June 4, 2017 NOTES NOT EDITED
The Jesus Church
The Jesus Church
Acts 2:40-47
One of the often heard attacks on the church in America states that the church is full of hypocrites.
We are, if by hypocrite one means people in churches fail to live up to the ideals and teachings of the Church’s founder, Jesus Christ. Churches are full of people, and people are imperfect. We all tend toward hypocrisy.
But, that should not be an excuse for us to continue to miss the mark of faithfully following Jesus Christ as the Head of the Church.
A few years ago (2012), a young man by the name of Jeff Bethke started a phenomenon on YouTube with his poem, “Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus.” It is a great piece of poetry. It points out the many hypocrisies one can find in the Christian church world. It’s nothing new. There have been hypocrites in the church sense the first members joined at Pentecost.
In fact, Christians don’t have a
corner on the hypocrisy market. All religions have hypocrites—if they admit
people into the fold. It is unavoidable. Bethke blew up the YouTube channel
with something like 32 million views at present—and counting. There seem to be
a lot of people that “hate the church,” and for good reason I suppose in many
cases.
But, the truth value of a
proposition cannot be measured by its popularity. There is much more to the
matter of hypocrisy and the Church than can be solved by a popular YouTube
poem. In fact, for all the good such a poem does—and I believe the speaker to
be sincere and honest—it does much harm. Even a little poison in a large glass
of pure water is deadly.
Of course, a poem cannot have the
literary accuracy of an academic treatise. Terms are not always defined well
and the fallacy of equivocation can rise easily. Sometimes, poetry even uses equivocation as a
device to exaggerate a point.
One cannot summarily dismiss the
fact of hypocrisy in the Christian church. As a very capable hypocrite myself I
realize that when I point an accusing finger at others, three fingers point
back to me. I don’t think it is possible for someone to be totally free of all
hypocrisy. What I do think is possible is that everyone can be less of a hypocrite.
Progress, not perfection, seems a reachable goal in this life, and a worthy
one.
Hypocrisy should be resisted. In many churches, I think Jesus would be very critical with what takes place, and even brokenhearted. Looking from the other direction, I think many churches would be uncomfortable with Jesus attending their services.
One of the easiest things to spot in life is a hypocrite. I remember a group of pre-teen boys who were standing in a circle around cute little stray dog in the community park when a local Baptist preacher walked by. “Whatcha’ doin’ boys,” he asked. One little boy answered, “Tellin’ lies!” Another little boy chimed in saying, “Whoever tells the biggest lie gets the dog.” The preacher puffed his chest and said, “Why, when I was your age, I never ever thought of telling a lie.” The boys all looked at each other with disappointment. Finally, one of the boys shrugged his shoulders and declared, “I guess he wins the dog!”
When the church gives into hypocrisy, there are not winners. Even more, there are no “soul-winners.” Hypocrites lack the passion to present the gospel to lost people. Hypocrisy is perfectly satisfied with the status quo in the church. But, the true Church faithfully follows the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Hypocrisy should be resisted. In many churches, I think Jesus would be very critical with what takes place, and even brokenhearted. Looking from the other direction, I think many churches would be uncomfortable with Jesus attending their services.
One of the easiest things to spot in life is a hypocrite. I remember a group of pre-teen boys who were standing in a circle around cute little stray dog in the community park when a local Baptist preacher walked by. “Whatcha’ doin’ boys,” he asked. One little boy answered, “Tellin’ lies!” Another little boy chimed in saying, “Whoever tells the biggest lie gets the dog.” The preacher puffed his chest and said, “Why, when I was your age, I never ever thought of telling a lie.” The boys all looked at each other with disappointment. Finally, one of the boys shrugged his shoulders and declared, “I guess he wins the dog!”
When the church gives into hypocrisy, there are not winners. Even more, there are no “soul-winners.” Hypocrites lack the passion to present the gospel to lost people. Hypocrisy is perfectly satisfied with the status quo in the church. But, the true Church faithfully follows the teachings of Jesus Christ.
