The Church in Action

Lesson 2

Lesson Text—Acts 2:42-45Acts 2:42-45

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

Lesson Text pg 2—Acts 2:46-47

Acts 2:46-4746 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Focus Verse—Acts 2:47

Acts 2:47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to

the church daily such as should be saved.

Focus Thought

Solidly founded upon God’s Word, the church continues unto

the present by maintaining its spiritual and doctrinal integrity while being flexible enough to be

relevant in every culture and generation.

IntroductionIntroduction

Many religions of antiquity have totally disappeared. There is no organized effort to practice the Egyptian and Babylonian religions that prevailed during the reigns of these great empires. Many African and Central American religious practices also have disappeared. Aside from the primary reason of not being built on truth, religions disappear for at least two more reasons: (1) war and disease wipe out their adherents, or (2) they cannot adapt to changing cultures.

IntroductionThe masses have embraced some religions that later disappeared. Lenin referred to religion as “the opiate of the people.” In other words, he believed religion pacifies and soothes people as they struggle with life’s difficulties.

IntroductionIt provides explanations for things people do not understand and gives them some form of morality. Among other things, Lenin concluded that once the people’s needs are satisfied by some more modern system, that particular religion will see its demise.

IntroductionSome human needs are never satisfied through religion, philosophy, education, wealth, or any other carnal solution. Humanistic devices simply cannot satisfy the human condition. Fallen humanity longs for relief from the guilt of sin and seeks a higher purpose in life. People long for love and acceptance, and every heart has an insatiable desire to reach beyond the mundane and the finite. Thankfully, Jesus Christ has the answers to all of these cravings.

IntroductionThe Christian church is adaptable, and it is relevant to every generation and culture. The church has endured for over two thousand years and is still strong today. It has gone through cycles of strength and weakness, but it continues to emerge from the brink of ruin. Jesus promised that nothing could ever destroy it (Matthew 16:18), because it has the answers to life’s perplexing dilemmas.

IntroductionEven in its earliest beginnings, the church was strong and resilient in the face of great persecution (Acts 4:23-31; 5:18; 12:5; 16:37; II Corinthians 11:25). History has proven that neither opposition nor persecution can eradicate it. Perhaps the greatest threat to the church is apathy that results from too much acceptance and the lack of opposing challenge.

I. Established in DoctrineEstablished in Doctrine

One of the church’s strongest bastions of strength is its dependence upon sound doctrine. The church is not just an idea or philosophy, and it is not a religion founded upon a dead charismatic leader or wise sage. It is founded upon eternal principles of God—upon the Son of God, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:20).

I. Established in DoctrinePaul exhorted the church to hold steadfastly to apostolic doctrine (Ephesians 4:14-15).

Ephesians 4:14-15“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and

carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men,

and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ”

(Ephesians 4:14-15).

I. Established in DoctrinePaul wrote to Timothy: “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (I Timothy 4:16). (See also Titus 1:9; 2:1; Hebrews 13:9.)

II. Developing DistinctiveDeveloping Distinctive

CharacteristicsThomas Jefferson once called the Christian faith “the most sublime and benevolent code of morals that has ever been offered to man.” The doctrine of Christ was distinctive and unique—“Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46). Jesus Christ founded the church upon His own example and His teaching (I Peter 2:21).

II. Developing Distinctive

Knowing that He would give His life for the human race, He delegated the responsibility of its perpetuation to His twelve disciples (Matthew 10:8; 28:19). The disciples then established the foundation of the church upon Jesus Christ, which also brought to mankind a new and different way of living (Acts 17:19; Hebrews 9:15; 12:24).

A. Adaptability A. Adaptability

The birth of the church came at a time of spiritual drought. It had been four hundred years since the world had heard the voice of a prophet. John the Baptist broke this prophetic silence with his message of repentance. The message of Jesus fulfilled this eccentric wilderness crusader’s message of the coming Messiah.

A. Adaptability The apostolic church was built upon the Old Testament Scriptures and was deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition. Even though the church began among Jewish believers, it soon spread into Gentile cultures as well. In tandem with the Jewish heritage, the Gentiles readily received the gospel (Acts 19:10, 26). The message of the Cross reaches across all ethnic boundaries to save all classes and groups of people.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten

Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have

everlasting life” (John 3:16).

B. EthnicityB. Ethnicity

Racial tensions and prejudiced hatred are nothing new for the twenty-first century, for they were issues that caused controversy even in the early church. The religious Jews had taken their special favor with God and their rich spiritual heritage as reasons to be arrogant and condescending toward the Gentiles. One of the first tests for the validity of the church’s love for the lost was the acceptance of Gentiles into the Christian church.

B. EthnicityIt is great to know that the church dealt with this issue and concluded that the gospel was for whosoever will (Acts 15). The early church then accepted those outside the boundaries of Jewish religion and culture, and Paul even considered himself an apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-47; 18:6; II Timothy 1:11).

