18 April, 1999
INTRODUCTION
At our recent Governing Board Retreat, as we were taking time to share some of our concerns as to the health of our church, the question came up "Why is our church not growing?" I don't think this was a question to say "What is wrong with our church?" but one that simply addresses the concern that maybe we should be growing more than we are.
Without being too pessimistic, I believe that is a fair question for any plateaued church to ask - and in some ways we are plateaued. Certainly numerical growth is not necessarily a sign of a Spirit-filled, Christ centered church. There are many churches in America who fill the pews every Sunday and who maintain many well attended programs. There are churches in America who have very large facilities and are well attended on a regular basis. That does not mean that God was in on that growth.
But if we want to see genuine church growth, we will see the kind of growth that took place in the early days of the church, but we will also see the kinds of dynamics that were also visible in the life of that church. And in Acts 2:42-47, one of my favorite portions of Scripture in the Bible, we are seeing just that.
Background
Here in Acts 2:42-47, we see how Luke gives us a glimpse of the state of the church at it's earliest stage and it's greatest innocence. And it is at this stage that the church begins to mushroom. On a daily basis, the Lord was adding to His church those who were being saved. And as I read these verses, I cannot help but believe that this growth was largely due to certain dynamics that were taking place. Certainly, it was the Lord Himself who was building and adding to His Church. That is a very important dynamic and important to remember. But it was the presence and practice of these dynamics that were conducive to that growth. It was these dynamics that were present in a church that was growing by leaps and bounds. I believe that you can build a church in numbers without these dynamics but it will never really be a church. It will only be, what one pastor in our denomination calls, "a society." But you cannot build a church without these.
If we were to harness these dynamics and build upon them, it just might be that we will see significant growth here in this local fellowship.
What were these dynamics that resulted in such growth? There are four of them.
1. Perseverance in the Essentials of Church Life - 2:42
Luke tells us that the early Christians were a devoted group of people. And the word he chose to use to describe them is the word proskarterountes. It is used in the present tense, which implies continuing action. And it means this - "to adhere to something - to persist in." It is used here to mean "to hold fast to something, to continue or persevere in something." It is also used to mean "to busy oneself with, to be busily engaged in." It connotes a stedfast and single-minded fidelity to a certain course of action.
But were they devoted to? What were they busying themselves with? What did they refuse to give up on?
a. The Teaching of Scripture
The word is didach and it means "teaching as an activity." It means instruction and is used here in the passive voice of what is taught. The apostle's teaching refers to a body of material that was considered to be authoritative because it was the message about Jesus that was being proclaimed by men who were recognized and accredited as apostles. It was a message and teaching that the apostles had recently received during the 40 post-resurrection days that Jesus spent with them as He taught them things pertaining to the kingdom of God. It was a message and a body of truth that had been entrusted to them to pass on those who would follow Jesus. Jesus told them to "teach His disciples to obey everything He had commanded them." And that is what they are doing.
It is not an accident that the teaching of scripture is the first thing mentioned here as a dynamic that was evident in the life of this church and that ultimately caused the church to grow. This was an obvious priority to the apostles and in the life of the early church.
This was such a priority to the apostles that they wwould later delegate other responsibilities to certain men of the church so that they could devote themselves (same word used here in verse 42) to prayer and the ministry of the Word.
It is also important to remember that the believers of the early church submitted to the authority of the apostles and followed their leadership and teaching and devoted themselves to that teaching. And as a result, the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Throughout the book of Acts, Luke gives several progress reports on the expansion of the early church. In several of these reports, the proclamation of the Word of God is mentioned in the context of the expansion of the church. Look with me if you will at the following scripture - 6:3-7; 12:24; 28:30
If this was such a priority and held in such high regard in the early church, it should be the same for us here today.
b. The Communion of the Saints
The word fellowship here is the word you are all familiar with and one that I often refer to. It is the word koinwnia and it means "association, communion, fellowship, close relation. It is a favorite expression used for the marital relationship as the most intimate between human beings." It is this part of the definition that makes me wonder if this should be the basis for seeing our joining or becoming a member of a fellowship as a similar to the commitment one makes in a marriage. It is called devotion and faithfulness 'til death do us part.
The way Luke uses this word implies that there was something very special and distinctive about this group of believers and in their times of gathering together. They were not just an organization - they were the fellowship of believers. Keep in mind that on the day of Pentecost, 3000 were added to the church. And daily there were those who were being saved. So the Christian community here was not just some sect of Judaism even though they continued to observe many of their Jewish practices. They ate together with glad and sincere hearts. They were content to be with one another and happy to be together.
Joining a church is not about having one's name on a roll. It is not about just being associated with a church. It is more than just coming to church once or twice a month and putting some money in the plate. Being part of the family of believers and even part of a local body of believers must go beyond all that. I believe that if we are going to covenant with a church, we need to be committed to that church family. Yes, you can be a Christian and not be a member of a local church because you are already a member of the church universal. But there is a dynamic going on here in the early church that can't be ignored. They were devoted to the fellowship - to one another. They saw themselves as being a unique group of people. And they held fast to one another. They continued in their relationship with one another. They did not give up on one another. They did not break fellowship. They were devoted to the fellowship of believers.