In my sermon preparation this week,
I came across this statement: "Jesus is the model of receptivity.” Jesus was certainly open-hearted, but was He
really totally “open-minded?” The modern
church seems to confuse these two ideas.
Actually, the old adage, “It’s my way or the highway,” could easily have
been spoken by the Lord, Himself. He used
different words, or course. He said,
“I am the only Way; I am the only Truth; and I am the only life” (Jn. 14:6). So, when someone says, “Jesus is the model of receptivity, the statement needs to be clarified.
“I am the only Way; I am the only Truth; and I am the only life” (Jn. 14:6). So, when someone says, “Jesus is the model of receptivity, the statement needs to be clarified.
Certainly, the statement is
supported by how openly the Lord received the woman caught in adultery saying
in part, "neither do I condemn you" (Jn. 8:11). On the other hand, Jesus appeared not to be as
receptive to the Pharisees, for example, calling them, "a bunch of venomous
snakes" (Mt. 12:34).
As with any "pithy"
statement or aphorism, some qualification is needed to prevent half-truths that
are totally false. Jesus was certainly open to everybody as people, regardless
of their station in life or even the extent of their sin. Jesus was NOT open to
every thing, or idea.
Doctrine matters. Truth divides.
There's almost always a "but" that can be added to any aphorism.
Here's where it becomes challenging to follow Jesus.
Jesus was open to everybody, BUT not
everything. Jesus was open to people seeking God's blessing, BUT not open to
people measuring God's blessing in material ways alone. Jesus openly offered
salvation that was free, BUT not salvation that was cheap.
The Jesus Church often must live in
an area of tension between to poles. This on the one hand, but that on the
other. Jesus offers a simple message, but it has a complicated application many
times. The doctrine of grace teaches us
that God accepts everybody, but does not condone every thing. For example,
1. The Jesus Church welcomes
material blessings, but condemns materialism.
Materialism is nothing more than greed—getting as much as possible for oneself while giving as little as possible to others. The cure for materialism is not “socialism,” or forced giving. The cure for materialism in our lives and in our church is “generosity.” Look at verses 44-45:
Materialism is nothing more than greed—getting as much as possible for oneself while giving as little as possible to others. The cure for materialism is not “socialism,” or forced giving. The cure for materialism in our lives and in our church is “generosity.” Look at verses 44-45:
44 Now all the believers were together and held all things in
common. 45 They sold
their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone
had a need.
The Jesus Church is marked by
generosity and sacrificial giving.
The story is told about the pastor of a church who was standing at the door after the service greeting people as they were leaving. As one particularly wealthy member was leaving to get into his shiny red convertible. The man was impeccably dressed as usual. The pastor complimented the man on his tie, “Bill, that’s really a nice tie.” The man smiled and thanked the pastor, and right there at the door took the tie off saying, “Here, Pastor. It’s yours.” Everybody was shocked with such a public display of generosity. It warmed everyone’s heart to know that such generous people attended the church. Right behind this man was an elderly lady who had been in the church for many years. She poked the Pastor playfully in the side and with a big grin on her face said, “Why don’t you compliment him on his car next week!”
Materialism is much more than simply pursuing the accumulation of wealth. Materialism is a philosophy that puts the highest premium on things that can be seen, handled, manipulated, and consumed for pleasure. Materialism is a view that looks inward asking the question, “What’s in it for me?” This view is insidious and permeates not only the world, but the church.
So many in the church sing praises about the “eternal” blessings of God, but in reality, we spend much more time pursuing the “material” blessings of the world. How about you?
There are ample examples of people that God blessed in the Bible with phenomenal riches. Abraham, called the Father of the Faith, was extremely wealthy. Job had tons of stuff. Lost it all. Then got back double. King Solomon is another example of a godly man who was blessed with enormous wealth.
