What is the church? - Acts 2:41-47
Hello, everyone,
Before we begin this passage, I invite you once again to join me in prayer.
“Lord, we desire to entrust ourselves to You once again to guide us as we study Your Word. Teach us, Lord, following the example of the early church. Correct in our thoughts and actions what needs to be corrected, cut away what needs to be cut away, and cause to grow what brings You glory. In the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.”
The start of the school and academic year is coming to an end. Perhaps you’ve just arrived in Paris to begin your studies, look for work, or start a new job. Maybe you’re visiting churches in Paris to decide where you’d like to attend. In that case, you may be wondering what criteria to use when choosing a church.
For those of you who are regulars at Connexion Church, you may not be wondering about these criteria, but you might be wondering about the health of your community.
If this is your first time visiting an evangelical church, you might have been wondering, “How does a church work?” And in the last 40 minutes, you’ve already had a chance to drink coffee, meet strangers, and listen to or sing songs about Jesus and God. And you’re not sure if it’s like this in every church. So, know that in the next 20 minutes, I’m going to share what I’ve learned from this passage so that we can understand its challenges and draw out what God—through the author of this text—wants to change in us today. And with that, I’m going to talk about how a church works.
We’re coming to the end of our short series on Acts, which, like the start of the school year, is meant to kick off this new church year. Over the past few Sundays, we’ve seen how Jesus, after his death on the cross and his resurrection, took time to complete the training of the apostles and told them to wait until they received the Holy Spirit.
Over the past two Sundays, we’ve looked at Peter’s sermon on Pentecost, when they received the Spirit of God, and we see in verse 41 that 3,000 people were convinced they needed to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, publicly demonstrating that they had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
This brings us to today’s passage, which recounts the early days of the Church and how it functioned. Keep the text in front of you so you can follow along with me.
I’d like us to look at the characteristics of this very young church described in the text. I think it has a lot to teach us about what a church is and what makes it healthy. Here are the four characteristics I’m going to highlight:
It is a church committed to loving others
It is a church committed to the apostles’ teaching
It is a church committed to worship and prayer
It is a church that reaches out to others.
I. The early church was committed to loving one’s neighbor.
In Acts 1:15, before Pentecost, there were about 120 of them. In verse 41, we see that following Peter’s sermon, 3,000 people were converted. I’m a math teacher, so I have to do the math: that’s a 2,500% increase! I promise I won’t overdo the math from here on out. There were many of them, but we see that the concept of fellowship is the most prominent theme in this text.
Look at verse 42: fellowship; verse 44: they were together and had everything in common; verse 45: they shared; verse 46: with one accord.
When Peter gave his speech, he was addressing devout Jews, some of whom had come from all over the Mediterranean basin and others from Jerusalem. At that precise moment in history, accepting Jesus as the Messiah, as Lord, meant going against the will of the political and religious leaders of the time. It meant going against the prevailing opinion of the crowd that, just 50 days earlier, had shouted, “Crucify him!” So here we have 3,000 people who have just publicly declared, through baptism, to their communities, their families, and their colleagues: “I am now a disciple of Jesus; I no longer agree with you; I no longer share the same hope as you.”
I grew up in a Christian family, so when I told my parents that I had accepted Jesus into my life, they were overjoyed. But I know friends who, when they made that choice, were rejected by their loved ones because they were Muslim or came from an anti-religious background. In some countries, people who become Christians lose their jobs, their status, and are threatened or even sentenced to death.
So for these 3,000 people, all they have left now is the church and the hope that Jesus will never let them down. The church is therefore their new family, their new community, and Jesus is their Lord. They can rely only on their fellow believers.
For these early believers, there was no question of living out their renewed relationship with God on an individual basis, as our individualistic society has gradually led us to do today. Yes, accepting Jesus into one’s life is a personal matter; a parent cannot decide for their child to do so. But if Jesus becomes our Lord, we then become subjects of His kingdom—citizens who must live in that kingdom alongside our fellow citizens. We also become the enemy— —the target of the powers that oppose Jesus Christ.
