Reminders From the Early Church - A Deeper Dive
Scripture: Acts 2:42-47
Message Recap
Due to unexpected circumstances, we postponed the conclusion of our Love God, Love People series until next week.
For our message this week, we dig into a passage of scripture from the Book of Acts that describes the early church. More specifically, Luke examines the daily activities of the faith community in Jerusalem that formed after Pentecost. It serves as an epilogue to the story of the birth of what we call the Church, recorded in Chapter 2.
As we experience declines in attendance, questions about its relevance, and rejection by some, the faithful search for ways to revive the Church. Perhaps we need to refresh our memories and revisit the description of the early church in the Book of Acts. While the world has changed dramatically in the last 2,000 plus years, we still find essential elements in the DNA of the earliest faith communities that haven't.
The description Luke writes is fairly clear and easy to understand. The challenge comes in figuring out how to apply it. Is the life of the community we read about supposed to be taken as a model of Christian life today? If so, most of us probably fall short in a few key areas. For the most part, the activities of the community’s life are uncontroversial and have characterized Christian congregational life throughout Church history.
Each of the practices found in verse 42 is what we would expect even today when we gather as a community of faith.
“42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Teaching is a fundamental element anytime we gather. Whether it’s a sermon during worship service or a study in small groups and Sunday school classes, understanding scripture and wrestling with the challenging aspects of our faith is central to what we do as a faith community.
Second, the early church was devoted to fellowship. Luke uses the Greek word KOINONIA. While this word does refer to a group physically gathered together, it goes much further: it describes those gathered as having a common bond. Luke’s use of this word tells us the bond of Jesus created this fellowship and held the group together. The Church has no true fellowship without Christ’s spirit in and between us.
There is some debate over what Luke refers to when he mentions the breaking of bread, the third practice of that early church in Jerusalem. Was he referring to observing the Lord’s Supper - what we call Communion - or was he describing the act of regularly eating meals together? Likely both. Jesus used the bread and cup, common elements found on every table at mealtime in the ancient world, as a reminder of the sacrifice he was about to make. Whenever we gather for a meal, we bless what is placed before us because we know that it, like Jesus, is a gift from God. So, whether we’re gathering together at the communion table during worship or the dining table during a time of fellowship, we are breaking bread in community and fellowship.
Luke concludes this verse with devotion to prayer. Like teaching, prayer is essential when we gather together in worship. Daily prayers were central to their Jewish traditions, so it’s not a stretch to believe that the early Christians considered this practice a normal part of everyday life. Whether they gathered together or went about their routine activities, praying for themselves and others probably came naturally.
As mentioned earlier, no real controversy is associated with the activities practiced by the early church we’ve looked at so far. Teaching, fellowship, sharing meals, and prayer were and still are central to our gatherings as a faith community. It’s verses 43 - 45 that have caused some to debate about treating this passage as a model for the modern church.
“43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.”
“Wonders and signs” is a clear reference to miracles. Some would question whether and to what extent miraculous activity ought to characterize Christian life today. It is helpful to understand the context of what Luke writes and how we might apply it to the modern church. First, God is the source of all miracles. While the passage says, “wonders and signs performed by the apostles,” the original Greek suggests it should be through the apostles. God is performing miracles all around us even now - unexplained healing from an incurable illness, a person coming out of a prolonged coma that doctors cannot explain. Miracles happen, and we all stand in awe, like the early church, of God’s power.
The significant challenge of today’s passage comes from verses 44 and 45:
“44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”
In our highly politicized world, some see this bit of scripture as an endorsement of Socialism. It creates fear that somehow the church’s underlying mission is to discourage having personal possessions and accumulating wealth. Many Bible historians assure us this wasn’t a case of early Christians living in a radical communal fashion. Nowhere else in the New Testament do we find examples of this type of living arrangement. In none of his letters does Paul instruct the individuals within the various faith communities to sell everything and maintain a shared treasury. All indications lead us to believe Christians retained their homes and essential possessions.
However, this verse does suggest that giving and sharing is a natural response when God is at work and a community experiences his presence. We see this demonstrated when we share resources to help those in need. Ocoee Oaks has countless examples of providing for the community through outreach opportunities such as the S.T.A.R.S program. These aren’t preplanned line items in an annual budget. They are a collective sharing of those who enjoy abundance with those who don’t.
In this time of declining attendance, division, and competing priorities, it can be easy to get frustrated with the state of the Church. But faithfully renewing our focus on the practices of the early church - teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, praying, and sharing our resources - might be the right thing to give us hope and draw others to God. If in doubt, consider Luke’s final words in today’s passage: “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
The Same, But Different
In this week’s message, we’ve looked at the practices and characteristics of the first faith community in Jerusalem observed by the Apostle Luke. For the most part, these early Christians did the same types of things we do when we gather for worship and fellowship. Yet, they were also very different in how they approached their faith.
The early Christians described by Luke didn’t go to church; they were the church. What Luke described was not an institutional church. They did not meet only in a particular building, on a specific day, and at a specific time. Yes, they met at the Temple, but they also gathered in their homes. They were an active, energized body of believers equipped to change the world.
But perhaps what the early believers had that the modern church seems to have lost sight of is a common truth that binds its people together. As Christians, we all agree on a core belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that he is the way to salvation and the forgiveness of our sins. Unfortunately, to some extent, secondary issues have buried this essential truth. The Church has found itself arguing over matters that have nothing to do with bringing people to Jesus. These arguments are distractions that lead to division and discontent.
The first faith communities reflected God's power and design in their lives as a family of believers. They experienced uncommon joy despite being subjected to ridicule and persecution. They used their resources not to erect monuments to themselves but to help those in need. They were known for their love of one another and the world. They changed the culture through their actions and not just their words.
Maybe in this time of deep division and unrest, today’s Church can learn something from its earliest ancestors.