It would be very easy to string together an almost endless list of examples supporting the philosophy that God’s number one goal for His chosen is to be “happy, healthy, and rich.” In fact, a whole genre of preaching—the Health and Wealth Gospel—arose years ago promoting just this idea. And, famous Prosperity Preachers like Kenneth Copeland and Joel Olsteen have strung together such verses, and continue to do so. This Prosperity Gospel has done very well—at least for the preachers. Both Copeland and Olsteen have made millions promoting their gospel. All the while, stringing together verse after verse proving their message is from God.
And, then, there is Jesus. He did not preach against the material blessings of God, should God choose to bestow such blessings upon whom He wishes. Jesus did have something to say about “materialISM” or the love of this world. He even indicated that loving this world and amassing riches could be a curse—an eternal curse on one’s soul. Jesus said,
“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven” (Mat. 19:24)
So, the Jesus Church does not preach against material blessings, but it does preach against greed and worldliness. The Jesus Church is characterized by a typically uncharacteristic spirit of radical generosity: 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need.
Another characteristic of The Jesus Church is that we are
2. Open to Every Body, But Not Every Idea (47)
The story is told about the pastor of a church who was standing at the door after the service greeting people as they were leaving. As one particularly wealthy member was leaving to get into his shiny red convertible. The man was impeccably dressed as usual. The pastor complimented the man on his tie, “Bill, that’s really a nice tie.” The man smiled and thanked the pastor, and right there at the door took the tie off saying, “Here, Pastor. It’s yours.” Everybody was shocked with such a public display of generosity. It warmed everyone’s heart to know that such generous people attended the church. Right behind this man was an elderly lady who had been in the church for many years. She poked the Pastor playfully in the side and with a big grin on her face said, “Why don’t you compliment him on his car next week!”
Materialism is much more than simply pursuing the accumulation of wealth. Materialism is a philosophy that puts the highest premium on things that can be seen, handled, manipulated, and consumed for pleasure. Materialism is a view that looks inward asking the question, “What’s in it for me?” This view is insidious and permeates not only the world, but the church.
So many in the church sing praises about the “eternal” blessings of God, but in reality, we spend much more time pursuing the “material” blessings of the world. How about you?
There are ample examples of people that God blessed in the Bible with phenomenal riches. Abraham, called the Father of the Faith, was extremely wealthy. Job had tons of stuff. Lost it all. Then got back double. King Solomon is another example of a godly man who was blessed with enormous wealth.
It would be very easy to string together an almost endless list of examples supporting the philosophy that God’s number one goal for His chosen is to be “happy, healthy, and rich.” In fact, a whole genre of preaching—the Health and Wealth Gospel—arose years ago promoting just this idea. And, famous Prosperity Preachers like Kenneth Copeland and Joel Olsteen have strung together such verses, and continue to do so. This Prosperity Gospel has done very well—at least for the preachers. Both Copeland and Olsteen have made millions promoting their gospel. All the while, stringing together verse after verse proving their message is from God.
And, then, there is Jesus. He did not preach against the material blessings of God, should God choose to bestow such blessings upon whom He wishes. Jesus did have something to say about “materialISM” or the love of this world. He even indicated that loving this world and amassing riches could be a curse—an eternal curse on one’s soul. Jesus said,
“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven” (Mat. 19:24)
So, the Jesus Church does not preach against material blessings, but it does preach against greed and worldliness. The Jesus Church is characterized by a typically uncharacteristic spirit of radical generosity: 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need.
Another characteristic of The Jesus Church is that we are
2. Open to Every Body, But Not Every Idea (47)
47 praising God and having favor with all the people.
It is usually unwise to place too
much emphasis on a single word of Scripture, especially an adjective, and even
more especially an adjective such as, “all,” that occurs so often in Scripture
and in many different contexts. I
recognize this danger but feel I can justify focusing on this word, in this
verse, in this context.
