The Spirit-Filled Church

Acts 2:42–47 (ESV)

The Fellowship of the Believers

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

I hope we all had a chance to digest last week’s message (A Storm is Coming) about the importance of obedience and our devotion to it; because this week we are going to build on that by looking at Acts 2:42-47 to see what this devotion to obedience looks like in the context of the church.

Pentecost and the New Church

We know Francis Chan as the author of “Crazy Love” and many other books, as well as several series through Right Now Media; he is an outreach missionary and a church planter.

However, how many realize he used to be the pastor of a mega-church?

Francis Chan founded Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California in 1994 with a congregation of 30 people.

Cornerstone is now one of the largest churches in Ventura County, California.

Nevertheless, you heard me correct, he used to be the pastor.

On April 18, 2010; Francis announced to his congregation that he felt called to resign and pursue what God had laid on his heart.

In his book, “Letters to the Church”, Francis describes Cornerstone and what led to him leaving:

“‘There was so much life at our services. People would cheer as I would talk about the ways their money helped the needy people in Third-World countries. Many couples began adopting children out of the foster care system. Our attendance and offering climbed consistently for years. Baptisms happened every weekend. Lives were being changed. There was no church I would rather have been a part of. But over the years, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was still missing.’........’There came a point when some of the elders of the church began to question whether our idea of success was somehow inadequate. Was this really what the Church is meant to be? Is this all God had in mind when He created His Church in the first place? We began to wonder whether our definition of a church actually fit God’s definition. The elders of Cornerstone sought the Scriptures with me and challenged my thinking as to what Jesus wanted of the Church.’.......’It was humbling to discuss biblical commands we had neglected’”

He goes on in detail to describe how he realized that, regardless of the growth and excitement surrounding Cornerstone, if they weren’t functioning according to God’s plan, something had to be done about it.

He follows up with a description of the changes he implemented in the church and the congregation’s resistance, as they had become accustomed to the show, convenience, and catering of a mega-church; which led to his eventual departure.

In Acts 2:42-47, we see the first Christian church body, founded and led by the apostles directly after the miracle of the coming of The Holy Spirit and 3,000 saved at Pentecost, which is documented in Acts 2:1-41.

This church, which we read about in Acts 2:42-47, is the same one Francis Chan wanted to imitate:

Acts 2:42–47 ESV

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

If Acts were written from a purely modern-western Christian point of view, we would expect all the uproar of Pentecost, Peter’s moving sermon, and the crowd’s eager response, as reported in Acts 2:37-41, to be the end of the story. Everyone experienced a great sermon and then went home to go about their lives, right?

The Devotion of a Spirit-Filled Church

“Proskartereo” (devoted) - A way of life centered on the church mission.

Acts 2:42 (New King James Version) : “And they continued steadfastly....”

All members participate in the activities of the church mission.

Acts 4:32

Modern-western religious life is plagued by momentary enthusiasm, periodic outbursts, and superficiality.

In fact, in modern jargon “enthusiastic” has been reduced to a synonym for a short-term high that does not produce long-term commitment.

Because of this, the world and Christians alike are suspicious of religious emotion, believing that all of the fuss will amount to little.

We have seen the huge revivals and individual outbursts of godliness come and go, but little evidence of the long-term dwelling of the Holy Spirit.

This is why Luke doesn’t end his narrative at the miracle of Pentecost, instead he immediately directs our attention to the new-found church, where we see they are devoted to four distinct qualities of a Spirit-filled church.

The Greek word for “devoted” in verse 42 is “proskartereo”,

which The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament translates as “to occupy oneself diligently with something” (sound familiar?);

this is why I like the New King James Version translation of Acts 2:42 better, where it translates:

Acts 2:42 NKJV

42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

The original language implies this was not a one-off set of actions they did, or things they did when they had the free time to do so;

these were their priorities, their way of life.

It is also important to note that these activities weren’t limited to the leaders, or just a select few within the church.

