Back From the Dead
Acts 2:42-47
June 6, 2004
We are a church that is alive, and that excites me. We are in an enviable position in Benton. We have caught the embersI am familiar with so many little churches in our own and other denominations that are lamenting their fall upon hard times. When I first began in ministry I was appointed to a small two point charge in Jackson Parish. Both churches were small but vital congregations, full of life and a willingness to do new things. I am saddened to know that one of those churches that averaged 80 people in attendance now only averages around 20, and to know that death and age has taken a toll on the other little church so that attendance that was 25 is now down to around 14.
There are many reasons for the declines in these and other congregations like them. Many people place the blame on the people who are not there, and want to find some fault in them. Others like to place the blame on the preacher. He should visit more. He should preach better, or longer, or shorter, or harder, or not quite so hard. Sometimes, the denomination gets the blame. Bad theology, or liberal theology, or no theology, or too much money being sucked out of the local church. Whatever the reason, the result is the same, whether the church is Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian or other—it gives the indication that the church is dying.
We look to those situations of decline and wonder what can be done to reclaim what once was. People and pastors look back to the “glory days” and wish it could be that way again, assuming, of course, there is anyone in the congregation old enough to remember the “glory days.” What seems to make the matter worse, is the temptation to look around the corner or next door, or to the next city and envy what another church is doing to reach people and grow. “Why are they growing and we’re not?” seems to be the question many people ask.
I think our text this morning answers the question. In this morning’s text I identify three marks of a living, vibrant church—three essentials that will give life to every congregation. After all, the early church was blessed with an outpouring of God’s presence and power, and the text tells us “each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved” (v. 47). What are the three marks of the early church that will bring renewal to a dead church and sustain life in a living one? Let’s look and see.
Mark #1: A living church is committed to community. The church was born on the day of Pentecost as the Holy Spirit came from heaven and brought God’s power to the disciples gathered in the Upper Room. Peter and the others went out into the streets of Jerusalem, and their preaching began to change lives and win souls to Christ—three thousand that first day. Luke tells us something very interesting about those three thousand—“they joined with the other believers and devoted themselves”—they were devoted to certain aspects of life that impacted not only their life, but others as well. They gave themselves, not to an explanation, but to a way of life. A way of life that bound them together in a very special way, and with very special purposes. They are the same things that bind us together today, and when we make them the focus of our way of life we will see the same effectiveness the early church saw.
The early church was a community of believers who gathered to devote themselves to the apostle’s teaching. People are drawn together by the things they believe or have in common. Too often, we Christians don’t know what we believe, or rather, we are willing to believe anything that sounds good. It is what Paul called “tickling the ear.” We have today what some have called “buffet Christianity.” Buffet Christianity is that faith that takes a little from this pile, and a little from this pile, and a little from that pile, and for dessert, we get a little sweetness added in, and what we end up with is a jumbled mess of beliefs that are in constant contradiction to each other. We end up confused and confusing, and we are unwilling to share our faith with others because we don’t know what we believe ourselves.
The early church had the benefit of direct teaching from the apostles. They had the chance to hear Peter, and talk with John. Paul would come along to challenge their faith. We don’t have that same benefit today, but we do have teir faithful testimony. We have the Scriptures that record for us the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the writings of the early church. We have the testimony of the early church fathers that serve to point us back to the cross and the resurrection. We have the creeds of the early church that served as their affirmation of faith, and it was the “faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Every time we recite one of those creeds, we witness to the apostle’s teaching, and the church that seeks to be alive will devote itself to teaching its members the Biblical witness to the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The early church also understood that their new way of life consisted in the very fellowship of those who made their affirmation of faith. Humans, by nature, are a communal lot. We seek to become connected, even at our earliest ages, with someone else. We were made for community, and the fellowship of believers must be seen as the center of community life in which the lonely find friends, the sinful find forgiveness and understanding, and believers find the support of those who believe the same things. The church that is alive will testify to and witness the importance of fellowship not based upon social position or cultural expectations, but upon faith in the risen Christ.
The early church also knew the importance of worship. Their way of life consisted not only of teaching and fellowship, but also the breaking of the bread. It became their custom every time they met together to share the Lord’s Supper. It was their remembrance of the Lord, and of His great sacrifice on behalf of the world. The common meal became a means of sharing in his suffering, and partaking in his grace. So it is for us today as we take the loaf and cup. It is the most important thing we do.
Jon Miller was the announcer for the Baltimore Orioles for many years. He had a voice and style that could make even the worst blowout seem dramatic. But throughout his broadcasting career, Miller never forgot the most important thing. He kept an egg timer on his desk to remind him to give the score of the game every three minutes. The Lord’s Supper, indeed our worship, is like that. Life is full of vigor, drama, and disappointment. The Supper and worship remind us on a regular basis, every week and every month, of the most important thing. The Lord’s Supper and our worship make us a community, and they let us know that we are alive. The church that is alive will have exciting, life-changing worship that is designed for its participants to share in the grace of the risen Christ.
