Acts 2, The Modern West, and Our Twisted Priorities

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. (Acts 2:44-45)

These couple verses toward the end of Acts 2 paint an interesting picture of the early Church. We see here a fellowship that is not only fraternal, but communal. Familial, even. We see a group of people so devoted to one another and to the Faith they pursue that even their possessions are forfeit to the needs of the Body. 

It's hard to imagine in today's society where property is so valued and interwoven with our own status or identity.  It's difficult, perhaps, for us to imagine even agreeing to split money and property with our own family! Can you imagine going to work 40 hours a week, working to put a roof over your family's head, and then agreeing to sell your possessions and split your income among your brothers and sisters?

THAT certainly doesn't seem like the American Dream, does it? Yet, the more I study the word of God, the more I'm growing to understand the attitude of Christ and His Church stands in direct opposition to Western attitudes and ideals. We say earn, Christ says serve. We say take, He says give. We say buy! Consume! Christ says sell and simplify. We say enjoy. Christ says share. 

The difference we see is that this early church understood deeply and completely something to which we modern, Western Christians only pay lip service: that what we have is not our own, and it is only temporary. That in the scope of Eternity, all the "stuff" of modern success is just dust waiting to happen. That, if we are wealthy (and, if you're reading this, there's a very good chance you're wealthier by far than 98% of the rest of the world!), it is by the grace of God alone, and that service may well mean giving it back. 

This ancient church trusted in the words of Christ, who said, 

Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)

That's what it means to be a Christian. That's what it is to be a servant. It means putting your Master above yourself. It means looking to His kingdom before looking to our own needs, and trusting that we serve a Master who is faithful to provide for us as we serve. 

Shock And Awe: How the Church Was Built

Then fear (awe) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
(Acts 2:43)

When was the last time you were awed by God? What does it take to render you awestruck? In today's
world, we don't see many apostles doing signs and wonders -- but I wonder whether, in today's world, such things would have the same impact. We feel as though we've seen it all. Even when we witness a healing or a prophecy, we're often so jaded and skeptical that we simply don't believe it.

Yet, isn't the Spirit who dwells in each of us the same Spirit who was with Peter and the other apostles as they built the early church? So, did God change, or did we?

Today, I want to talk about awe. When we talk about the beginning of that first church, we often skip right over this verse, Acts 2:43, as though we just aren't quite sure what to do with it. Almost as though we feel like it simply doesn't apply to us anymore.

How sad.

I'm going to make a suggestion which may be uncomfortable. The Church -- the Body of Christ -- was built on awe. It was founded on amazement. From the people being amazed by the teachings and miracles of Christ (See each of the four gospels) to the amazement and awe following the words and deeds of the Apostles, it was wonder that helped build the church.

It is this wonder that's still evident in the letters of Paul when he reflects upon his own salvation:

And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:14-15).

Maybe we so often lose our wonder and awe in the Church because we don't start looking for it in the right place. Perhaps we've forgotten who we were, and where we were going. Perhaps we've made the mistake of believing we are somehow worthy of Grace and Mercy.

All I know is, when I reflect on who I could have been -- on the person it would be all to easy for me to become -- I can only be awestruck to see the change Christ has made in me. By myself, I am an arrogant, selfish man. I am a man given to casual sins. But in Christ, I am His, and my desire is now that people see Him in me.

And that thought awes me. Knowing I am unworthy of His grace, and knowing He showers me with it anyway. Knowing the God of the Universe, the Creator of all things, loves me, personally, and offers His mercy in spite of myself, fills me with wonder and gratitude.

It may not be a tongue of fire, but it's pretty amazing.

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.

Boldness in the Spirit and Truth

And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. (Acts 2:40-41)

God honors boldness in His name. The Truth, spoken in Love, must yield good fruit. For me, this is a key lesson in Acts 2:40-41. Christians -- particularly Christians in the West -- have gotten this idea that it's our responsibility to make the Gospel more palatable. That we must offer rewards with the Gospel: a life of abundance instead of an abundant life. We downplay the cost of relationship with Christ, just as we downplay the cost of a life lived in slavery to sin. 

