resurrection they unashamably claimed their faith, shared the Gospel and lived for Jesus. Because of this, they realized their lives were no longer their own. They became unified in their faith and commitment to the mission of Jesus, and as a result, they had all things in common. Their countercultural lifestyle was contagious and everybody wanted to be a part of it. Every day they committed to live this lifestyle and connected to the heart of God and people flocked to this new radical movement because of their uncompromising faith and their untamed, undignified lifestyle. It not only dreaw others but created an atmosphere where God could move.
In this series, we’re talking about being a countercultural community. What does that look like? Last week, we saw that the early church was committed to one another, they had crazy courage and a deep rooted spirit of compassion.
Today we find four more characteristics. Fourth, they were devoted to God. Verse 46 says, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts….” They were fully devoted to God and read Scripture together. In that environment, there is a deep devotion to God and God’s word. When people come together around and in God’s Word, they are ripe for devotion and growth toward maturity in God. God does great things in intimate communities who are devoted to growing deeper in God’s Word. Small group Bible studies and Sunday school classes can degenerate into social clubs but they are meant to be places where people grow in devotion to God and His word. So for those of you who are in a Bible study or Sunday School class, let me ask you a question: what growth have you experienced this last year because of your Bible study or Sunday School class? How is your life and your discipleship different as a result. If you can’t immediately answer that question then maybe you need to revisit what your Bible study or Sunday School class is supposed to be about. You are to become fully devoted to the deeper things in God’s word. When that happens, miracles and life transformation occurs.
Fifth, they had a climate of expectation. Verses 43, “Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.” As the church began to live out the Gospel and see the work of God in their midst, there arose a sense of expectation. This was no more true than when they prayed. When they prayed, they prayed with a spirit of expectation. You can almost hear them pray, “God if you resurrected Jesus and created this community through the power of the resurrection, what else could you do through us?” They didn’t just ask God to act. They expected God to act. That’s called faith. It was an expectation that every time they came together not only would God be there but that they would see the power of the resurrection in action.
Because of their boldness and their belief in God, they released a spirit of expectancy and it literally set the atmosphere for God to appear and act in everything they did. Prayer sets the right climate for God to show up. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:22-25
When we come here, there should be a sense of expectancy. Even before we get here, we should have prayed for this service, prayed for the band, prayed for others who are here, prayed for our visitors and of course, prayed for the pastors but most of all, pray to God for him to show up. And if we do, then we will come with an attitude of expectancy. Every time we come here, we should do so with a high a level of expectancy. We believe that when we show up, God will show up and do great things in our midst and in our lives. Every time we come to this place, we should expect something great to happen.
Sixth, they had a singular focus on Jesus’ mission. They weren’t distracted and so they made themselves available to God. It is imperative when we come that we should do everything we can to prevent anything from blocking or hindering God’s power in our lives and in our midst from flowing freely through us. Today, what in your life could be blocking God from flowing in you? What’s blocking God’s power, wisdom and word from your life? God wants to do great things in your life. What is keeping God from acting more fully and powerfully in your life? Is it materialism, shame, anger, or a sin you haven’t dealt with? As radical followers of Jesus, we should let nothing hinder God flowing through us. We should let nothing block us from being totally used by God.
Seventh, it was a community filled with praise. Verse 47: “Every day they continued “praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” There was a certain attitude of gratitude in the lives and hearts of these people when they came together. These were Gentiles who had been ostracized and marginalized their entire lives. They were considered nothing. But now they had been impacted by the power of the Gospel and had a resurrection mindset. And so every day they gave God praise because they were thankful of what God had done in their lives and had done through them. So they had no problem giving God praise. All God wants of you and I is to give Him praise. Every time they praised God, there were signs and wonders which took place. The early church praised God not out of obligation or emotion but because of their relationship with God and what He had done in their lives. When they praised God, they were placing their whole trust in Him, moving away from their trust in self. They trusted God in everything. It seems so often we come to the house of God and it can be so controlled. We can’t lift up our hands or clap our hands or even raise our hands. Praise is not charismatic. Praise is not Pentecostal, it’s personal. Praise betrays your true passion. Whatever you’re passionate about, you praise.