What about you and me? How easy is it for you and me to give up on one another? What excuses do we use to pull away from a fellowship? Certainly doctrinal issues is a good reason to break fellowship. If a church is not proclaiming the truth, then that should effect whether or not I remain connected with that church. And I know we live in a real world where relationships go sour. But we need to be careful how we break fellowship with those we have covenented with.
These early Christians were all they had. They knew they needed one another to survive. They knew that this was not a time to become a hermit or a recluse or an island. They knew that they must stick together. And that must be our attitude as well.
c. The Ordinance of the Lord's Supper
There is some debate as to what Luke is specifically referring to here by the breaking of the bread. Some think it might have been a type of Jewish meal. Some think it might have been the agape feast that emphasized the joy of communion with the Lord and of intimate fellowship with one another. Some think it might have been a common meal they shared.
But it is hard to imagine this being just a common meal when it is mentioned along with two very spiritual terms - fellowship and prayer and used in the context of the teaching of scripture.
Obviously Luke is speaking of the Lord's Supper - - something that was regularly and seriously practiced in the early church. This was something they were devoted to. This was something they had a stedfast and single-minded devotion to. It was that time of being constantly reminded of why they were there and the price that had been paid for them. It was that time of worship and fellowship with their risen Lord through the bread and the cup. But more importantly it was an ordinance that the Lord Himself had instituted. And so they were devoted to the breaking of bread.
I have a feeling that these early believers partook of the Lord's Supper more than just once a month. And though we don't celebrate communion as often as they might have and as often as some do today, we should never neglect this important essential of church life.
d. The Practice of Prayer
I guess I don't have to tell you that prayer was also a priority among these early believers. Over and over again, through out Luke's history of the early church, we see these men and women joining together in prayer. We see them being devoted to prayer at an even earlier stage than now when 120 of them joined together constantly in prayer in the upper room (same word as used for devoted). And it was in this context that the Holy Spirit raised up a disciple to replace Judas. It was in this upper room and very likely in prayer that the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost.
Why do we have such a hard time doing what was obviously so important to them? Why do we have such a hard time getting men and women to answer the call to prayer?
When we were in Africa, we observed first hand how the Muslims answered the call to prayer four times a day. It did not matter where they were when it came time to pray. They would stop what they were doing, spread out their little prayer mat, face towards the east and do their ritual of bowing, and standing and kneeling in prayer to a god who is not even there.
If they can be so devoted to that kind of meaningless of prayer, why can't we stop what we are doing once a week to come to prayer for an hour. Why can't we stop what we are doing once a day and spend time in prayer to the One True, Living God who hears us and answers us.
If they were so devoted to prayer, maybe we should be as well. If God worked in such a powerful way in that church in the context of prayer, just maybe God will work in a powerful way here. If we will make this prayer thing a priority.
2. Awesome Respect for the Manifestation of God's Power - 2:43
Luke tells us that "everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles."
First of all, let me tell what this fear was. The word is fobos and it means "fear, alarm, and fright. It is generally used of fears, apprehensions, and feelings of anxiety."
Secondly, let me tell you about these wonders and miraculous signs. The ability to perform such miracles was limited to the apostles and their close colleagues in the early church - people being healed, delivered from demons, the blind seeing, the lame walking. And it was the power of God that enabled them to perform such miracles. These were mere men and were not capable to performing such miracles on their own.
Thirdly, let me tell who the "everyone" was. As always, there is some varying interpretation as to who the "everyone" is. Obviously there was great amount of reverence and respect for God among the believers. God was still doing works of miracles and manifesting His power through the apostles. How could that be taken lightly? How can a believer witness that kind of work and not have a healthy and holy fear of the Lord. But it is also suggested Luke is implying that the "everyone" were those who were not believers - that they were those who were aware of the events of Pentecost and were watching the life of this early congregation. And seeing these signs and wonders being manifested through the apostles put a fear of God in them.
Whatever they were, it was the performing of these miraculous signs and wonders that gave evidence of the power and presence of God with His people and it produced a holy a fear and reverence for the power of God in the lives of everyone including those who were watching from the outside. God was moving in a powerful way in the lives of people everywhere. And it was this power that was getting the attention of the unbelieving community and putting in them an awesome respect for God. God was making it very clear that He was still in charge. And it was this realization and the manifestation of this power that resulted in the people having a holy and healthy fear of the Lord. And it obviously was used of the Lord to add to the church daily, those who were being saved.
After attending church one Sunday morning, a little boy knelt at his bedside that night and prayed. In his prayer he said this: "Dear God, we had a good time at church today--but I wish you had been there!"
Have you ever felt like that? Certainly God is with us as we gather together for worship but sometimes I wonder if we really expect Him to be here and to manifest His power in our midst. Sometimes I think that if God were to really show up some Sunday morning, we wouldn't know it or we would have some other explanation.
William Barclay puts it simply when he says: "If we expect great things from God and attempt great things for God, things happen." Maybe this is why we don't see the power and work of God manifest in our midst. We either don't expect it or we don't care one way or another.
