1. This morning we want to share a history lesson. To this point in our study of the church, we have dealt with:
a. prophecy about the church --
(1) Christ promised to build His church, and He promised to use as the "foundation" for it the powerful confession of Simon Peter ( Matthew 16:13-19 );
(2) Upon commissioning His disciples, our Lord promised that He would neither leave nor forsake them "to the end of the age" ( Matthew 28:20 );
(3) Just before His ascension, Christ promised His disciples that that would receive the p __ __ __ __ necessary for them to fulfill their mission in the person of the H __ __ __
S __ __ __ __ __ ( Acts 1:8 );
b. the purpose of the church -- to equip the saints;
c. the function of the church --
(1) e __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __;
(2) e __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __;
(3) e __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
God's use of history should not be overlooked as we study the origins of the church. That three of the most significant events in the history of the cosmos -- Christ's crucifixion, His resurrection, and the birth of His church -- occurred within the confines of the most holy season of the Old Covenant must be seen as having been orchestrated by Divine Providence. As Christians look back upon the three primary holidays / feast days of the Hebrews -- ordained by God in Leviticus 23, we do so through the "lens" of the events recorded in the Gospels and the book of Acts. This allows us to exercise "theological hindsight" so that we can see those things to which the Old Covenant deliberately pointed.
a. P __ __ __ __ __ __ __ pictures the death of Christ, the perfect Lamb of God offered as a suitable sacrifice for the sins of all God's people. The Bible records that Jesus died on the cross between the Passover supper and the threshold of the holy day itself and that He was entombed during the Passover observance.
b. The Bible record indicates that Christ was resurrected first day after the Sabbath following Passover. Lost to many Christians is the significance of that day, so focused are we on seeing His "rising" as the fulfillment of the prophecy He had offered in John 2:13-22. The day we celebrate -- with chronological impudence -- as "Easter" was, in fact, the Jewish Feast Day of F __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. The apostle Paul, reared, educated and deeply rooted in his Jewish faith, notes this in his passionate defense of the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead of all believers set forth in 1 Corinthians 15.
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection from the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. ( 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 )
c. Fifty days after Passover Sabbath came the Feast Day of the H __ __ __ __ __ __, which came to be known as P __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ( which means "fiftieth" ). It was initiated as a festival of thanksgiving for the harvest, but was also observed as an occasion to thank God as well for the giving of the L __ __ to Israel. Pentecost was seen as the culmination of a fifty-day celebration of God's goodness. It became a tradition among Jews dispersed all over the world to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem during this holiday season, and the Day of Pentecost there was always as Feast Day to remember! From a Christian perspective Pentecost is observed as the day God gave His Spirit to the church.
2. Our text passage, then, is the historical record of the b __ __ __ __ of the Church Particular. Just as Jesus had promised, the Holy Spirit came upon His disciples, and it did so in a miraculous way. This, however, was not the first appearance of the Holy Spirit in Scripture.
a. He was present at the C __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ( Genesis 1:2 );
b. The Old Testament record contains several significant examples of the Spirit's "filling" or "falling on" various individuals, empowering them to perform supernatural deeds or to prophesy and, once, providing a group of artisans with extraordinary artistic skills!
ref: Judges 3:9-10
1 Samuel 19:20, 23
Isaiah 61:1-3
Exodus 31:2-5
Under the Old Covenant the Holy Spirit's filling was t __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. There are specific references to God's removing His Spirit from individuals, a prospect which terrified the Psalmist David as he poured out his heart in confession of His sin with Bathsheba.
ref: Judges 16:15-22
1 Samuel 10:9-13; then 16:14
Psalm 51:10-11
c. He descended upon our Lord Himself on the occasion of His b __ __ __ __ __ __ by water, an magnanimous moment in history for several reasons.
(1) It is the only appearance in Scripture of the three persons of the T __ __ __ __ __ __ together at one time and in one place ( Luke 3:21-22 ).
(2) It provides an excellent model for the teaching of the apostle Paul regarding the role of the Holy Spirit in b __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ believers into the b __ __ __ of Christ ( Romans 6:1-14; Colossians 2:6-13 ).
