The First Church
Chuck Sligh
TEXT: Acts 2:37-47
INTRODUCTION
Many Christians today are playing church. In this age of affluence and pleasure-seeking, some come to church once-a-week to salve their conscience so that they can go back and do their own thing the rest of the week.
This is the age of superficial Christianity. This is an era of surface commitment, where people claim the name of Christ, but shun the sacrifice and commitment Christ talked about when he said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37-38)
This is a day which, in the lives of many professing Christians—TV is more important than time with God.
Sports activities are more valued than attendance to the Lord’s house.
Personal time is more meaningful than prayer time.
Everything comes before witnessing.
God deliver us from half-hearted Christianity!
God deliver us from the kind of Christianity that puts everything before the Lord—family, pleasure, entertainment, work, and puts God “in His place”—that is, a once a week church service, and maybe a little token recognition during the week.
In Acts 2:37-47 you have an illustration of a group of people who did not just go through the motions of Christianity.
They did not just play church.
And they did not relegate God to His little corner of life.
God wasn’t in a little compartment of their lives Who they took out on Sundays.
In the first church we see a congregation that was completely transformed by the message of the Gospel and totally committed and sold out to God.
As we continue our series through the book of Acts, let’s look at some things in the first church at Jerusalem that are models for us today:
I. FIRST, NOTE THAT THERE WAS CONVICTION OF SIN - Acts 2:37 - “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
This was just after Peter had preached his great sermon on the Day of Pentecost. When he finished, verse 37 tells us that his listeners “...were pricked in their heart...” This caused them to ask “What shall we do?”
What is “conviction” Conviction is the “still, small voice of God which makes a person feel ill at ease about his sin and direction of life and pulls him toward salvation and the things of God.” The reason that there were so many totally committed people in the church of Jerusalem was because these people had been truly convicted of their rejection of Jesus as God and Savior, and this led to people being genuinely converted to Christ. Today, many people have “made a decision for Christ” or “walked an aisle” or filled out a card, but they were never truly saved. Why?—because they never had a sense of their desperate need for Christ and because they never saw themselves as lost sinners deserving of God’s judgment.
To be saved you have to be convicted of three things:
1. First you must be convicted of you sinfulness before a holy God - Romans 3:23 says, ”For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (EXPAND AS LED)
2. Second, you must be convinced of the penalty for sin - Romans 6:23 - “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” That death does not just include physical death. It also includes what Revelation calls the “second death” when lost sinners are cast into the Lake of Fire forever. In Revelation 20:14-15 we read these sobering words, “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
3. Finally, you must be convicted that Christ is your only answer - John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Good works will not get you into heaven. Church membership will not save you. The ONLY one who can save you is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself said, “...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) Have you come to a place in your life where you realized your exceeding sinfulness before God.
Have you come to realize your eternal doom without Christ? If not, then do not leave this room today without settling the matter of your eternal destiny TODAY.
II. SECOND, NOTE THAT IN THE FIRST CHURCH, WE ALSO SEE CONVERSION TO GOD - Acts 2:38 - “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
At first glance, in our English Bibles, this verse seems to teach salvation by baptism. But, in fact, as we mentioned briefly last week, the hearers of Peter that day would not have thought that for one minute on the basis of what he said in the original language. Without getting too technical, let me explain to you why by giving you a brief lesson in Greek grammar, which you can follow along with on your handout.
------------------------------------------------------------
THE INFORMATION BETWEEN THE 2 LINES IS RATHER TECHNICAL AND CAN BE SHORTENED OR ONLY ELIMINATED:
In the Greek, the phrase “and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” is what we call a “parenthetical phrase.” In written English, we use parenthesis symbols ( ), although there is no way to give a parenthetical phrase very clearly in spoken English. In Greek, however, it was very simple to insert a parenthetical phrase in a spoken sentence. All the speaker had to do was change the person of the verbs—that is, from singular to plural and vice versa.
Now note the following about this verse: “Repent” and “ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” are in the PLURAL. However, “be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins” is in the SINGULAR, setting it off from the rest of the verse. So the verse would look like this if it were written down in English: “And Peter said unto them, ‘Repent (and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins) and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost.’”