We went to both Saints playoff games this past January. I have never seen so many people undignified, undomesticated, uncontrolled, dressed up, jumping up and down, shouting, yelling at the top of their lungs over a football game. It was as loud as if you were at a concert standing in front of a wall of speakers. They were untamed and uncontrolled with hands lifted but come Sunday morning some of those same people get in the house of God and they become controlled, dignified, domesticated and their hands are glued to their sides. They become worried about what people will think if they raise a voice or a hand in praise to God. Sometimes we’re so worried about what our neighbors are going to say that it’s hard to give God real praise from the depths of our soul. It’s OK to lift your hands. You do it when you sit behind the basketball goal at the Hornet’s game and when you reach out trying to catch the attention of a float rider so they’ll throw you beads, so why don’t you do it in praise of God?
I attended a Conference in Overland Park, KS. The host pastor stood up before the opening worship service and said, he grew up in a controlled, dignified and domesticated worship service. He said no one in that church raised their hands in praise. But then when he became a young man, he began to study the Scriptures and saw that the people of God raised their hands in praise. Ezra 3:11 “Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.” The Psalmist says, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” Psalm 63:3-5 So he started with his hands in his pocket and turned his palms up. Then they were by his side, palms turned up. Then he raised them to the level of his hips, then his chest until today his lifts his hands up high for the Lord. And then he said, we want to encourage you to praise God today with lifted hands wherever you are comfortable at your sides, your waist, your chest or high above your head. God loves it when you praise Him with lifted hands.
In the Old Testament they used their whole body to praise God. “Then David said to the whole assembly, "Praise the LORD your God." So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the LORD and the king.” 1 Chronicles 29:20.
It’s OK to clap your hands in worship too. In 1989, I was an intern pastor at Boston Avenue UMC, a 8,300 member church in downtown Tulsa, OK. Let me give you an image of our worship service. We wore full robes and vestments, we processed with a choir of more than 60 people with the the cross leading the way. We sang hymns to one of the largest organs in the South and everyone was in coat and tie and on their best behavior. The congregation had started to clap for the children’s choirs after they sang in worship, whether it was a good rendition of that song or not. Our senior minister was appalled so he called a special staff meeting with all nine clergy on staff to talk about this new development. Was it dignified? Should we allow this? How should we handle this? After more than 45 minutes of discussion, most of which was looking down on the practice, I said, “Do we have a problem with saying ‘Amen’ in the service?’ (which was not frequent unless it was at the end of a prayer or the end of a hymn) “Why no, of course not. That’s Scriptural!” And then I said, “The church didn’t invent using ‘Amen’ in worship. They borrowed it from the Coliseum where great battles between gladiators took place and the people cheered their heroes on and praised their winners by yelling, “Amen!” Our culture doesn’t say ‘Amen’ at sporting events, we clap. So if it was OK to take ‘Amen’ from the Roman culture, why can’t we allow clapping in worship in ours?” And that was the end of the discussion. It’s OK to raise hands. It’s OK to say Amen. It’s OK to clap. God wants us to give Him the best of what we have and who we are. Why is it we seem to reserve that for the Saints, the Hornets and LSU rather than give it to God?
God doesn’t want a dignified, reserved and proper people, he wants a radical community that has chosen a personal lifestyle lived for Jesus Christ. Every now and then when you get excited about Jesus, let it out! You remember King David. When he captured the city of Jerusalem, David did two things. He made the city the capital of Israel and the center of worship for Israel. So he led a great procession with priests in their full vestments, a marching band of horns and cymbals and trumpets. They were praising God with all their might in the streets all to the glory of the Lord because God had given them victory over the Philistines. And David began dancing too with all of the people of Israel around. He was undignified and uncontrolled and giving God every ounce of praise he had within him. And when David’s wife saw him from her window and said, “You’re made a fool of yourself!” David answered, “It was before the LORD….. (and) I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.” 2 Samuel 6:21-22
This is exactly what God calls for in our worship of Him! “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.” 1 Chronicles 16:8-10 “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!” Psalm 47:1-2
Worship from its very beginning was meant to be expressive. It’s not about emotionalism. It’s about being free to worship Jesus and express our feelings to him. God’s people weren’t hindered in worship by education or being dignified or being politically correct. They were consumed with an undignified praise. It’s about giving thanks and praise to God for what He has done or is doing in your life. Has God been good to anybody? Has he freed you, healed you, delivered you, comforted you, provided for you? Then praise Him! And you know what happens when we praise him? God inhabits the praises of His people and it’s then that he can begin to move in our lives like bringing the healing in your marriage, the joy you need in your heart, the peace that you need in your mind, the healing you need in your body, it comes when we become fully devoted to God. God wants you to give the best that you have and really the only thing you have to give God is your heart, your life and your praise.
When we are devoted to God, we pray with a spirit of expectancy, when we are singularly focused on the mission of God and when we begin to praise God, he can begin to move in a powerful way in our lives.