Luke also tells us that the early church devoted itself to prayers. Are churches that are dying today praying churches? Are we a praying church? Three weeks ago, I asked you to participate with me in covenant prayer for our church as we look toward the future and seek God’s guidance in setting his plans in action. We want to hear his voice, and it takes all our prayers working in concert together to accomplish this end. We are moving into the future. Are you praying?
Prayer literally moves the hand of God as we come in faith to the throne of grace to ask, knock, and seek his divine will. We don’t need more churches with two or three praying saints. We need more praying saints in just one or two churches. Why? Because prayer works. We say we believe in prayer, but do we take the time to pray? Churches that are alive and vital will have active prayer ministries that involve many in the faith community. They will be churches committed to interceding on behalf of the lost, their brothers and sisters in Christ, and on behalf of their nation and world.
Mark #2: A living church is committed to meeting needs (v. 44-45). Luke shares that the early Christians were together and “shared everything they had” (v. 44). Why? Well, most likely, Jerusalem was still full of pilgrims from the feast, and those who came to believe while in Jerusalem after Pentecost hung around. Their lives were so radically changed they were compelled to stay. These pilgrims had nowhere to stay, nor a way to make a living, nor to feed their families. Wonder of wonders, the early church members took pilgrims into their homes, gave them places to stay, and shared their meals with them. Most English translations of the Bible are not quite clear, and that has caused some confusion, especially in the 1950’s and 1960’s concerning communism. A study of the Greek verb denoting “sold” more properly means “would sell,” leading us to find that they didn’t run out and sell all their possessions and divide up the money. No, when a Christian saw another person in need, they would sell what was necessary to ensure the need was met. No one did without those things that were needed for subsistence. Economic responsibility was shared in the early church, and this led to the ministry of the church going forth into the world.
Dying churches turn inward, and they turn the focus of their ministry inward. Dying churches fail or refuse to see the need even of their brothers or sisters in the same fellowship. Even when they do see a need, they become so protective of their own possessions they forget the person. But in a church that is alive, there is a willingness to share out of the blessings of God to meet the needs of others. Dying churches may give to missions, but churches that are alive send missionaries to take the necessities to the point of need. Dying churches may raise funds, but living churches raise faster and more generously.
We here at Benton United Methodist Church have encountered a wonderful new mission opportunity. It is called Souper Saturday. We are partnering with 1st UMC, Bossier to provide a hot meal to the elderly who receive Meals on Wheels. Members from 1st UMC, Bossier prepare soup on the last Saturday of the month. For the past two months, I have gone and picked up the soup and members of our congregation have delivered the soup to those in the Benton area who are on the list. You should hear the testimony of those who have participated in delivering the soup. They have witnessed the need of others right here in our affluent community. You can become involved, too. A church that is alive is aware of the needs in its community, and is willing to make sure the need is met because in a church that is alive, people are always more important than possessions.
Mark #3: A church that is alive is committed to a faithful witness (v. 46-47). Luke records that the early Christians were diligent to attend the Temple daily, to share the common meal from house to house, and to praise God. They lived joyfully and simply, and they found favor with all the people. They led faithful lives, and grace flowed out of those lives. Churches that are alive provide a faithful testimony to God’s goodness in the midst of whatever happens in life. What does it mean to live joyfully? We say what the Apostle Paul said:
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10
The testimony of a church that is alive will be one of grace flowing out of faithful lives. God’s grace in us—reaching others. Just as with the early church, the Lord will add to our numbers daily.
But the task is ours as we commit our lives to Him. There is a true concerning a young minister in Oklahoma who went to this small, but historical church in hopes of reviving the ministries there. He hade stars in his eyes, and was full of hopes for the future of the little church, and for the community. He thought, by God’s grace and his hard work, he could turn it around, and week after week, he gave his best effort, but all to no avail.
Finally, he had one last idea, and it worked beautifully. He placed an announcement in the local newspaper on Saturday morning that the church had died, and on Sunday there would be a funeral service at the church itself, and anyone who desired to attend was welcome. For the first time in his years of ministry there the church was filled to capacity. In fact, there were curious people who overflowed the church, and stood on tiptoe to look in the windows to catch a glimpse of this funeral for the church.
The folks who arrived twenty to thirty minutes early to get a good seat were shocked to find the minister had even placed a casket down front of the pulpit. The casket was covered with flowers, and when the minister finished his stirring eulogy he informed the people they were invited to pass by the casket and view the remains of the dearly beloved that was to be laid to rest that day. The crowd could hardly wait as the pastor cleared away the abundance of flowers and opened the casket. The people began to walk by one by one, to look in and leave sheepishly, feeling guilty as they walked out the door, because inside the casket the pastor had placed a large mirror. As they walked by the casket, each person saw the church that had died.
My brothers and sisters, we are a church that is alive. If we would continue to live we must be committed to community, committed to meeting needs, and committed to a faithful witness!
