And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:42

Acts 2:42–47 – The Story of the Church: Living Into This Drama in the 21st Century
Fifth Sunday in Lent – March 21, 2021 (am)

You’ve probably heard it said that visiting Christ-exalting, Bible-believing churches anywhere feels like home. And if you’ve traveled around much, you’ve experienced it. I’ve particularly noticed it when visiting what we call our Sister Churches, ones we’ve either planted ourselves or have been planted by ones we’ve planted, or where we’ve sent a pastor from our PMT. You just sense the family DNA! Even when there’s a language barrier (Germany) or a cultural barrier (Philippines), there is a family resemblance that makes you feel like you’re at home—or like the last time we visited RVBC when my kids said: It’s like visiting cousins.

There’s a special sense of connection where that added organic link is present. But you can sense the oneness of family even when you’ve never met these believers, when the only commonality is the indwelling Holy Spirit. What is it, though, that gives us that sense? How might we identify the particular qualities we feel in common? I think our passage today addresses that question as well as any, brief as it is, because it identifies for us what happens within us, within our community, when the Holy Spirit is present and active.

Let’s look at it. We’ll address two questions.

What Qualities Identify the Presence of the Spirit?

V.42 gives a summary answer: 42 … they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. They had a steadfast and single-minded [faithfulness] to [these things] (Longenecker 756). And this doesn’t arise from our flesh! Four things are listed here (42), but vv.42-47 really spotlight three primary qualities, expressions of [devotion], that display the qualities of a heart changed, invaded, indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit’s presence produces a heart for truth. 42-43

They were a learning community (Stott 82). They were hungry for the apostles’ teaching (42). Their beliefs weren’t rooted in some form of mystical experience. Yes, they stood awe of the many wonders and signs that were being done through the apostles (43), but that was not the focus or the foundation of their [devotion] to the apostles. They were devoted to [their] teaching even while they [marveled] at the displays of God’s power through [them] (43, notice through). God was working!

I believe there is a sense in which [apostolic] work is being done in our day whenever and wherever the church is spreading into a previously unevangelized areas. And I also believe God can still do many wonders and signs in our day, whenever, wherever, and through whomever He chooses! But I also believe that that the work of the twelve was unique—their calling, their [preaching], the [miracles] God did through [them] as He was establishing the identity of the new covenant community and the authority of the original twelve.

Yet, while all that was awe-inspiring, it was their teaching to which the people were devoted (42). [Their] hearts [burned] within [them] (cf. Luk.24:32) to understand the Scriptures (cf. Luk.24:45), how Moses and all the Prophets pointed to Jesus (Luk.24:27, 32), how they taught that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead (Luk.24:46), and all about the kingdom of God (Act.1:3). This community was anchored into the written promises and historical fulfillments of the purpose and plan and salvation of God that had been entrusted to the apostles (2Co.5:19;; 1Th.2:4) and recorded in God’s Word. And this is the same teaching to which we’re still devoted today!

The Holy Spirit’s presence produces a heart for people. 42, 44-45, 46b-47

We can see here that also they were also devoted to the fellowship, the relational network and partnership in community, to relating and sharing and serving and sacrificing for one another. They were a loving community (Stott 82-84)—44 … 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. Just to clarify, this isn’t communism or any form of socialism (Marshall 90). (1) It was a voluntary activity. It wasn’t enforced by any governing body. And (2) the verb tenses here make it clear that possessions were [sold] as [needs] arose; it was not once for all (Stott 84). There was just such a loving bond among the people that one another’s need was as important to each one as his own need. So, if someone was struggling and you had resources to help, you’d just do it, at any cost, but sharing the need with the remainder of the body!

We see a form of this still, I believe, when a need arises among this body. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I just have a settled sense of confidence that whatever we hear as a need among us, this body will rally to address, even if it might mean selling [some] possessions (45) to meet it. I love that! And while I don’t believe it’s yet had to be some dramatic expression like we’ll read over in c.5, I think the only way we can know whether we’ll make big sacrifices for one another is if we’ve become well-practiced a making smaller sacrifices.

And not only did the people love helping one another, they also just loved being together, and that love was admirable to all who observed it: 46 … they received their food with glad and generous hearts, they were taking their meals together (nasv) in a spirit of intense and sincere joy (Marshall 91), 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. … Their love was deep, rich, sincere, satisfying. It was marked with a joy that was appreciated by the people around them. It was just so impressive, so refreshing, to be in the presence of people who really loved one another!

Once again, I think this is true of us. But it’s more reliable when we hear it from those who don’t worship with us, and when we hear that they feel folded into our love when they’re with us. We do hear that from many of our neighbors (WYFS, WPD, WWS & HMS).

But remember, this was growing group: three thousand [people] (41) had just been added to the original 120 (1:15) in one day! And more were added day by day! (47)

The Holy Spirit’s presence produces a heart for worship. 42, 46a

But this was more than just a situationally bonded group joined by some dramatic shared experience. This was a group that was united in mind, heart, and purpose. Their lives had been changed! Their affections had been changed! They devoted themselves not just to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, but also to the breaking for bread and the prayers (42). Through the work of the Spirit, they were united in what they honored worshiped.

