Called Together to Bless Many (May 23rd)
Acts 2:1 – 13
1.) In the Christian Year we celebrate this day as the birthday of the church. The church is approximately 1,977 years old. Whew! That is a long time. In fact that is older than some of you here.
I want to ask why did God pick that day to give birth to the church? Are there insights about that day in history that can inform us in 2010 as to what God would desire of us and what would merit His blessing on us? Let us go exploring.
2.) Act 2 begins with these words, “When the day of Pentecost came…” We will take a look at the word Pentecost in a few moments, because that word along can give us some great insights.
What follows those words is a rather unusual and out of the ordinary scene. We know from Acts 1 that there were a group of people together who had been following Jesus. We know from the Gospels that these followers had been with Jesus for 3 years. This group was gathered in a somewhat public arena and not huddled in a secret hideout.
There was the sound of a violent wind, perhaps a hurricane or tornadic force wind that was frightening and caught the attention of all people. Then there was what looked like a fire storm of some sort from the sky that came down upon them and separated. The flame hovered above and came to rest on each of those gathered. This fire did not burn or scare them. The fire caused no damage. Unbelievable.
Then they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, different languages. Many people could distinguish and understand their own language, yet other people could not understand their words. In Acts 2:8 – 11 we read a list of 15 different languages being understood. Wow. What an interesting beginning!
3.) The people who were drawn to this scene that were not followers of Jesus had this to say of what they experienced of the first moment of the church. “These are a bunch of drunk people!” It appeared to the culture and crowd there that alcohol had taken over their lives and this event was out of control and chaotic.
Then Peter begins preaching to the crowd sharing the message of Jesus God’s presence in history. The people heard this message and responded by believing and were baptized. We read these words in Acts 2:47, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
It appears to me that the beginning moments of the birth of the church was to “get the attention” of the people so that a message could bring them salvation. The Holy Spirit could enter their lives not with an expression of wind and fire or speaking in tongues but with salvation, with wholeness, with healing, with grace, with forgiveness. The end result of the church’s birthday was not more fire, wind and tongues, but was people’s lives being saved, made whole.
I ask the question; why was the church born on this day?
4.) Pentecost is a Greek word for fiftieth, which designates seven weeks and a day after the First Fruits Feast, and Passover. The day of Pentecost was the beginning of the Feast of Weeks that God commanded the Israelites to observe.
As I studied the Feast of Weeks I discovered three insights of significance that were a part of that feast that people in Jerusalem were a part of. Let me read Leviticus 23:15 – 21. I encourage you to follow along.
“’From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD. Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the LORD, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. The priest is to wave the two lambs before the LORD as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the LORD for the priest. On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.”
I want to look at that scripture, understand what God had commanded, what the people were doing and what the disciples were doing when the church was born. Then I want to make the connection to today.
5.) a.) The people were to give to God a portion of their harvest. The Feast of the First Fruits was a gift at the beginning of the harvest and this gift was a celebration of the end of harvest. This offering was more costly than the first fruits one. The people had more in possession and were able to give more and so they were commanded to do so. Leviticus 23:16 – 19 gives us this insight that they were to give back to God.
b.) So, when we make a connection to what the people were doing and what God expects of us as the church today we realize the importance of giving back to God. As you connect your life and faith you need to give back to God time, money, energy, love, gifts, service. You will grow spiritually and in vitality when you give back to God. You need to acknowledge in a substantial way the fact that God has blessed you with His love, giving you the gift of His only Son, giving you His provision and grace and has allowed you to have the resources you do. Give back to God. We are the church when we give.
This offering plate is a symbol of giving. We give as an act of worship to God.
6.) a.) The people were to unite together as Jews. They were to come together as Jews for a time of fellowship and worship. Leviticus 23:17 says, “from wherever you live… The people had to travel to the Temple to do this. When they were all together they experienced a common bond of joy by their friendship.
b.) Today we understand the importance of uniting with other believers in Christ. We are all different and yet when we come together in worship and service the bond of friendship is vital. The people in Jerusalem that came from all different regions heard the same message of God’s wondrous love. The power of the church united is a beautiful and wonderful thing.
This coffee cup is a symbol of the relationship that can bind us together in relationship and fellowship. Today this might happen more in the Fellowship Hall than in our sanctuary.
7.) a.) The people were to remember the story of what God did for them in all of history. Leviticus 23:21 commands the people that they are to do no work but to remember and to do this for all generations. The people are to hear the story of what God did in their past, and what God is doing in their lives now, and what they believe will happen in the future.
The people in Jerusalem were remembering the God who brought them salvation and life from the past.
b.) Today the church must help all remember our story. We listen and read God’s word the story of God’s love becomes our story. What the Lord did in the past reveals His life and character, and we count on that for the future. We sing about God’s story, we hear God’s story, we memorize God’s story, we study God’s story and make it ours. We give thanks for the word of God.
This Bible contains what we remember. It is vital that we read and remember privately in our own scripture reading and in public expressions. We need both.
8.) We also need to look at the disciples of Jesus and discover what they were doing. We read in Acts 1:4 Jesus words. “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait…” So the disciples are waiting and they were praying. Acts 1:14 tells us that, “they all joined together constantly in prayer…”
So the disciples were waiting and praying on that day. Both of these are vital as we consider the life of the church.
9.) a.) There are times when the church, to be the church, needs to do nothing but wait on God. This might seem like a hard part of being the church. We have to slow down, put life on pause, do nothing but wait. This was vital for the followers of Jesus so they would be ready for the next steps they had to take. The disciples had been waiting for fifty days. I am sure that some were anxious and thought they needed to do something, especially Peter, because he sure sprang into action on the day of Pentecost, preaching to the crowd. Some of us need to wait on God and do nothing but look to Him.
The chair is a symbol of the importance of waiting.
b.) It is vital all times to pray for direction. We need to focus our hearts on the Lord and be a people of prayer. All that we “do” needs to be lifted up to God in prayer. We have the heart of God when we pray, this is vital as we week to be the church. Prayer teaches us that this is God’s church and not our church.
This kneeling bench is a symbol of prayer in the church. We are God’s people under His love and direction. Prayer helps us listen better.
10.) What is the one object that seems to connect to you as vital for you to practice as you connect to this church? Giving, Uniting, Remembering, Waiting, Praying.
All of these are vital and essential in the life of the church. As we celebrate the birth of the church and we think of our church may God’s blessing of the Holy Spirit come upon us as we seek to fulfill what was happening on that first day.
11.) Next week we are going to look at the rest of Acts 2 and a metaphoric question of the church. It is a metaphor that involves cars. Is the church a museum of classic cars or is the church a repair shop of broken down cars?