Who are “all the people.” Normally, the word, “all,” refers to quantity, as in each and every representative in a particular set, such as, “all, or every marble in a bag.” This little word, “all,” causes a great divide among theologians on opposite sides of the issue of grace. On one side stand the strict Calvinists who do not believe that the sacrifice of Jesus applies to “all” people, but only to those who eventually accept the grace offered and are saved. On the other extreme you have the Universalists. They teach that Jesus death applies to “all” people, even those that do not accept Him as the Messiah, whose life and work is detailed in the Bible. There are many different versions of these extremes, but they all depend upon what the word, “all,” means. Theologians from various perspectives divide into camps based upon who they feel truly receive the grace of God that leads to salvation. I guess the idea of “fighting over grace has its own degree of irony.”
This little word appears four times in verses 44 to 47: “all the believers” (44); “all things” (44); “proceeds to all” (45); and “all the people” (47). Now, stay with me, I’m going somewhere.
The first three times the form is the common word referring to the “totality of the representatives in a group,” as with “all the marbles in a particular bag.” The fourth time, the word root changes. Now, it could be simply as a matter of literary style so as not to become boring. Or, it could be to shift the idea to make a particular point. I am going to opt for the latter view. The last use of “all” in verse 47 is from a different root word meaning, “whole, or undivided.” They idea isn’t as much one of quantity, as it is one of quality. Why is this significant.
Go back to verse 5 to get a picture of the crowd to whom Peter was preaching this Pentecost sermon we are looking at this morning.
5 There were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 And they were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking the magnificent acts of God in our own languages.”
Verse 6 refers to this group as a “crowd.” We could translate the word as a “plethora of people.” A plethora is a super abundance. This was a group that literally represented every nation under the sun. This sermon is an initial fulfillment of what Jesus had just declared in the previous chapter before He ascended to heaven:
“You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and even the uttermost parts of the world” (Acts 1:8).
Here’s what I want to emphasize. The Jesus Church should be a “plethora of people” who are each accepted regardless of race, color, creed, socio-economic status, or any other physical or social distinction. It also means that there is no “pit of sin so deep that God cannot reach down and rescue a soul.” Jew, Greek, slave or free as another passage describes those for whom God’s grace is available (Gal. 3:28)).
Who are “all the people.” Normally, the word, “all,” refers to quantity, as in each and every representative in a particular set, such as, “all, or every marble in a bag.” This little word, “all,” causes a great divide among theologians on opposite sides of the issue of grace. On one side stand the strict Calvinists who do not believe that the sacrifice of Jesus applies to “all” people, but only to those who eventually accept the grace offered and are saved. On the other extreme you have the Universalists. They teach that Jesus death applies to “all” people, even those that do not accept Him as the Messiah, whose life and work is detailed in the Bible. There are many different versions of these extremes, but they all depend upon what the word, “all,” means. Theologians from various perspectives divide into camps based upon who they feel truly receive the grace of God that leads to salvation. I guess the idea of “fighting over grace has its own degree of irony.”
This little word appears four times in verses 44 to 47: “all the believers” (44); “all things” (44); “proceeds to all” (45); and “all the people” (47). Now, stay with me, I’m going somewhere.
The first three times the form is the common word referring to the “totality of the representatives in a group,” as with “all the marbles in a particular bag.” The fourth time, the word root changes. Now, it could be simply as a matter of literary style so as not to become boring. Or, it could be to shift the idea to make a particular point. I am going to opt for the latter view. The last use of “all” in verse 47 is from a different root word meaning, “whole, or undivided.” They idea isn’t as much one of quantity, as it is one of quality. Why is this significant.
Go back to verse 5 to get a picture of the crowd to whom Peter was preaching this Pentecost sermon we are looking at this morning.
5 There were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 And they were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking the magnificent acts of God in our own languages.”
Verse 6 refers to this group as a “crowd.” We could translate the word as a “plethora of people.” A plethora is a super abundance. This was a group that literally represented every nation under the sun. This sermon is an initial fulfillment of what Jesus had just declared in the previous chapter before He ascended to heaven:
“You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and even the uttermost parts of the world” (Acts 1:8).