This might be frightening, but last week’s sermon reminded us that the good news of the Gospel is, above all, a declaration of power: by raising Jesus from the dead, God declared Jesus to be Lord of Lords, King of Kings. Nothing escapes His authority or His will.
Still on the topic of community, we find in this text the first major question in verses 44–45: 44All who believed were together and had everything in common. 45They sold their property and possessions and shared the proceeds with everyone, according to each person’s need.
Is this something we should do here at Connexion? I used the verb “should”: Is it a biblical command to sell everything we have and give it to the community?
In his commentary on the Book of Acts, John Stott demonstrates that it is not: even though Jesus may call some of his disciples to give up everything they have to follow him, he never forbade Christians from having material possessions.
Similarly, there is no passage in the apostles’ letters that commands us to do this. On the contrary, in Acts 5, in the account of Ananias and Sapphira, we see a couple who decided to sell a field and pretend they were giving everything, when in fact they were keeping a portion for themselves. The apostle Peter said to Ananias: “Why has Satan filled your heart to the point that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and kept part of the proceeds from the sale of the field? 4 If it had not been sold, would it not have remained yours? And after selling it, did you not have the right to dispose of the proceeds? How could you have conceived such a plan in your heart?”
There was no obligation to sell and give everything to the community. If they desired to do so, they could. The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was claiming they were giving everything while keeping a portion for themselves.
This means, then, that the account in Acts 2 is not a matter of obedience to a command from the apostles. It is not like certain sectarian movements— —that manipulate and force people to give everything in exchange for lies.
The account in Acts 2 is not about obedience to an implicit command but rather the story of a natural response on the part of all these newly converted Christians who were filled with the Holy Spirit: they desired, from the depths of their hearts, to help their brothers and sisters in Christ.
I believe there are two reasons for this: first, the isolation from the Jewish community into which their conversion may have placed them, as I mentioned, but also an exemplary putting into practice of Jesus’ commandment to love one another.
Not everyone went so far as to sell their property, however: in verse 46, they gathered in homes. While some sold their homes, others showed great hospitality by welcoming people into their homes almost every day— —to eat and break bread together.
In chapter 3, verses 32–37, Luke speaks again of this Christian solidarity and cites as an example a certain Joseph who sold his field. I think Luke mentions this so often at the beginning of the Book of Acts because he wants to show just how magnificent and exceptional it was to witness such brotherly fellowship.
In verse 46, the relationship among the disciples is characterized by joy and simplicity of heart. There are no ulterior motives or duplicity in their intentions. They did not do this with the aim of receiving something in return or seeking special validation. This is a definition of love for one another.
So, what standard should we hold to? A healthy church is a church built on solidarity, where Christians care for one another and are generous with their time, energy, and money. It is a church where Christians love one another. But that means that if I want to keep my church healthy, I must apply Jesus’ commandment to love my brothers and sisters in Christ by, for example, being generous with my own time, energy, and money.
Last year, in our community group, someone found themselves in financial difficulty and shared this as a prayer request. Several people, without coordinating with one another, organized a collection within the group in the days that followed to help them. I was so happy to see that happen!
Here at Connexion, community life takes shape in many ways: there are “ ” community groups where 5 to 15 of us gather to study the Bible, pray, and eat together. Every Sunday after the service, people have meals together here or at nearby restaurants or parks. People invite one another over or go on outings together to build or deepen their relationships. And there are other opportunities to spend time together. It’s not as spectacular as in Acts 2, but it’s up to each of us to pitch in so that everyone feels they belong to this spiritual family that is the Church.
Let’s be especially attentive to those for whom coming to Christ has meant being cut off from their families or their communities of origin. Let’s be even more loving and thoughtful in including them in our circles of relationships.