B. EthnicityIn this postmodern culture, the true apostolic church is multicultural, where people of various cultural and racial backgrounds all worship together as one body. Prejudice toward people of other races and cultures has no place at all in the church.

B. EthnicityWe live in a world of great change. With the convenience of travel and the appeal that North America has to the world, many people are immigrating here and bringing with them the religions and cultures of other places. We may not like this change, but we should see it as an opportunity to evangelize.

B. EthnicityThe natural tendency is to be suspicious and to dislike those who are different from us. Jesus made it clear that we are to love and bless all people—even those who persecute us: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44).

C. Doctrinal Solidarity C. Doctrinal Solidarity

The early believers encountered a number of false doctrines that threatened to destroy the fledgling church. Among other problems, the apostles had to deal with issues such as

C. Doctrinal Solidarity •Judaizers who tried to impose the works of the law upon Gentile believers (Galatians),•the abuse of the gifts of the Spirit (I Corinthians 12-14),•unscrupulous opportunists (Acts 20:29),•sinful behavior in the church (I Corinthians 5:1).

C. Doctrinal Solidarity The church emerged effectively after dealing with each of these problems. Certainly, the Holy Spirit’s residing in the church gives it the power to love the unlovable and simultaneously to remain steadfast in the face of opposition. (See Zechariah 4:6; I Corinthians 13; Romans 8:26.)

C. Doctrinal Solidarity 1. Against Gnosticism (John 1). The word “Gnosticism” comes from the Greek word transliterated gnosis, which means “knowledge.” It was a mixing of rites and myths from a variety of religious traditions—combining occultism, mysticism, astrology, magic, elements from Jewish tradition, Christian views of redemption, and even aspects of Plato’s philosophy that mankind is not at home in the physical realm.

C. Doctrinal Solidarity Even though Gnosticism was a term used to identify a variety of beliefs, one of the main characteristics of the sect was the idea that some people possessed secret knowledge and from it gained superior spirituality. Some Gnostics considered themselves Christian and others did not. It was one of the first doctrinal challenges that faced the early church.

C. Doctrinal Solidarity The logos idea was common in Gnosticism. Different from the other three, John’s Gospel engaged the philosophical ideas of his age. The concept of the logos was already in use in philosophic and religious thought in the Hellenistic world long before John wrote his Gospel. The logos idea had long been used in Greek thought to refer to the “principle of reason” inherent in the universe.

C. Doctrinal Solidarity In both Plato’s and Aristotle’s thought, as well as the popular forms of Stoicism, logos was the active governing force of the world, including that spark of divinity that dwelt in each person’s soul and gave to each the faculty of reason.

C. Doctrinal Solidarity John applied the logos idea to Jesus as the Christ: the pre-existent Logos became flesh in the person of Jesus as the expression of God’s life and energy in the world. “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:4-5). Early defenders of the gospel used John’s writing as a defense against Gnosticism. John left no room for doubt by declaring the deity and humanity of Jesus.

John 1:14

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we

beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)

full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

C. Doctrinal Solidarity 2. Against Doceticism (I John 4). This false doctrine declared that Christ was a divine spiritual being only—that He only seemed to be human (i.e., his human nature was not real). The term derives from the Greek verb, doketein, “to appear.” Again, early apologists for the Christian faith used John’s writings to challenge this doctrine head on:

C. Doctrinal Solidarity “Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world” (I John 4:2-3).

C. Doctrinal Solidarity Jesus was uniquely human and divine: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). This uniqueness is what qualified Him as our Savior and ultimately as our King of kings. To deny either His divinity or His humanity would be heresy.

C. Doctrinal Solidarity 3. For Truth. The church does not absorb the various religious and philosophical ideas that come along, but it remains relevant by challenging error with truth. The principles of the church are permanently established. Application of the principles may change, but the principles themselves do not. The church neither compromises to avoid conflict nor bullies to intimidate, but it honors the individual’s right to choose what he will believe.

C. Doctrinal Solidarity Certainly, the church is always relevant in the vast sea of ideas. The church entices the unbeliever with the words of the psalmist: “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him” (Psalm 34:8). Jesus beckons with His universal call for believers to choose:

C. Doctrinal Solidarity “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). Jesus still stands at the door and knocks (Revelation 3:20).

Revelation 3:20

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in

to him, and will sup with him, and he with me”

(Revelation 3:20).

D. Function D. Function

The church emerged as a growing, proselytizing body. (See Acts 2:47; 5:14.) It was a crusading church, not with weapons of war, but with the Word and the Holy Spirit: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)” (II Corinthians 10:3-4). The church has much to offer the masses of humanity with all of its troubles.

Romans 14:17

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but

righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17).