(3) It provides an excellent precedent for the biblical concept that the Holy Spirit's power is a necessary element for effective m __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ( 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ).
3. No fewer than eleven experiences in the life of the first church may be observed in Acts 2.
a. The church convenes in prayerful, united anticipation of God's leading ( v.1 ).
b. The Holy Spirit comes with powerful p __ __ __ __ __ __ ( v.2-4 ), manifested in miracles of s __ __ __ __ ("a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind") and s __ __ __ __ ("Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them" ).
(1) "Some take the disciples' experience to be a vocational empowerment to witness that is repeated in Acts and is described as filling. But others see the baptism as the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost as both an initial, permanent endowment for the church ( see the way it is referred to as a benchmark experience in 10:47; 11:17; 15:8 ) and a particular instance of vocational empowerment for inspired speech.
"Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal or charismatic interpreters see this Spirit-baptism as a repeatable event in the life of the church. It is a distinct, subsequent-to-conversion experience, with speaking in tongues as its necessary sign. The 'Third Wave' of charismatic renewal does not insist on this separate experience but does claim the presence of 'signs and wonders' today. Whether from the Reformed, dispensational or evangelical Anglican perspective, other interpreters see the promise of Spirit-baptism as fulfilled in the outpouring at Pentecost. All post-Pentecost converts receive it at conversion." - William J. Larkin, Jr.: Acts ( Volume 5, The IVP New Testament Commentary )
(2) "We must not conclude that this ten-day prayer meeting brought about the miracles of Pentecost, or that we today may pray as they did and experience 'another Pentecost.' Like our Lord's death at Calvary, Pentecost was a once-for-all event that will not be repeated. The church may experience new fillings of the Spirit, and certainly patient prayer is an essential element to spiritual power, but we would not ask for another Pentecost any more than we would ask for another Calvary." - Warren Wiersbe: Be Dynamic
c. The church w __ __ __ __ __ __ __ the Lord ( v.4-11 ).
During the miracle of other tongues was seen, heard and understood by foreign pilgrims who were in Jerusalem for the annual Feast of Pentecost ("we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God").
We must be reminded that our tongues can be kindled by either the Holy Spirit or the fires of hell, depending on the one to whom we yield ourselves! See James 3:5-6.
d. The church proclaimed the G __ __ __ __ __ of Jesus Christ ( v.14-36 ).
(1) P __ __ __ __, as was so often the case, did the talking!
(2) His sermon indicates that he had an excellent recall of the LXX, since he quotes from its translation of Joel 2:28-32 ( v.17-21 ) and Psalm 16:8-11 (v.25-29 ), as well as parts of Psalm 68:18 and 110:1.
e. Included in that sermon was a clear call to r __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ( v.38-39 ).
f. There was a response to the call -- ____________ souls received Christ as Saviour, were b __ __ __ __ __ __ __ and became part of the first local church ( v.37, 41 ).
g. As it grew, the church continued steadfastly to s __ __ __ __ doctrine ( v.42 ).
h. Genuine f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ was experienced ( v.42 ).
i. P __ __ __ __ __ was an integral part of the life of the church ( v.42 ).
j. S __ __ __ __ and w __ __ __ __ __ __ were performed by the apostles; great reverence toward God ( "f __ __ __" ) was produced ( v.43 ).
k. Physical n __ __ __ __ of individuals were met by the body as a whole ( v.44 ).
l. The h __ __ __ __ of individual believers were an integral part of the church ( v.46 ).
m. U __ __ __ __ was evident ( v.46 ).
n. The church g __ __ __ numerically ( v.47 ).
C. Conclusions
So, we have our model. As the 19th Century scholar J.A. Bengal wrote:
"Thou hast, O church, thy pattern. It is thine to preserve it, and guard thy trust."
An honest appraisal of the history of Christ's church since its beginning reveals some areas of great failure. The unity experienced and enjoyed by that first local body of believers may still exist in some individual churches, but it has been lost to the Church Universal. Christians as a whole are divided among Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant lines. There has been multiplied fracture among many Protestants through rampant denominationalism, and this has been further complicated by the rise of so-called "independent" local churches, some of whom refuse to have anything to do with other local churches which do not share their doctrinal preferences.
