The Fellowship of the Believers

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Acts 2:42-47

Introduction

             When was the last time you were truly awestruck? It could have been a beautiful, inspiring event or an overwhelming, dreadful thing. If you were around on September 11, 2001, you were probably awestruck as you watched video of the terrorist attacks and the outcomes that day. Maybe you’ve looked up at the night sky from a secluded place and seen the immensity of the Milky Way.

         Now, consider the fellowship of the believers as you’ve experienced it in your life’s times. When was the last time church worship, Sunday school classes, small groups, or mission activities left you awestruck?

 

The Elements of Awe-Inspiring Fellowship

         Today’s passage indicates a pattern and illustrates part of a larger theme. The first part of the pattern is devotion to the Apostle’s teaching. What did the Apostles teach? A reading of Acts 2:14-41 reveals a Spirit-enlivened message to the Jews in Jerusalem that cut to their hearts and inspired desperate pleas of, “Brothers. What should we do?”

         The larger theme of Acts was described by Jesus as recorded by Luke in the first chapter, in verse 8 – “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The fellowship of believers described at the end of Acts 2 is a picture of the Spirit’s work in Jerusalem. After Pentecost, the Jewish Christians demonstrated a radically different kind of Temple worship and gathering.

         Imagine for a modern religious gathering that requires persons to travel from great distances to meet in a large venue. Hotel, restaurant, and transportation accommodations will be available, for a typically inflated cost. Likewise, the venue will contain vendors in the outer courts who are selling books and other products offered by the speakers, musicians, and others. There’s lots of buying and selling in those courts and a lot of irrelevant conversations and activities. Perhaps the participants come to this function every year and even look forward to the hotels, food, vendors, conversation, and posturing.

         That is essentially what Pentecost and other major festivals were like. Jerusalem was the city and the Temple was the venue. Now, imagine that a group of attendees who are known associates of a recently executed outlaw begin preaching outside the venue with acumen they should not possess and in every language present. Imagine their preaching leads to weeks or months-long sit-in where local hotels, restaurants, and venders are bypassed as extraordinary generosity, love, and unity are witnessed. Contrast this with the prevailing culture of greed, false piety, distrust, selfishness, and increased police and criminal activity. Imagine that miracles are known to happen and that educated, steadfast, and influential Jews are hearing that prophecies are fulfilled, and Messiah has come, and they are convinced.

        

Conclusion

         It is tempting to think this is the model for church and that we are far from it. That’s why it is important to remember the context Luke established in Acts 1:8. The Christian movement began mainly with Jews and in their religion’s headquarters at the capital city, Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit organized and executed a plan for Jerusalem that caused awe and conversion.

         Jesus’s commission in Acts 1:8 describes a literal and figurative expression of his purpose. The Book of Acts describes how the apostles fulfilled it in their times and locations. It also demonstrates how our modern fulfillment of Christ’s commission will look. If Jerusalem describes the place where the movement started and the people group reached, then it would for us like starting in our local church and community. What would take our established culture by surprise and cause awe and conversions? How would it generate new believers every day? What would an unusual fellowship of believers look like here? How would it stand apart from the religious norms? Are you ready for an Acts-like expression of believer’s fellowship here? What if it would require you to experience discomfort?