This would be like saying to you, “Go to the grocery store (and stop by the gas station for some gas) and get some groceries.” We do not assume that in order to get the groceries, you must stop at the grocery store AND the gas station. The second phrase (stop by the petrol station for some petrol) is understood to be a parenthetical statement independent of the first clause.
This is exactly what Peter was doing. He was actually making two statements: “Repent and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost”—that’s the salvation part, and...“be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins”—that’s something you do independent of salvation.
Now if that’s were all there is to the story, this could still be interpreted as teaching baptismal regeneration, couldn’t it? Well, that is cleared up in another point in the original language that settles the matter once and for all. It centers on the word “for” in the phrase, “...for the remission of sins...”) “For” is the Greek word eis, which can mean “for,” but it can also mean two other possibilities: It can mean “unto” as in 1 Corinthians 10:2 - “And were all baptized unto [Greek=eis] Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” Second, it can mean “because” or “because of” as in Matthew 12:41 - “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because [Greek=eis] they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.”
Therefore, Acts 2:38 could read “Repent and be baptized unto the remission of sins,” or “Repent and be baptized because of the remission of sins.” Now, how would you know which is the correct interpretation?—By the immediate context, or by comparing Scripture with Scripture.
There are two reasons “because of” is the preferred interpretation rather than “for”:
1. First, the usage of the singular parenthetical phrase, as I just mentioned rules in favor of the word phrase “because of” instead of “for.”
2. Second, the overall tenor of the whole of scripture goes in favor of the phrase “because of.” there are scores, if not hundreds, of verses where the only condition of salvation mentioned is faith in Jesus Christ, with no mention whatsoever of baptism. There are only about three verses that SEEM at first glance to teach baptism as a condition of salvation, but each of them can be cleared up by looking more closely at the context or the original language.
------------------------------------------------------------
Now that we have cleared that up, note that Peter boldly proclaimed REPENTANCE.
Repent means “to change your mind.” Now remember this: You are not saved by repentance, but by faith. But in order to exercise faith, you must first change your mind about what you are relying on to get you to heaven. (EXPAND AS LED)
Have you come to a place where you realized that you are a sinner in need of God’s grace and you stopped excusing yourself or trying to make yourself look good and changed your mind about your sin? Have you realized that your good works and church attendance and insufficient to save you and get you into heaven?
Conversion involves turning from whatever you’re relying on to save you and turning to Christ for forgiveness of sin and getting to heaven.
III. ANOTHER THING WE SEE IN THE FIRST CHURCH IN THIS PASSAGE IS CONFESSION OF FAITH IN CHRIST - Acts 2:41 - “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
When a person comes to faith in Christ, he wants the world to know it! These people were saved and wanted to publicly confess it—so they were baptized.
Baptism is an outward symbol of two things (DEMONSTRATE WITH HAND MOTIONS GOING DOWN INTO AND COMING OUT OF THE WATER) First, of the Death / Burial / Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Second, baptism is an outward symbol of an inward process —> Old life / Sin washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ / New Life
We’ll talk more about this next week, so I won’t belabor this point any longer today. But note how many people confessed Christ and were baptized in Acts 2.---Verse 41 said 3000 PEOPLE!
Wow!—What a service that must have been!
IV. NOTICE TOO THAT IN THE FIRST CHURCH WE SEE CONTINUANCE IN THE WAYS OF GOD - Acts 2:42 - “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
They “CONTINUED.” They didn’t stop. They kept going! They kept growing! They continued “STEADFASTLY.” They did not waver. They were not up and down in their Christian life; in and out of church; on the mountain top this Sunday, in the dumps the next. They would let nothing deter them in their walk with the Lord.
What are some areas God wants us to be steadfastness in the Christian life?
1. First, in church attendance.
What did they continue steadfastly in? Verse 42 says in “the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers.” All these are functions of the local church. I have never met a thriving, growing, steadfast Christian who was unfaithful to the Lord’s house. That’s why the writer of Hebrews exhorts us “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)
2. Second, God wants us to be steadfast in Christian living.
God help you to live a holy life—in the words you say; in your reputation for honesty and integrity; in your morality and commitment to marriage; in your spirit of love and sweetness to others. May we be steadfast in Christian living.