II. A Church Committed to the Apostles’ Teaching
Verse 42:
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 43 Fear came upon everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs were being done through the apostles.
We no longer know how these teachings were organized; Luke does not describe them to us. Had some sort of Bible school been established with the apostles as teachers? In any case, they certainly did not limit themselves to one sermon a week. They were eager to learn and to understand how the Scriptures—at that time, the Old Testament—spoke of the promised Messiah and how Jesus was indeed their Savior. They wanted to discover all of Jesus’ teachings throughout his ministry and to understand everything that this entailed. The text tells us that they met every day.
In this church, there was a thirst for learning. They approached their studies with seriousness and humility, listening to the apostles whom God had authorized: this is how verse 43 is to be understood.
Today, what we know of the apostles’ teaching has been recorded in the New Testament through the Gospels, the Book of Acts, and the epistles. They give us the keys to re-read the Old Testament with our focus on Jesus Christ, who became incarnate to save humanity.
The sermons we hear on Sundays provide explanations of certain biblical texts, but that’s not enough!
I said I wouldn’t overdo the math, but I did the math: if we gave one sermon each Sunday on one chapter of the Bible, it would take 5 years to cover the New Testament and nearly 23 years to cover the entire Bible… It is therefore essential to study the Bible more intensively. Whether alone or in a group, with the help of Christian resources to guide you, we must study the Bible. If you don’t know where to start: begin with the New Testament and discuss it with people at church; they’ll surely have good ideas to guide you in your learning. You could find a study partner to read the Bible with and join a small group.
The word “perseverance” appears twice in our text—once in reference to perseverance in the apostles’ teaching and again in verse 46 regarding fellowship. When I discussed this text with a brother, he pointed out to me that commitment to the Word is not merely theoretical knowledge but is evident in the disciples’ actions—in how they put their knowledge into practice. Everything I said in the first part about loving one’s neighbor and fellowship is the practical application of understanding Jesus’ teachings. The new Christians had not been with Jesus during His ministry. They did not know everything Jesus had spent time teaching the 12 apostles. And as they learned it, they put it into practice under the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, a healthy church is one committed to the teaching of the Word and to putting it into practice. If I want to keep my church healthy, I myself must persevere in studying the Bible, putting it into practice, and also in helping others to study it as well.
III. A Church Committed to Praise and Prayer
V42:
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
v46:
46 Every day, with perseverance, they continued to meet together in the temple; they broke bread in their homes and ate their meals with joy and sincerity of heart. 47 They praised God and found favor with all the people.
This may seem obvious to us, but in church we praise Jesus Christ; we praise God. This can take the form of songs, readings, declarations of faith, and prayers, just as we did a little while ago.
This praise takes several forms in the text. Luke emphasizes the breaking of bread twice (vv. 42 and 46). The breaking of bread here refers to the Lord’s Supper, also called the Lord’s Meal.
Shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus gave this command to his disciples: to share bread and wine to remember his death on the cross and his resurrection for the forgiveness of sins until he returns.
Nothing in the text indicates that they did this only once a week, as most evangelical churches do today. I even believe that the early Christians did it more often—perhaps even at every meal, as verse 46 suggests. And so, I think this must have regularly steered their meal conversations toward Jesus.
We could consider doing this ourselves—making it a habit, at some point during the meal, to recall in one way or another the work of the cross. We can talk about the sermon or the Bible passage we read that day, or about what God has led us through during the week, to encourage one another to praise God. This could help us—and me first and foremost—to avoid talking only about work or our worries as soon as we leave the service, but rather to refocus on Jesus.
The early Christians were also steadfast in prayer. And I confess that it’s not within my strength to attend prayer meetings. It was in prayer that the first disciples and the apostles sought God’s will regarding the appointment of Judas’s replacement. It was in prayer that they awaited the promise of the Holy Spirit. In the book of Acts, you’ll often find the disciples in prayer, listening to God.
Praying is not about asking God for what we want Him to give us, but about listening to God to ask Him what He wants to give us.
