The Spirit-Filled Church

Transcription

1 Cole Community Church Growth Groups Leaders Guide for Acts 2:42-47 Week of September 30, 2018 The Spirit-Filled Church In this passage, Luke shows the effects of Pentecost by giving a beautiful picture of the church s response to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is not the origin of the church, for the church as the people of God goes back at least 4,000 years to Abraham. This is the remnant of God s people becoming the Spirit-filled body of Christ. In this lesson, we will examine the characteristics of a church guided by the Holy Spirit and its impact on the community and world. Begin by reading Acts 2:42-47 in the NASB: 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. Note to Leaders: The NASB is the only one of the major translations that uses the past perfect continuous tense, i.e., They were continually devoting themselves versus the past tense They devoted themselves This implies it was an ongoing, continuing action rather than something that occurred initially but soon stopped. This writer believes that is a more accurate representation of the ongoing characteristics of a Spirit-filled and Spirit led church. Page 1 of 6

2 1. What is the significance of the church s ongoing devotion to the apostles teaching (verse 42)? The Spirit-filled church is a learning church. The receipt of the Holy Spirit was not a mystical experience that led the people to a sense of antiintellectualism, nor did they think that because they had the Holy Spirit to teach them, they did not need further instruction. Learning was a central focus of the early church. The people respected and submitted to the authority of the apostles and were eager to obey what they were taught. The teaching was authenticated by miracles (verse 43 many wonders and miraculous signs ) Most had already received instruction in Old Testament prophecy and the apostles teaching provided balance by teaching from the words of Jesus, his ministry, death and resurrection, and a proclamation of what all this meant for their redemption. The importance and relevance of teaching and learning continues for us today. A Spirit-filled church is a New Testament church, in the sense that it studies and submits to New Testament instruction. The Spirit of God leads the people of God to submit to the Word of God. (John R. W. Stott) Without sound teaching and lifelong learning, it is too easy to revert to the worldview or mindset of the surrounding culture and to be shaped by social pressures rather than the Truth. Cole s Ministry Principle on Teaching: We are convinced that the submissive response to Scripture is the basis of living as a disciple. We believe that by His Spirit God speaks to us through His word and uses it to transform us. We emphasize expository teaching where Scripture is laid open to public view in order to set forth its meaning, explain what is difficult to understand, and make appropriate application (Richard Mayhue in Rediscovering Expository Preaching). (John 5:39-40 and II Tim. 3:16-17) Page 2 of 6

3 2 a. How did the Holy Spirit affect the hearts of the people and how they related to one another (verses 42-45)? They were a loving church. They were devoted to fellowship and to caring for and supporting one another. They broke bread together in their homes and shared all that they had with glad and sincere hearts. They met the needs of the poor and needy by selling their excess possessions and giving the proceeds to those in need. b. Does this mean that if we want to be Spirit-filled Christians we must sell everything we have and give to the poor? Acts 2:45, 4:34-35, 5:1-3, 2 Corinthians 8:13-14 Communal living was an established practice in certain Jewish sects at this time, likely a response to economic and social pressures. However, neither Jesus nor his disciples forbade the ownership of private property. The people in this passage obviously kept their homes because they were meeting in them. Remember that Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead not because they held back some of their property, but because they lied about it to the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:1-3 We may not be called to sell everything we have and share it with others, but we are called to generosity, especially toward the poor and needy. Luke states this principle twice in Acts Acts 2:45 they gave to anyone as he had need and Acts 4:34-35 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. John wrote But whoever has the world s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? (1 John 3:17) In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul encourages generosity but says, For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance might supply your need, that there may be fairness. 2 Corinthians 8:13-14 Page 3 of 6

4 3. How did the presence of the Holy Spirit affect the church s worship (verses 46-47)? Discuss some of the characteristics of their Spirit-filled worship and why it is still relevant today. The worship of the early church was both formal and informal. They gathered collectively to worship in the temple and in their homes. While they likely did not participate in the sacrifices offered in the temple, they also did not forsake the institutional church. Their home gatherings supplemented the more formal, dignified services. According to John R. W. Stott, There is no need to polarize between the structured and the unstructured, the traditional and the spontaneous. The church needs both. That is why we meet in our Growth Groups as well as attending Sunday services. When fellowship is ignored, people become isolated and find it difficult to sustain a living faith. Their worship included breaking of bread. While there is some disagreement among scholars as to what this actually means, most agree that it is a commemoration of Christ s death, like our present-day communion. They did this in their homes as an element of their fellowship, sharing in God himself as well as sharing materially with one another. It is of utmost importance to keep the death and resurrection of Jesus at the center of our faith. Their fellowship also included shared meals, so don t abandon your potlucks or soup nights! Prayer was an integral part of their worship. Prayer took place in the temple and in their homes. According to Timothy Keller (Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God highly recommended reading!) prayer is not a strictly private thing. As much as we can, we should pray with others both formally and informally. A primary goal of prayer is to know God better, and that can happen best in community as others help us to see facets of God that we might not yet have experienced. Heaven and earth are designed to be joined together, and prayer is the means to accomplish that while we still dwell on earth. Page 4 of 6

5 Worship was joyful and reverent. With glad and sincere hearts, they praised God. They were filled with awe. A healthy balance of unrestrained joy and reverential awe for the holiness of God are essential to true worship. 4. What impact did the early church have on their community? The world? (verse 47)? The church was evangelistic. They were not so preoccupied with their own learning, fellowship and prayer that they forgot to tell others. Verse 47 says the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. Note that God used the church to spread the gospel message, but it was the Lord, not the people, who added to the numbers being saved. He alone has the power of salvation. The outreach was continuous (day by day), not as the result of special campaigns or programs. Undoubtedly, the example the people set for their community as they demonstrated their love and support for one another also greatly influenced the response from outside the church. An interesting observation from John Stott: God added to their number those who were being saved. He did not add them to the church without saving them (no nominal Christians in the early church) nor did He save them without adding them to the church (no solitary Christians). Salvation and church membership belonged together then, and they do now. 5. How might our relationships be enhanced if we were to follow the example set by the early Spirit-filled church? a. To our teachers: We would have a relationship of submission to our teachers, anxiously desiring to believe and obey the teachings of Jesus and those God has called to facilitate our learning. Page 5 of 6

6 b. To one another: Our relationships to one another would be characterized by love fellowshipping, supporting one another and meeting the needs of the poor, giving freely of all that we have both materially and spiritually to build one another up. c. To God: Worship is enhanced through formal means in the church and informal in our homes. We honor God with communion and prayer, responding to him with joy and reverence. d. To the world. We joyfully share the good news with all. We are not an exclusive group bound by national, social, cultural or economic boundaries. According to John R. W. Stott, no self-centered, selfcontained church can claim to be filled with the Spirit (this writer would add that neither can any individual church member). A Spirit-filled church is a missionary church. (Stott) This quote from N. T. Wright in Acts for Everyone is an excellent way to sum up the importance of this passage: Where the church today finds itself stagnant, unattractive, humdrum and shrinking and, sadly, there are many churches in the Western world at least, of which that has to be admitted it s time to read Acts 2:42-47 again, get down on our knees, and ask what isn t happening that should be happening. The gospel hasn t changed. God s power hasn t diminished. People still need rescuing. What are we doing about it? kbs Page 6 of 6