Here’s what I want to emphasize. The Jesus Church should be a “plethora of people” who are each accepted regardless of race, color, creed, socio-economic status, or any other physical or social distinction. It also means that there is no “pit of sin so deep that God cannot reach down and rescue a soul.” Jew, Greek, slave or free as another passage describes those for whom God’s grace is available (Gal. 3:28)).
The Bible teaches that nobody is
beyond God’s grace: it is for “all
people.” The Jesus Church is open
to everybody! But, the Jesus Church is not open to every idea!
Those in the crowd came from
various pagan cultures with philosophies, ideals, principles, and patterns of
living that were unacceptable in The Jesus Church. Paul would declare in many different ways
what we see summarized in Eph. 4:22-24 and other places: “Put off
the old man with his habits and put on the new.”
Grace, God’s wide and unlimited favor, accepts every person where they are—no matter how depraved they may be. BUT, God’s grace never leaves us where He finds us. He accepts the sinner, but never the sin.
Grace, God’s wide and unlimited favor, accepts every person where they are—no matter how depraved they may be. BUT, God’s grace never leaves us where He finds us. He accepts the sinner, but never the sin.
Doctrine maters.
Truth divides. The wideness of
God’s mercy does not still the tempest of His justice. The Jesus Church declares to every single
man, woman, and child, “Come as you
are!” The Jesus Church stands as the
Statue of Spiritual Liberty declaring: Come to us you who are tired, poor. You huddled masses yearning to be spiritually
free. You, the wretched refuse of the
world. Come, you the homeless,
sin-tossed souls to us. This is the
Jesus Church motto.
Jesus is the indeed the model of receptivity, but it is a qualified receptivity. The Jesus Church is open to every body, but not every idea. This brings us to another very important characteristic of a “True Christian Church,” the Jesus Church.
3. The Jesus Church preaches that salvation is not just an event, but also, and moreso, a process (v42).
Jesus is the indeed the model of receptivity, but it is a qualified receptivity. The Jesus Church is open to every body, but not every idea. This brings us to another very important characteristic of a “True Christian Church,” the Jesus Church.
3. The Jesus Church preaches that salvation is not just an event, but also, and moreso, a process (v42).
“They
were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching”
Note, it did not say they were “agreeable” to the Apostles teaching, or even they “understood” the Apostles teaching, or that they “enjoyed” the Apostles teaching. They were “devoted” to the Apostles’ teaching. They did not merely “hear the Word of God, but they practiced the Word of God.”
They hungered for God to show them through the Apostles what would be pleasing to Him, and what would honor the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ that granted them the grace to be saved eternally.
Just how “devoted” are we really to what the Bible says? How hungry are we really for the righteousness of God that comes through knowing and applying His word to our lives. Just how devoted are we . . . really?
The word translated devoted means, “to continue to do something with intense effort.” How intense is your effort in reading the Bible through each year? How intense is your effort in making sure you are in a regular, small group Bible study? How intense is your effort in applying the truths that are taught each week in church? How intense is your effort to discover new and creative ways to put into practice what you learn in church?
The Jesus Church preaches that salvation is an event, but also, and more so, a process. The prophetic nature of preaching is not to pass on information, but to call for transformation. Sermons are not religious speeches. Praise singing is not religious entertainment. Everything a Jesus Church does is to call people to pursue sanctification—the process of becoming “holy as Jesus is holy.”
The Jesus Church is one in which the members are continually growing as evidenced by radical acts of generosity and intense participation in prayer and Bible study.
Too often a Christian’s journey ends at the baptistry. Churches become like glorified day care centers for spiritual toddlers. The toddlers never grow up to become “ambassadors for Christ reconciling the world unto Him” (2Cor. 5:20). Paul addressed this very problem in 1Cor. 3:1-3
Note, it did not say they were “agreeable” to the Apostles teaching, or even they “understood” the Apostles teaching, or that they “enjoyed” the Apostles teaching. They were “devoted” to the Apostles’ teaching. They did not merely “hear the Word of God, but they practiced the Word of God.”