As a local body of believers here in Myersville, we are not able to bring about the unity of believers around the world, nor are we empowered to see to it that all churches be faithful stewards of their biblically-mandated mission. Yet, as one congregation of the Church Particular, we must faithfully follow the model set forth in this morning's text passage here and now. This will require two sets of commitments, one from the church itself -- in the persons of its leadership -- and the other from each individual Christian who becomes part of us, whether or not they become "formal" members.
a. C.O.S must commit to providing a structure which best provides for the exercise of our over-riding mission: e __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ the saints who become part of our church. This will be accomplished if we faithfully:
(1) proclaim the gospel through p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ( Greek kerygma );
(2) provide instruction through sound d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ( Greek didache );
(3) commit our resources to the meeting people at the point of their n __ __ __ __;
(4) assemble regularly for corporate w __ __ __ __ __ __; and
(5) foster an atmosphere conducive to f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ( Greek koinonia ).
b. Individual believers here must commit:
(1) to l __ __ __ __;
(2) to c __ __ __;
(3) to f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __;
(4) to w __ __ __ __ __ __; and
(5) to the "one a __ __ __ __ __" mentality which, in the text passage and elsewhere in the book of Acts, seems to be a necessary precursor to the experience of powerful ministry in the local church.
Ask yourself: "Is this body of believers committed to the biblical principles of the local church?''
If the answer is "No," then find another place to worship.
If the answer is "Yes," then make yourself a committed part of that local body.
If the answer is "In some areas 'Yes' but in other areas 'No'," then you have to decide if you are willing to work with those believers in their movement toward "Yes." If you stay, but only in a half-hearted, non-committed, or -- worst of all -- a persistently negative and criticizing -- way, you are doing neither yourself or that local church any favours. The idea of "community" in the New Testament is not just a suggestion; it is God's ordained norm for the Church Particular. Each Christian needs to find a local church where he or she or their family can become part of an authentic communio sanctorum.
c. All of these commitments must be:
(1) undertaken under the power of the H __ __ __ S __ __ __ __ __;
(2) exercised under the a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of the Word of God;
(3) strengthened through faithful, fervent p __ __ __ __ __; and
(4) dedicated to the g __ __ __ __ of God, who, in His sovereignty, will see to the desired outcomes of experience and impact.
As always, Ephesians 4:13-16 provides a word picture of what such a committed church will look like. Amen!
D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E
1. Read Exodus 20:8-11.
a. Defend the Christian practice of worshiping on the first day of the week.
b. Do the references to the "keeping" of the Sabbath apply to Christians' so-called "holy day?" Why, or why not?
2. No study of Acts 2 can be undertaken without some consideration of the powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit as recorded there.
a. Read Acts 2:1-4, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Corinthians 14:1-19, and Romans 8:26-27. Do these passages all address the same spiritual gift of "tongues?" _______ Why, or why not?
b. Read John 15:26 - 16:4, Acts 2:42-43 and 5:12-16. Some believe that the "sign" gifts were designed by God to be exclusively exercised by the original apostles and that, after those men died, the "sign" gifts would also pass from the scene. These passages are often referenced in defense of this belief. What do you think? Be prepared to defend your answer.
c. Read Romans 12:3-8 and re-read 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. Identify four precepts re: Spiritual gifts which are set forth in these two passages.
d. Since God chooses Spiritual gifts for us, is it wrong to want one or more of the gifts you didn't get? _________ Why, or why not? Cite Scripture if possible.
3. Read Acts 2:44-47 and 4:32-36. Some Christians down through the years have seen these glimpses of the early church as a call for believers to dwell in de facto communal fellowship, sometimes to the point of separating themselves from the secular world, selling their worldly goods and living with other like-minded believers in authentic community, some of which came to be known as "utopian societies."
a. Do you think that this concept is taught by these passages? Why, or why not?
b. Have any of these historic communities impressed you? ________ How so?
c. List one advantage and one disadvantage of taking the call to Christian community literally.
ADVANTAGE
DISADVANTAGE
d. Briefly describe a working model of community which C.O.S. might consider adopting, and explain what you think would be accomplished in the body by it.