So a healthy church is one that prays, worships, and remembers Jesus’ work on the cross and His daily work in our lives. And if I want to keep my church healthy, I must be actively involved in prayer, worship, and bearing witness to Jesus’ work in my life.
IV. It is a church that reaches out to the world.
Finally, the last characteristic of this early church is that it is outward-focused.
We see this at the end of our passage: they gathered together in the temple with one accord; they broke bread in their homes and ate their meals with joy and simplicity of heart. 47 They praised God and enjoyed the favor of all the people. The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
They did not stay isolated in their homes; they went to the temple. The temple was the Jews’ place of worship; it was a public place, and they did not go there to participate in the animal sacrifices performed there, because they had come to understand that Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. Later in the Book of Acts ( ), we see that they went there to preach and proclaim the good news of Jesus’ resurrection.
“They were held in high esteem by all the people.” This may seem to contradict what I said earlier about the fact that they were rejected by the Jewish community for professing their faith in Jesus Christ. Luke’s account does not tell us exactly how long this situation lasted, but it was likely several weeks. The people in Jerusalem had just witnessed a miracle at Pentecost and were surely wondering what would come of it all. As early as chapter 3, we see opposition from the religious leaders, but we also see that the people themselves were not indifferent to this group of joyful individuals who, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke of God’s wonders all around them.
This church is outward-focused because the Holy Spirit was given to them to bear witness in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). And what is wonderful is that it is God who is at work, leading people to believe and to join the church.
So a healthy church is an outward-reaching church that proclaims the Good News. And if I want to keep my church healthy, I need to share the Good News with those around me as often as God gives me opportunities to do so. This can happen in my conversations with friends, coworkers, or neighbors. It can also happen through more specific activities, such as outreach events where we talk about Jesus with people in the neighborhood, or through a mission trip.
You’ll notice that the Christians in this church aren’t focused on performance. They do things out of love for one another and out of love for Jesus, AND it is God who makes them effective in growing the church. It is He who performs the miracles of bringing people back to the church in verse 47.
If I want to keep my church healthy, I need to share the good news with those around me as often as God gives me opportunities to do so
V. Conclusion
We have thus seen, through the example of the early church, that a vibrant church is one where you can find Christians who love their brothers and sisters, who are committed to continually learning and understanding God’s Word and putting it into practice. A church where people worship and pray with joy. And finally, it is a church that reaches out to the world and proclaims the Good News.
When I look at this young church, there is one last thing that strikes me.
The apostles are not the subject of any active verb. The church perseveres in their teaching, and Jesus performs miracles and signs through them. But they are not the epicenter of the action! The members of the church gather of their own accord and take action— —on their own initiative. They do not wait to be told to do this or that.
Over time, the apostles began to appoint elders—that is, leaders—to guide the church, particularly spiritually, and deacons responsible for organizing church life. But the health of the church rests on the collective action of these Spirit-filled Christians.
Last week, Joe and Eduardo announced that Antoine and I were entering a year of observation and training in preparation for the role of church elder. This passage reassures me because the health of the church does not rest on the shoulders of the elders. It rests on the work of the Holy Spirit in each of its members, which leads each of us to take action.
I invite you to pray.
“Lord, thank You for this new life You have given us. Thank You that the Holy Spirit guides us every day. Thank You for the inspiring example of that young church in Acts 2.
Lord, in our society that draws us toward ever-greater distraction, help us to persevere in the study of Your Word, in prayer, and in worship. Fill us with boldness and zeal to share Your gospel. But above all, Lord, help us to renounce our comfort and our selfishness so that we may serve one another, filled with love.
Forgive us, Lord, for our recurring inconsistencies in this area. Help us not to return to our daily lives having forgotten what we have seen about ourselves in Your Word.
We also wish to pray for all those who have accepted the responsibility of leading the church as our elders and deacons. Thank you for them, and grant them joy in their service.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.”