These people knew it when God manifested His power and it put a holy fear in their lives. Maybe we should be the same.
3. Genuine Unity Among the Community of Believers - 2:44
I don't think any of us would disagree that the Christians in the early church were of one mind and heart. There was a genuine and obvious oneness among these believers and this genuine unity was fleshed out in at least two ways.
a. In Sacrificial Caring for Those in Genuine Need - 2:45
Luke tells us that they had all things in common. The word used for common is the word koinos, which is related to the word koinonia. It simply means common. It is used for communal. This tells us that they made their possessions common property and lived according to the custom of common meals. This does not mean that they lived in a commune. It is obvious from the text that they had their own homes.
It does not necessarily mean that at this point, they pooled and redistributed their resources equally among those in need (although there is nothing wrong with that). Later on we see them selling land and giving the money to the apostles to be distributed as needed. But one thing is for sure - they held their own possessions lightly and were ready to use them at any moment for someone else as the need arose.
When that kind of dynamic is present in a church, it will certainly be a drawing card to an unbelieving world. It is not normal for people to be this self-less. And if we are taking care of genuine needs (and I stress the word genuine), God can use that in a powerful way. That is something we must be adhere to.
b. In Regular Gathering for Genuine Worship - 2:46
It says that with one mind they went to the temple to worship. The word is omoqumadon and it means "with one mind, purpose, or impulse." When these men and women went to the temple, they had one thing on their mind and this they were in complete agreement on - to be at the temple of God to worship.
You see, these ones who were now devoted followers of Jesus did not give up their Jewish heritage. They did not give up the custom of going to the temple. As a matter of fact, there are several places in the scriptures that tell us that the favorite meeting place of the early Christians was in the temple - specifically at the eastern edge of the outer court called Solomon's Colonnade. It was here that Peter and John encountered the cripple man as they were going up to the temple at the time of prayer (3:11). Acts 5:12 tells that "The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade."
So the early Christians continued to regard the temple as their sanctuary. The difference was that now their going to temple to worship was not because of a legalistic rituals but because of their genuine heart to worship God.
And they did not stop going to the temple because their were so many hypocrites there. I have a feeling that their were those in the temple when they went to worship who were there for the wrong reason. But these genuine followers of Christ went anyway. And they went for one reason - to worship. In other words, their worship was now genuine.
And this was something they did together and it was something they did on a regular basis - everyday! And it was something they were able to do because they were of one mind and heart.
The bottom line is that those who were part of the early church were all on the same page. Their purpose was the same - to care for one another, to glorify God and to proclaim His message. Surely there were disagreements but they did not let anything keep them from being who they were meant to be and what they were supposed to be doing.
4. Having an Impact on the Unbelieving Communities - 2:46,47
The text tells us that they were enjoying the favor of all the people. The word favor is a familiar one - it is the word caris. It simply means favor, grace or goodwill. It is the same word that speaks of God's unmerited favor to the believer. It is used here of that which one experiences from another - to have favor with someone is to win that person's respect.
The early Christians, with their genuine fellowship - their genuine caring for one another - their breaking bread from house to house - was obviously having a positive impact on the people outside the family of believers. They were having such a positive impact that they were earning the respect of the people - they remained on good terms with the people. Not only were they enjoying the favor of God because of what Christ had done for them, they also enjoyed the favor of the people because of they life they were living. It would not be long before the unbelieving community would come against these Christians because of their faith and commitment to Christ. The religious leaders of their day would eventually grow tired of their preaching and evangelizing. Many of them would be persecuted because of their allegiance to Christ. But for now, they were enjoying the favor of the unbelieving community and as a result, many were repenting of their sin of unbelief and putting their faith in Christ for salvation.
I wonder sometime what kind of impact we are having on the unbelieving community here in our own sphere of influence? What do our neighbors think of us? We certainly do not want to compromise and become a man-pleasing church. But are we attractive to those in our communities? Are we enjoying the favor of all the people? In some ways, we never will. But in other ways, this should be a dynamic in our church.
Conclusion:
Now we need to understand a few practical and realistic things about church growth.
Church growth is not always about numbers and filling the pews. It is more about being spiritually healthy. But numbers are certainly a factor and must not be ignored. And if there is spiritual health, like with any biological body, physical growth will be very likely.
Church growth is not about what we can do but about what God does in and through us. Notice that it was the Lord who added to the church daily those who were being saved. So when it is all said and done, it is not about what we have done but about what God has done. But as we are faithful and obedient, God will be faithful as well.
Church growth is not just about transfer growth - it is about seeing those who belong to the kingdom of darkness being brought into the kingdom of light.
But because these dynamics were evident in the life of this new born church, we see the beginnings of a movement that turned and still turns this world upside down. It wasn't about slick programs. It was not about fancy worship. It was not about most of what the experts tell us is important for church growth. There is certainly nothing wrong with programs and there is not thing wrong with fancy worship, if indeed it is genuine worship.
It is about keeping the main things the main thing. And if we do that...
It is very possible that "the Lord will add to His church - and even this church - those who are being saved.