They honored and worshiped God! They were unified in praising God (47). They were attending the temple together day by day (46), likely at the regular times of prayer (3:1) and also gathering in Solomon’s Portico (5:12), and breaking bread in their homes (46). This is likely talking about celebrating communion, as the eleven had so recently been taught to do (Luk.22:14-23), in addition to enjoying their meals together (46).

Massive and quickly growing as this group was, at the heart of their unity was their worship of God, and all the joint activities that were expressive of that! They loved gathering together, a quality that has marked the people of God throughout their history. We ourselves have learned something of how meaningful it is to us during this season of separation. And as restrictions ease, my [prayer] is that we’ll remember it and make the most of every opportunity we have to gather in this place.
Come for the prayers this evening at 6:00!

What Should Be Our Take-Away This Morning?

Our calling this morning is not really to pursue a heart for truth, for people, and for worship, although it is surely our Spirit-produced instinct to devote (ourselves) to [these things] (42).

Our calling really is to welcome these realities into our lives as the unique work of the Holy Spirit, much like we do with the Spirit-enabled fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal.5:22-23). They are gifts from the Holy Spirit, we might say, distinguishing marks and defining characteristics of His presence with us. So, we welcome them as part of His work. We embrace them as part of the blessing of God that comes with our salvation!

Our calling is simply to walk in [repentance] and the forgiveness of our sins (38), to receive the grace of God through the gift of the Holy Spirit and experience the power of the Spirit’s presence that Jesus promised us before ascending back to the Father (1:4, 8). Like Gal.5:22-23, Acts 2:42-47 gives us a description of what happens when the Spirit shows up! It’s not a check list of what we should do to make the Spirit show up, or even to keep the Spirit around!

We need to make note and fully understand what is God’s work here and what is ours. His is to initiate. Ours is to respond. And even our response is enabled by Him and therefore is also just one more manifestation of His grace and blessing to us by His Spirit!

When we’re walking in [repentance], in humble acknowledgement of our need for God, for His Spirit’s presence and power in our lives, we’re [walking] by the Spirit. And Paul wrote to the Galatians that if we walk by the Spirit, [we] will not gratify the desires of the flesh (Gal.5:16). It’s the Spirit’s work, then, that produces these qualities in us, among us. We don’t do it by our own effort. We just admit our lack of them and receive the strengthening of the Spirit to enable us to trust in the work He’s been given to us to achieve. We seek His strength through humble [repentance] to keep the desires of [our] flesh from encroaching.

Conclusion

That’s our take-away this morning. We can be drawn to so many other aspects of this sweet and compelling passage of Scripture. We can treat it as a blueprint for how to run the church, how to live the Christian life, even for what is our responsibility once we’ve received the Holy Spirit, what we’re supposed to do.

But all along our response should be the same as all of theirs. Luke wrote: 42 … awe came upon every soul…. Why? Because this is solely a work of God. This is the God accomplishing His saving purpose and [pouring] out His Holy Spirit in fulfillment of His promise to establish a new covenant relationship in which He will write [his law] on [his people’s] hearts and He will be their God! (Eze.36:25-27; Jer.31:31-34)

The Holy Spirit is the gift of God in affirmation and confirmation of His delivery of His promised new covenant and of the reliability of His remaining promise of the full delivery of His kingdom. The Holy Spirit is the gift of God! We don’t earn His presence and power or the products of His coming any more that we earn the salvation He confirms! The Holy Spirit is the gift of God! And we should be glad for that because, if our receiving of the Spirit were in any way dependent on us, we would never receive Him!

But as it is, our God is good. And He delights to give good gifts to His children. Turn back with me a ways into Luke’s gospel, c.11. 5 [Jesus] said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The Holy Spirit already indwells us; that happens when we receive Christ as Savior (Eph.1:13). But we regularly need to be filled with the Holy Spirit; that’s a charge from God’s Word (Eph.5:18). So, how does that happen? How do we press on to walk by the Spirit, to know the fruit of the presence and power of the Spirit as these brother and sisters did in Acts 2? We ask. We ask, seek, and knock. We seek God on behalf of ourselves and of one another, because we have a heart for people! We ask on behalf of our church! We ask our Heavenly Father Who delights to give good [gifts] (Mat.7:11), to give the Holy Spirit (Luk.11:13), to those who ask him!

At this closing of our three-week study of the giving of the Holy Spirit, that is our take-away: walk in repentance and faith, awe-struck at the gracious mercy of God to grant us His Spirit, and ask, seek, and knock for Him to fill us, day by day, and produce in us whatever qualities of the presence of His Spirit that He has purposed for our day.

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Resources

Bruce, F. F. The Book of Acts, Revised. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.

Carson, D. A. The Gospel According to John. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.

Gempf, Conrad. “Acts,” in New Bible Commentary 21st Century Edition, edited by D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, and G. J. Wenham, 1066-114. Leicester, Eng.: InterVarsity, 1994.

Longenecker, Richard N. “Acts,” in Expositor’s Bible Commentary, volume 10, edited by Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, 665-1102. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007.

Marshall, I. Howard. “Acts,” in Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, edited by G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, 513-606. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.

_____. Acts. Volume 5, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1980.

Polhill, John B. Acts. Volume 26, The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1992.

_____. Study notes on Acts. In ESV Study Bible. Wheaton: Crossway, 2008.

Stein, Robert H. Luke. Volume 24, The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1992.

Next Week: Palm Sunday–God’s Appointed King Has Come, Luke 19:28–48, Nick Conner