They hungered for God to show them through the Apostles what would be pleasing to Him, and what would honor the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ that granted them the grace to be saved eternally.
Just how “devoted” are we really to what the Bible says? How hungry are we really for the righteousness of God that comes through knowing and applying His word to our lives. Just how devoted are we . . . really?
The word translated devoted means, “to continue to do something with intense effort.” How intense is your effort in reading the Bible through each year? How intense is your effort in making sure you are in a regular, small group Bible study? How intense is your effort in applying the truths that are taught each week in church? How intense is your effort to discover new and creative ways to put into practice what you learn in church?
The Jesus Church preaches that salvation is an event, but also, and more so, a process. The prophetic nature of preaching is not to pass on information, but to call for transformation. Sermons are not religious speeches. Praise singing is not religious entertainment. Everything a Jesus Church does is to call people to pursue sanctification—the process of becoming “holy as Jesus is holy.”
The Jesus Church is one in which the members are continually growing as evidenced by radical acts of generosity and intense participation in prayer and Bible study.
Too often a Christian’s journey ends at the baptistry. Churches become like glorified day care centers for spiritual toddlers. The toddlers never grow up to become “ambassadors for Christ reconciling the world unto Him” (2Cor. 5:20). Paul addressed this very problem in 1Cor. 3:1-3
Brothers,
I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh,
as babies in Christ. 2 I
gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it.
In fact, you are still not ready, 3 because you are still
fleshly.
The Jesus Church realizes that the Christian life begins as an event of repentance when God infuses us with His free grace. We do no more to be “born again,” than we did when we were “born physically.” But, salvation is not just an event, but it is a process of continually pursuing spiritual maturity to become the full measure of what God intends for us to be in this life. This requires, “devotion,” which means to “continue doing something with intense effort.”
The Jesus Church realizes that the Christian life begins as an event of repentance when God infuses us with His free grace. We do no more to be “born again,” than we did when we were “born physically.” But, salvation is not just an event, but it is a process of continually pursuing spiritual maturity to become the full measure of what God intends for us to be in this life. This requires, “devotion,” which means to “continue doing something with intense effort.”
What kind of church would Jesus be comfortable
attending—or, what kind of church would be comfortable with Jesus attending? Let me tell you the story of an 8000
member mega-church that decided to send letters to all the members of the
church who had not participated in the church by volunteering or giving. Over a three year period, only half the
members had ever volunteered. One third
had never given anything to the church.
The pastor stated in an interview, “Before
now, we tried to make people feel comfortable and welcome. We tried to coax them into giving a little
something in return. That’s
changed. We are done being a community
nanny.” Julie and Bob Clark received
one of the church’s letters. It stated,
in part, “We invite you to participate in
the life of the church, or we ask you to worship somewhere else.” Julie read the letter to her husband Bob,
and then commented, “The basically are
calling us freeloaders!” Bob thought
for a moment and replied, “We ARE
freeloaders.” After getting over the
initial shock, Bob said to his wife, “You
know, this church rocks. They are saying
they don’t allow wussies.” Bob and
Julie, along with hundreds of others made appointments to speak with the pastor
to tell the pastor, “Pastor, I admire you
and the church so much more since you sent us the letter telling us to get
involved or get lost.” The most
interesting part of this story is, none
of it is true.
This story does make me think, should the church
simply be a “community nanny making
people feel comfortable simply attending church once a week to get their
religious tickets punched?”
Jesus would be comfortable in a generous church that welcomed the material blessings of God, but
condemns materialism and greed. Jesus
would be comfortable in a discerning church
that was open to everybody, but not open to every idea. Jesus would be comfortable in maturing church that understood that
salvation was not only and event, but also a process where every member was
intensely pursuing spiritual growth and vitality. There
is a church Jesus would be comfortable with?
The question is: is it “this”
church?
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