3. Third, we ought to be steadfast in Christian service. Paul urges: “...be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. ” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
I’m a firm believer that every person ought to be serving the Lord and others through his local church through some kind of ministry. Are you involved in some ministry and giving out to others instead of just coming to church and soaking up all the time?
A lot of Christians are welfare church members—They come for what they can receive, but never give back to the Lord and others in service and ministry.
There are countless ways to be involved in ministry at Grace Baptist Church. Why don’t you get off the spiritual welfare rolls and get on a ministry team. (Mention the ways they can serve the Lord at Grace Baptist Church).
V. THERE’S SOMETHING ELSE WE SEE IN THIS FIRST CHURCH— CONSECRATION TO GOD - Acts 2:45 - “And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.”
They gave their ALL. This is not something required of all believers in every age, but the spirit of total consecration the act of these believers represents is something we all ought to have. God help us to give our all to God.
Illus. - In a diary entry, Jim Elliot, who was later martyred by the Auca Indians in the jungles of Bolivia, wrote, “God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life, that I may burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus.”
That’s real consecration! Would to God that we had that kind of dedication in all of us! These people in the first church were SERIOUS about consecration to God. There was no middle ground with them. And it showed itself in a most practical way. Because of the intense persecution, they began to sell their possessions for the selfless aid of the persecuted. In other words, they sacrificed their material possessions for the Lord’s cause and for the need of other saints.
Illus. - And that reminds me of another entry in Jim Elliot’s diary. He said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” (REPEAT AND EXPAND AS LED)
Now let me get personal:
How’s your consecration level?
How dedicated to God are you right now?
What idols are you placing before the Lord that you need to burn today?
What obstacles are in the way of your total dedication and consecration to God?
What sin has hindered your ability to be sold out to God?
Whatever it is, it’s not worth it!
Give it up!
Give yourself totally and unconditionally to God in absolute surrender and dedication and consecration and sacrifice!
Illus. - D.L. Moody tells about reading this statement: “The world has yet to see what God can do with just one man totally committed to God.” When Moody heard that, he said, “I’ll be that man!” Will you be that man or woman too?
VI. FINALLY, IN THE FIRST CHURCH WE SEE A COMMUNITY OF JOYFUL CHRISTIANS - Acts 2:46-47 - “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
Do you see the spirit of joy that exudes from this passage? Some of the keys to joy are found in this passage:
1. Their walk was a daily walk - “continuing daily” (verse 46)
No wonder they had joy! They continued DAILY with the Lord and God’s people, not sporadically, or in spurts. DAILY!—Every day of their lives, they were going for God and participating in Christian activities.
2. Second, they practiced fellowship - “house to house” (verse 46)
A person who cuts himself off from God’s people will become a very unhappy and unfulfilled person. We are meant to be a part of a family and to fellowship and encourage and help and cry with one another and bear one another’s burden’s.
3. They were single-hearted—not deterred by the attractions and the distractions of this world - “singleness of heart” (verse 46)
James tells us that “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8) An unstable person is an unhappy person.
Don’t be double minded. Don’t hold hands with both God and the world. Get solidly on God’s side and stay there!
4. They praised God - “Praising God...” (verse 46)
I’ve noticed something down through the years. Praisers are happy people; negative, critical, complainers are unhappy people. It’s as simple as that. Let’s stop complaining about everything that’s wrong in our lives and start praising God all the day long, and our whole attitude will change.
What happened to this group of believers who did all these things? They multiplied - “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (verse 47) This kind of Christian life is contagious. This kind of Christian life attracts the lost. Let’s have that kind of church!
CONCLUSION
But remember, the church is only the conglomeration of the all the individuals within that congregation. A church will only be as great as the individuals within it.
How vibrant is your Christianity? Has it become stale and old, or is it alive and growing? Are you continuing steadfastly in the Lord? How consecrated and dedicated to the Lord are you?
(Appeal to the saved.)
May 2002
