We Believe In The Church Series

We’ve been discussing beliefs this summer in a series of messages entitled Creed: 9 Essentials to the Christian Faith. We see beliefs are critical component in so many areas of our lives. Beliefs are critical to political parties as beliefs differ among Republicans and Democrats. Beliefs are critical even if I am part of the Wall Street Occupy crowd. Today we continue to explore the beliefs that form the theological center of Christianity. Beliefs are the building block of your faith. As seconds comprise time and currency is a critical component to a nation’s economy, so are your beliefs to your life.

This is a series devoted to the discovery of what you believe and why it matters. Each of these beliefs serves as lynchpins to the Christian faith, so that if you were to remove any one of them you would see the Christian faith crumble. Today, I want to explore the meaning and value of a church to our lives.

As we think about church, it’s important to know what a church is. A church is a group of born-again people meeting together in one place with God as its center. It makes no difference if these people meet in an individual’s home, a rented space, or a building owned by the church itself. Now it may surprise you to find that we consider the church essential to the core beliefs of Christianity. And you be further surprised to know that I am including church membership in a series of essential beliefs of the church. Why? Recent stats have said that some sixty percent of Americans never attend church yet view themselves as Christians. Americans are impulsive and we enjoy our personal freedom and privacy so highly that we cannot be bothered to be involved in the life of a church on a regular basis. But a sincere perusal of Scripture shows us that the church is much more significant that we might first realize.

So it’s here that I want to invite you to look together with me at the earliest historical accounts of the life in Jerusalem. Acts is a bridge book between the Gospels, which describe the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and the letters, which unfold the life and nature of the church.

Today’s Scripture

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42-47).

Today’s passage serves as what is known as a “summary story.” You’ll several of them throughout the book of Acts where it summarizes the story of the early church as the narrative pushes along. This “summary story” is the ending of a gripping story where the events of one day have been described in great detail. Our story picks up where Luke describes the inner life of the church at Jerusalem.

Our narrative is tied to what had happened earlier. On the morning of May 27, A. D. 30, the day of the Jewish feast of Pentecost, a Sabbath, 120 men and women were gathered in Jerusalem, people who were convinced, after having met the risen Jesus, who had been crucified seven weeks earlier that it was noneother than His tangible presence that invaded their midst. Peter then spoke the first public sermon to a throng of people. Where our passage tells us the continuous results of Peter’s message, verses 37 through 41 tell us the immediate results of Peter’s message. We discover that immediately the people were impacted by the events of Pentecost. There was both conviction and inquiry as to what they should do next (Acts 2:37). Then they obeyed Peter’s instructions and 3,000 people were baptized.

This new community was spreading rapidly as they soon numbered 5,000 people (Acts 4:4). “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). Note the words in verse forty one “there were added.” When we read the words “there were added” we immediately recognize that these early Christian distinguished between themselves and the rest of the people in Jerusalem. Today, we designate this distinction as church membership. Church membership is the line of demarcation that communicates to the community who is a follower of Christ and who is not a follower of Christ. To say it another way, church membership is the public line that communicates those who follow Christ and those who do not follow Christ. These words show that church is not something you are born into or automatically added to upon your arrival. Instead, church is a group where you must make a personal commitment to join. Your personal commitment begins with a personal (but not private) commitment to follow Jesus Christ. Once you follow Christ, you become a part of Christ’s church.