Is it any wonder that so many new Christians lack depth in their faith, when the faith they learned has such an unsteady foundation? Can it be any wonder when we fail, in our hemming and hawing and constant concession, to win strong, new disciples?

Peter spoke the truth. He spoke it with authority (he had a good Teacher, after all). He spoke it in love, but he spoke it forcefully and unequivocally. And, through him, the Spirit moved through the crowd and people believed. 

Romans 1:6 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

The very Power of God. And yet, so many of us act as though we must be ashamed. Why else would we tweak it to be less offensive, or try to make it somehow more attractive to the temporally-minded? Do we not understand that Eternity is at stake?

Embrace the truth of Christ. If you claim to follow Him, don't be ashamed of the True Gospel. Celebrate being called out of a life of sin, into a life of Service to God. Understand that He wants to offer the very same -- through YOU -- to others.

What shall we do?

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:37-39)

What shall we do? Those who listened to Peter's words -- that Jesus Christ had been killed and rose again, that His spirit, the spirit of the Living God, is dwelling in those who believe -- recognize they have a choice to make. Now that they've heard the Gospel, they could accept it or deny it. So they asked perhaps the most logical question that can be asked upon being confronted with the Truth: now what? What shall we do? 

Peter's response must have seemed, for those who heeded his words, too good to be true. That's it? It sounds so easy! Repent and be baptized and voila... we're right with God? Without even sacrificing a lamb or a young goat?

Now, we know, as did those who heard Peter's words, that repentance isn't as easy as it sounds. It's a daily -- even an hourly -- decision. But even then, as Peter tells them (and us), we don't need to rely on our own strength. Repent and be baptized, he says, and we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. What a promise! Through Christ we can not only be forgiven our sins, but have the strength, in His power, to resist temptation!

That's the Gospel in a nutshell. And now the question remains: What shall we do with it?

Both Lord and Christ

 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:33-36)

As Peter prepares to wrap up his first sermon, he again looks to David to confirm the identity of Jesus. Sitting at the right hand of God, Jesus is both Lord and Christ - the Anointed One. This passage from the Psalms (Psalm 110) is a recognition of the Messiah's sovereignty. It stands out as a reminder -- both to the Jews of Peter's day and the Christians of ours -- that God's chosen does things as He sees fit, whether those actions conform to our own ideas or not. 

Remember, Israelites longed for a political Savior to free them from the tyranny of Rome. In bringing up Psalm 110, Peter was letting them know -- perhaps reminding them -- that God is at work on a much grander scale. 

The passage serves to remind us, too, that though He is our personal savior, Jesus is so much more. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother... but He is also King. He is the Christ, but He is also Lord. We who say we serve Christ would do well to remember that. This isn't simply a happy-go-lucky, skipping hand-in-hand friendship with Jesus. This Christianity is nothing less than service to the King of Kings.

Jesus and David: A Tale of Two Tombs

For David says concerning Him:

‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.

Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.

For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’

“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. (Acts 2:25-32)

In his message to the people on the day of Pentecost, Peter quotes from Psalm 16. He then uses these words to do a little teaching. In Peter's statement, we learn that, in some of David's psalms, the poet wasn't always speaking of himself, but was in fact prophesying. Such is the case here, in which David declares, "You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." As Peter points out, David is dead, and his body long since rotted away. 

God liked David a whole lot, even calling him a man after his own heart. Yet even David was not above corruption and sin. Even David was subject to sickness and, ultimately, death. 

But Jesus is the Lord over life and death. His resurrection is the sign of that Lordship. Unlike us, who are beholden to death, our Messiah is death's master. It answers to Him. And because our Savior is Lord over even death, He is able to free us from its bonds as well. 

This, indeed, is our hope: that in Christ, we are not subject to death forever, but can be given new life. Our hope is for nothing so paltry as life in this temporary world, but an Eternity in the sight of a loving, living God.