Pigs, Chickens And The Acts 2 Church (re-post)

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who 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. (Acts 2:42-47)

That's quite a picture of the Church, isn't it?

A while back, I wrote about sacrificial giving. It's a tough concept -- to actually give more than what you think you can conveniently offer. But that is, after all, what makes it a sacrifice. But in searching the Scripture (At the time, I was actually looking for the story of the widow's mite, found in Luke 21:1-4, but didn't remember exactly where it was), I stumbled across -- or was led to -- Acts 2:45. "They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need." And, in fact, we can learn similar lessons from each. The widow in Luke 21 can teach us about the spirit of our giving. 

The Widow's Mite, art by James Christensen

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” 

For so many of us, giving is an obligation. For the widow, it was a commitment. It is this same spirit we find in the Church of Acts 2.  Today, we say we're part of a church because we show up once or twice a week and (maybe) give up 10% of our incomes. 

Meanwhile, the early church was, by necessity, committed to its cause and to its members. Each person in the church was committed to his or her brothers and sisters as fellow members of the Body of Christ. Committed, in fact, to the point where they not only shared what they had, but went out of their way to offer sacrificially to the aid of another member in need. 

What we learn in Acts 2 is that a church isn't a building -- or even merely a group of believers. A church is a family -- a single organism. A church is a body -- The Body -- who truly loves one another as Christ Himself loves them. 

A pastor once asked how church members were like a ham and egg breakfast. Some members, he said, were like the Chickens, and some like the pigs. The difference, he said, was that while the Chickens were involved in the breakfast, the pigs were committed.  

We bemoan the state of the world -- how our culture becomes more and more secularized and depraved. But Scripture itself teaches us what we can do about it. Acts 2:47 says, "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Daily. 

How did they do it? Simply by being the Body of Christ.  

(Updated from a post originally found on May 8, 2013)

Religion is NOT a dirty word

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:41-42)

In our first introduction to the Early Church, we are given a description that sounds an awful lot like... religion. Prayers and breaking bread? Steadfast in doctrine? 

In many ways, the modern church's opposition to religiosity has been a good thing. But in eliminating the useless doctrines of men from our practice (which is appropriate), I wonder if we haven't thrown out the baby with the bathwater, so to speak. Religion, believe it or not, isn't a dirty word. Neither is doctrine. This passage in Acts shows us why.

Remember, Peter and the other Apostles are speaking to the crowd. These apostles are men who walked with Christ, learned from him, and who were His disciples. These are men who were empowered and educated by the indwelling Spirit of God. The three thousand converts, meanwhile, did not know Jesus on intimate terms. They had not really listened to His teaching, and, simply put, didn't know how to follow Him. So, they looked to those who did. 

Religion isn't the problem, you see. Religiosity is. Religion isn't an enemy, but an educator, providing insight into how we can serve and follow the Living God. Religion, done right, honors and glorifies God. This is why you don't hear James discouraging religion, but instead showing how to do it correctly:

If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:26-27)

We'll see as we continue our study that the Church is important. It plays a vital role in your life with Christ, and in His Kingdom. Don't walk away from His people if you claim to be one of His. And don't forsake the beauty of religion based on the perversion of religiosity.

A Perfect Family

Have you ever have a friend, while you were growing up, who you thought belonged to the perfect family? You know the one: Mom and Dad seemed to have it all together. The kids were happy. They seemed to want for nothing. Maybe, for some of your friends, yours was that family.

My own family was for many of my friends. But we were no Rockwell painting. Dad never called me "Sport" or "Champ." There were arguments my friends never knew about. There were things we wanted, or wanted to do, that we simply couldn't afford. However, looking back, that wasn't the sort of thing my friends envied anyway. What they saw was a lucky kid with two parents who loved fiercely and completely; who went out of their way to provide, when they could, for their children's happiness; who loved one another and were unashamed of it.

No, an earthly family can never be picture perfect. But a family built on a foundation of love doesn't need to be.

As a part of the Family of God, I often wonder whether the world peers in our church windows, longing for the joy they see in the house of God, in the same way some of my friends longed for the togetherness and fellowship they saw in my childhood home.

It sure seems like they should be.

As long as we're in a fallen world, maybe a perfect family -- even a perfect Church family -- isn't possible. Yet, Acts 2 gives us a glimpse into a day in the life of a family I know I long to be a part of.

 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44-47)

Imagine if the world looked through our windows, and saw the family of God looking like that. Can you imagine anyone not wanting to come in and be a part of it? Or their joy upon being invited to do so?

Lost The Plot

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. - James 1:26-27

I don't have a long thought today. It's just, with the election around the corner, and political rhetoric heating up even more, I begin to wonder how effective I could be for the Kingdom if I spent as much time Loving in the name of Christ as I do worrying about the First Amendment. I wonder, if we spent more time saddened and moved to action by the plight of the Hungry than we do angry at the sins of a lost world,  whether we might be able to reach out, in Christ, and bring about change to both.

There's nothing wrong with acknowledging sin for what it is, or with righteous indignation over the lost lives of the unborn. 

I just wonder how much we could change the world if the Church spent as much time with orphans and widows as she does with politicians.

Have You Hugged A Pastor Today?

October is, among other things, Clergy Appreciation Month. It's easy, often, to take a pastor for granted. To focus on what we liked about this or that message, or how he or she handles visitation, or whether or not we're satisfied the administrative aspects of the church. It's easy to forget that a Pastor is somebody with a calling, a blessing, and a very difficult job.

It's easy to forget that, no matter how you voted after the Selection Committee had their say, God brings leaders where He wants them.

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

This is not a position to take lightly. God Himself puts pastors and church leaders where they belong, for the purpose of lifting up the Body of Christ. Not, I would note, to plan the potluck, or lead Vacation Bible School, or take over all duties of Evangelism. The pastor is there for nothing less than the edification of those believers with whom he is entrusted. It is a difficult task, and not one that just anyone could do. As Scripture says, in James 3:1, "not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."

Thank God today for the men and women He has placed in leadership throughout the church. And make sure you take the time,  too, to thank your Pastor. 

Doing Church

Thanks to certain life changes,  I've recently had the opportunity to examine my own temperament and motives. This examination is something I highly recommend,  by the way, because it turns out you might actually surprise yourself.

For example, in moving my family a thousand miles away from our home of seven years, and in spending my first two weeks here -- and, in fact, even in the weeks leading UP TO the decision to come out to Wisconsin, I began to discover that (holy cow!) I am a very relational person. Many of you are nodding along because, of course we're relational people! Who isn't? No man is an island and all that. Well, some of us are a bit slower. But yes -- it turns out that community is actually very important to human beings in general.

In fact, Genesis 2:18 tells us that, after He made man, God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone," and proceeded to make him a helpmate of his own flesh. 

The need for human companionship is a part of who we are as people. It is in our very DNA. It is not only important but vital to us to have the company of somebody with shared experience. 

And that being the case,  how much more important is it to have communion with fellow believers? Very. In fact, Scripture mentions this specifically in Hebrews:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews. 10:24-25)

It is God's desire that we come together in His name. Whether it's a home church of two or three families or a megachurch of two or ten thousand, God's will is that we develop personal and meaningful relationships with one another, iron sharpening iron, and encouraging one another in obedience to Him.