Everyone did these things.

This concept is restated in Acts 4:32, which details:

Acts 4:32 ESV

32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.

Could you imagine the power flowing out of a church which had every one of it’s members with their lives prioritized around the mission of the church?

With this in mind, let’s discuss the qualities these believers continually devoted their lives to.

The Qualities of a Spirit-Filled Church

A Spirit-filled church is a teaching church.

1 Corinthians 14:6

A Spirit-filled church is a loving, caring, sharing church.

1 Corinthians 10:16

Luke 24:35

1 John 3:17

A Spirit-filled church is a worshipping church.

Ephesians 6:18

A Spirit-filled church is a missionary church.

Acts 5:28-33

The first quality we come across that they devoted themselves to was “the apostles’ teaching”.

Luke uses the Greek “didache” here for “teaching”,

which is distinct from the Greek word “kerygma”, or “preaching”.

Luke is making a distinction here that the church is not intended to just be a place of exciting and moving sermons,

rather the church’s task is to teach believers to understand what it is to be Christian and what Christian life is to be about.

The early believers did not think that, because they had received the Holy Spirit, they didn’t need any teachers.

On the contrary they were hungry for instruction and the apostles themselves understood the importance of teaching the deeper meanings of Scripture, as Paul boldly states in 1 Corinthians 14:6:

1 Corinthians 14:6 ESV

6 Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

Paul’s use of “speaking in tongues” is a reference to the Miracle of Pentecost proceeding our passage, specifically Acts 2:4; where the Holy Spirit came and manifested itself in tongues.

Paul is contemplating that a great revival and sermon’s creating excitement and joy about Jesus are of no benefit to a believer if there is not also teaching, and learning going on.

Next, we see the early believers were devoted to “fellowship”.

However, this is not the social gathering we tend to equate with fellowship in the modern church,

where we deem fellowship to be gathering into our groups, socializing with our friends and discussing our weeks events.

The original language here carries a sense of participation.

Paul uses this same word in his contrast of idolatry and our fellowship with Christ in 1 Corinthians 10:16 :

1 Corinthians 10:16 ESV

16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

“Participation” in this verse is the same Greek “koinonia” used for “fellowship” in our passage.

So what was it they were participating in?

Luke gives us the example of “the breaking of bread”;

this was not the simple activity of eating together or the occasional Lord’s Supper communion.

For the Jews, eating together denoted intimacy, a deep friendship, this is how they expressed their unity, solidarity, and commitment to one another.

It was a visible sign to all of them that social barriers had been broken down and they were unified in Christ.

I don’t think it was coincidence that, on the road to Emmaus, in Luke 24:35, Jesus made himself known to the disciples through “the breaking of the bread”.

Furthermore, Luke goes on to explain fellowship further in verses 44 - 46 of our passage:

Acts 2:44–46 ESV

44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

Many take these verses without understanding and point to them saying the Bible promotes Communism, however, that is not what is being taught here.

It’s important to note the imperfect tense of the actions in these verbs,

this indicates that these were ongoing continuous actions.

These verses stipulate an common ideal of giving in response to particular needs.

Not one-time sacrifices where you give up everything to the church and live in poverty.

Likewise, John poses this question in 1 John 3:17 :

1 John 3:17 ESV

17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

These ideals do not reflect communism, but rather the practice of radically valuing people over possessions.

For the early church “fellowship” entailed a sincere brotherly love for each other and a desire to care for and share with the needy.

Third, we find that the church was devoted to “prayers”.

In verse 43 of our passage, Luke adds weight when he speaks that the church had a sense of awe before God and all that He was doing through them.

To properly garner the meaning here, we must understand that, in the ancient context, prayer was their form of worship.

We see a clearer example of this context in Ephesians 6:18 :

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Notice that Paul says “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”

Why does he say praying with prayer?

Isn’t that redundant?

Of course, if I’m praying, I’m doing it with prayer......

