Three Great Relationships – Part 5 [Listen]

July 1, 2007 / Acts 2:41-47

Today we’re going to look at those things that Luke said were important to the first church. The passage we are going to look at takes place after the apostle Peter explains to a large crowd that Jesus, the one they killed, was the savior they had been looking for:

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Observations

Those who acknowledged Jesus as the messiah were baptized. This is VERY interesting. In Judaism 2,000 years ago there was baptism for anyone converting to Judaism. Here we see that Jews who are accepting Jesus as the Messiah are being baptized. In the earliest stages of the church we see public declaration of commitment to Jesus. This commitment to Jesus has been the great line of separation ever since.

They were committed to the apostle’s teaching (vs42) – link to vs 43. Until Scripture was recognized as authoritative God reinforced the apostle’s position as his spokesmen through miracles. Today, for us, commitment to the apostle’s teaching would parallel our commit to Scripture as God’s authoritative revelation.

They were committed to each other in fellowship (vs 42) – koinonia (sharing) – link to 44-45. The magnitude of the reality of the Messiah actually arriving overshadowed everything else such that the purposes of God took over the lives of those in this early church. Jesus is not someone who simply fits into a busy life where there might be a spare minute – Jesus is here to consume us. Luke is BIG on misplaced priorities for those who would be God’s people.

• Luke 10:30-37 – The Good Samaritan

• Luke 12:16-21 – The rich fool and his barns

• Luke 14:16-24 – Parable of the people that won’t come to the great banquet of God (must go look at the field I just bought, trying out the oxen I just bought, I just got married)

• Luke 16:13 – “You cannot serve both God and Money.”

• Luke 16:19-31 – The rich man & Lazarus. The rich man received his good things during his life, the poor man would receive his during eternity.

They took communion together (vs 42)

They prayed together (vs 42)

They shared their food and their homes (46)

The Lord added to the fellowship (vs 47). It was not worldly marketing that added to the church – it was God. It was natural for the early church to grow. In the context of Acts, 2,000 years ago, Jesus was understood by those who accepted him as the promised one who would deliver the people. He was the One that was woven into God’s plan for a people that had been together for 1,500 years. For them it was an expectation that Israel would believe (only to soon face a different reality). This group was naturally inclined to think expansion – it’s what Jesus is about – moving the Kingdom into the hearts of millions.

Application

Above I’ve listed seven obvious points of the text. There is a great challenge here for the church in this day. We would do well to focus on following the example of the first church.