Galatians 5:22-23

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,

gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against

such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

I Peter 1:8

“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with

joy unspeakable and full of glory”

(I Peter 1:8).

D. Function Jesus promised believers just before His ascension that they would go to “the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). His words were fulfilled as the Acts of the Apostles later described. The believers in Jerusalem fled the city to avoid persecution (Acts 26:11), and as a result the gospel spread more than fourteen hundred miles away to Rome. Persecution did not impede the church; it only added fuel to the fires of apostolic revival.

D. Function The church emerged from a Jewish matrix (Acts 2:14-39). Jesus’ earthly parents were Jewish and the church was born on a Jewish holy day—the Day of Pentecost—in the Jewish holy city, Jerusalem. The 120 seekers in the upper room were Jews, and the twelve disciples were Jews. Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Jewish prophets, and the principles of the church are an extension of the Old Testament Scriptures.

D. Function Paul declared to the Romans, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). It was only natural that the gospel began with the Jews.

D. Function The “God-fearers” were Gentiles who had adopted the Jewish faith and code of morality and attended synagogue, but they were not full converts because they did not want to submit to circumcision. Cornelius was called a God-fearer—that is to say, he was a monotheist, a Gentile who worshiped the One God (Acts 10:34-48).

D. Function Some Gentiles recognized that the pagan belief in many gods and goddesses—who according to the myths about them were given to adultery, treachery, intrigue, and the like—was not a religion for a thoughtful and moral worshiper.

D. Function It certainly would not be for one who had accordingly embraced monotheism, the belief in one God who had created the world, and who was the originator and monitor of the ultimate moral law. These believers were a ripened harvest for accepting the gospel.

D. Function The gospel is not just for a special segment of society, but it is for every person on the face of the earth (John 3:16). When Paul visited Mars’ Hill in Athens, he was not inhibited in his aggressive propagation of the gospel (Acts 17:22-31). It was here he encountered intellectual Greeks who spent their time studying and discussing philosophy and religion. Paul preached his famous sermon about the “Unknown God,” and he saw a measure of success while preaching and teaching in Athens.

D. Function Paul testified, “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen” (Galatians 1:15-16).

D. Function The faith of the church was not just an exercise of religious and philosophical ideas explaining the difficult mysteries of life. Through the church God offered believers a transformed life. Paul declared to the Christians at Corinth, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).

D. Function Furthermore, becoming a member of the church promised eternal life. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

D. Function The church offered a new life as well as a supporting body of believers who were concerned about each individual’s needs. It was a ministering church. With love and concern, the church rose to meet the spiritual as well as physical challenges. The church members even sold their property and shared their wealth with the less fortunate.

D. Function Church leaders later appointed deacons to care for widows (Acts 6), and the Gentile church collected offerings for the impoverished church in Jerusalem (I Corinthians 16:1-4). While in prison, Paul dealt with the issue of the need for Onesimus, a runaway slave who belonged to Philemon, to return. It was a church that did not run from problems, but instead found solutions. Paul’s testimony provided the philosophy that prevailed in the developing church:

Romans 8:35-37 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation,

or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy

sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep

for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that

loved us” (Romans 8:35-37).

Romans 8:35-39 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor

angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,

shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in

Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

ReflectionsEven though the church changed with time and circumstances, the basic principles never changed. Founded upon the Word of God, the church must keep its doctrinal and spiritual integrity by adhering to its eternal, unchanging principles (Matthew 5:18).

ReflectionsAt the same time, the church must be adaptable to the ebb and flow of inevitable cultural changes. In this postmodern age, with all of its scientific and technological advances, the church remains relevant. Each age must morph itself into the culture without changing the fundamental principles upon which the church was founded. The church will always be distinct and different, but relevant.

ReflectionsThe church emerged from the Jewish faith and spread into all cultures and races. In today’s world, each culture will adapt the principles of the church to its special situation. Although churches may be organized differently and have differences in worship styles, we are one body.

ReflectionsNo race or culture is exempt from the saving power of the gospel. The gospel is a message of love and eternal life. It stands in contrast to cold atheism and the multiplicity of religions and cults of the world. The church provides to a lost world a personal God that cares about our needs. He is a God who seeks fellowship with believers (Luke 11:10; John 4:23).

ReflectionsThe church has battled against many false doctrines, corruption, and persecution through the years, all of which threatened to dilute and even to destroy the truth for which it stood. However, when the church uses the Word of God as its foundation, nothing will be able to destroy it.

ReflectionsThe early church was an evangelistic organism seeking to win converts by persuasion and love (II Corinthians 5:11). The Bible declares that Paul “reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks” (Acts 18:4). (See Acts 19:8.) As a result, the church was a growing church:

Reflections“And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily” (Acts 16:5). The church’s responsibility is to present the gospel and leave the results to God and the individuals who will hear, remembering that God gives the increase (I Corinthians 3:6).