It’s because he is using the first instance “praying” in the Jewish understanding of “prayer as worship” and then explaining what the worship is to encompass.

Today, this idea of “prayer as worship” should translate into a whole church devoted to reverent worship with a sense of awe before God; coming to God with thanksgiving and joy, seeking His patience and perseverance in trials, and submitting to His will in all things.

Lastly, in verse 46, we see that the church was devoted to the mission of conversion.

In fact, the word translated as “attending” here is actually the same word translated “devoted” in verse 42.

The New American Standard Bible translates the beginning of this verse as [emphasis mine] “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple,”.

The Christian presence in the temple testifies to their zeal for witnessing.

Think about it, a Christian [a “deserter to the Jewish faith”, a “follower of the heretic Jesus” (in the Jewish eyes)] boldly walking into the Jewish temple......

they would experience severe ridicule and persecution.

We see this exemplified in Acts 5, when the apostle’s are arrested and their Jewish judges exclaim in Acts 5:28 :

Acts 5:28 ESV

28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

The sincerity of the church’s devotion is then embodied by their response to these judges in verses 29 - 33 of Acts 5 :

Acts 5:29–33 ESV

29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

They respond to the persecution and condemnation of these judges by proclaiming the gospel! The very reason they have been arrested, even though they know it could lead to death; they proclaim Jesus is Lord!

Dear God, help me to have this kind of sincere devotion to Your will!

So, what happens to churches devoted to worship, work, and witness for their Lord? The Lord blesses the church.

The Blessing of a Spirit-Filled Church

All mankind will see something good in a Spirit-filled Church.

Romans 14:18

The Lord will display His power in a Spirit-Filled Church.

1 Corinthians 1:18

Let’s not miss the order, though, first Godly relationships with each other and the community, then comes Godly growth.

At the end of our passage, in Acts 2:47 Luke proclaims:

Acts 2:47 ESV

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Their devotion turned into “having favor with all the people”.

Even those who opposed them, had to admit that there was something different, something good about them.

Something that they couldn’t help but approve of, as Paul says in Romans 14:18 :

Romans 14:18 ESV

18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

In addition, what greater blessing is there than to experience and see the true, unmatched, saving power of God?

Notice who did the work in verse 47,

it was the Lord who added to their number.

They understood clearly that God is the head of the church.

He alone has the authority to admit people into its membership and bestow salvation from His throne.

This is a much needed emphasis, for many people talk about evangelism today with self-confidence and even triumph, as if they think the evangelization of the world will be the ultimate triumph of humans.

However, Paul is clear in 1 Corinthians 1:18 that only the power of God can turn those who hate Him into those who love Him:

1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

If you want to truly experience the power of God, pay attention to His greatest power, the power of salvation!

Looking back over the marks of the first Spirit-filled church in Acts 2:42-47, it is evident they were all based on relationships.

Our responsibility is to participate in ensuring we are a Spirit-Filled Church.

First, A Spirit-filled church is a teaching church, anxious to believe and obey what Jesus taught.

They are eager to receive instruction.

They submitted themselves to their leaders God-given authority to teach.

Secondly, a Spirit-filled church is a loving, caring, sharing church.

They are devoted to participating in the mission of the church:

supporting each other,

meeting the needs of the poor,

and witnessing.

Thirdly, a Spirit-filled church is a worshipping church.

They worshipped Him in the church and in the home, with joy and with reverence.

Fourthly, a Spirit-filled church is a missionary church.

They are engaged in continuous evangelism.

No self-centered, self-contained church (absorbed only with it’s own affairs) can claim to be filled with the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a missionary Spirit.

Therefore, they are related to the world in outreach.

Realizing this, our responsibility, leaving this classroom today is to counsel and correct our fellow members and to devote ourselves to these biblical standards; namely biblical teaching, loving fellowship, reverent worship, and an ongoing, outgoing evangelism. For only then will our church manifest the Spirit’s presence and experience the power of God.