************ Sermon on Acts 2:47b ************
By: Rev. Adrian Dieleman
This sermon was preached on July 12, 1998
Acts 2:41-47
vs 47b
"A Witnessing Church"
IntroductionTopic: Witnessing
Subtopic:
Index: 3603-3605
Date: 6/1992.29
Title:
It was the seventh game of the 1962 World Series. The San Francisco Giants had a man on second base, which put him near New York Yankee second baseman Bobby Richardson. When the Yanks decided to change pitchers, Richardson, who was a Christian, saw a unique opportunity. While the new pitcher was warming up, Bobby asked the runner on second if he knew Jesus as his Savior.
When the runner reached the dugout later, he told a teammate, another outspoken Christian, what Bobby had said to him. And then he added, "Even in the seventh game of the World Series you people are still talking about Jesus." That runner couldn't understand what made Christians so eager to talk about Jesus Christ, even in highly unusual situations.
It is sad to consider that even in the church there are those who think that Bobby Richardson is strange or different. In actual fact, though, there is nothing strange or different about Bobby Richardson. We should all be like him. For Bobby Richardson is like the apostles and the other early Christians. Do you remember the time Peter and John were dragged before the Sanhedrin? They were commanded not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20). Why not? Because they were Spirit-filled. Spirit-filled Christians and Spirit-filled churches cannot help but speak about Jesus. Spirit-filled Christians and Spirit-filled churches cannot help but be witnesses to the Christ.
If we claim to be Spirit-filled – both as individual Christians and as a church – then we too cannot help but speak about Jesus.
This is now the fifth sermon on what a Spirit-filled church looks like. First, we said a Spirit-filled church is a learning church. She devotes herself to the teaching of the Apostles about Jesus. She is anxious to believe and obey what Jesus and His apostles taught.
Second, we said that a Spirit-filled church devotes herself "to the fellowship," to koinonia among members. Such fellowship or koinonia, we said, comes to expression when church members support each other and are one in heart and mind. A Spirit-filled church is a loving and unified church.
Third, we said such fellowship or koinonia also comes to expression in looking after the needs of the poor. A Spirit-filled church is a caring and sharing church.
Fourth, we said a Spirit-filled church is a worshiping church. She devotes herself to fellowship or koinonia with God. So the early church worshiped God in the temple and in the home, in the Lord's Supper and in the prayers, with joy and reverence.
To sum up, we have to say that a Spirit-filled church is a learning church, a fellowshipping church, and a worshiping church.
These three characteristics of the early church all have to do with her inner life; they tell us nothing about her compassionate outreach to the world. In other words, these three characteristics do not give us the full picture of the church's life. They need to be balanced by the words of our text: "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47b). Those first Jerusalem Christians were not so preoccupied with learning, fellowshipping, and worshiping, that they forgot about witnessing. You see, we can never forget that a Spirit-filled church is also a witnessing church. The Holy Spirit is a missionary Spirit Who created a missionary church. As Jesus said to the apostles:(Acts 1:8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Filled with the power of the Spirit, the church cannot help but be Christ's witnesses.
I Witness to Christ
A What can we say about the early church's witness? What is immediately clear is that it was focused on Jesus Christ. It is not enough, however, to "proclaim Jesus." For there are many today who proclaim Jesus but we can hardly recognize the Christ of their proclamation. Some say He is less than God and more than man – this is the view of the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons. Others say He is only an example for us to follow and imitate – this is the classic liberal approach. Still others say we must add our works and faith to His blood in order to be saved – this is till the official view of the Roman Catholics. And still others say He is a mythical, mystical figure with no relevance for today – we hear this from many of our secular neighbors and co-workers.
The early church proclaimed an historical Jesus – He really lived, died, arose, and ascended. They proclaimed a saving Jesus – His life, death, resurrection, and ascension all have to do with salvation. They proclaimed a relevant Jesus – He lives and reigns right now and gives salvation to anyone who believes.
The early church had a fourfold message about Christ. First, the Gospel events. At the center of the church's witness was the death and resurrection of the Lord – namely that He was put to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (Rom 4:32). Second, the Gospel witnesses. The early church appealed to two witnesses: the Old Testament Scriptures fulfilled by Christ and the eyewitness of the apostles. Third, the Gospel promises. The early church proclaimed the promise of forgiveness (to wipe out the past) and the gift of the Spirit (to make us new people). Fourth, the Gospel demand. The church proclaimed that the Gospel of Jesus demands a response of repentance and faith (cf Stott, The Spirit, The Church, And The World, p. 80-81).
Here, then, is the fourfold Gospel message of the apostles: two events (Christ's death and resurrection), attested by two witnesses (the prophets and the apostles), two promises (forgiveness and the Spirit), and two demands (repentance and faith).
Filled with the power of the Spirit, the early church witnessed to Jesus Christ. Filled with the power of the Spirit, the early church proclaimed Christ crucified and Christ resurrected.
B The early Spirit-filled church, then, made Christ the center of her witness. And we can do no less. When we witness, our witness must be centered on Christ. It is good to invite people to worship or Coffee Break or VBS, to participate in church programs and ministries, but we confuse the issue and miss the point if we don't press them to meet the Christ.Topic: Preaching
Subtopic: Commanded
Index: 2088
Date: 8/1988.12
Title: Preach the Word
The story is told about an old American Indian who attended a church service one Sunday morning. The preacher's message lacked real spiritual food, so he did a lot of shouting and pulpit pounding to cover up his lack of preparation. In fact, as it is sometimes said, he "preached up quite a storm." After the service, someone asked the Indian, who was a Christian, what he thought of the minister's message. Thinking for a moment, he summed up his opinion in six words: "High wind. Big thunder. No rain."
Yes, when the Scriptures are neglected, there is "no rain." Only when preaching and witnessing are based on God's Word and centered on Christ are His people blessed and refreshed. Otherwise, we are only some more noise in an already noisy world. The point is this: if we are filled with the Spirit then we, like the early church, will witness to Christ.
At the same time I need to say that missions and outreach not only calls people to believe in Jesus but also to join the church. Our text tells us that "the Lord added to their number ... those who were being saved." He did not add them to the church without saving them, nor did He save them without adding them to the church. Salvation and church membership belonged together; they still do. We can't divorce salvation and church membership like so many do; they go hand-in-hand.
II The Church's Bold, Daily Witness
A What else can we say about the early church's witness? We see in the book of Acts that it involved not only the apostles but also – and especially – the ordinary members. After the death of Stephen a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Scripture tells us that "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went" (Acts 8:4). The word "preached" here is misleading; the Greek expression means "to tell or share the good news." What is plain is that in the early church it wasn't only the apostles but also the ordinary believers – the man and woman and child in the pew – who spread the good news of the Gospel. This certainly wasn't his intention, but by persecuting the church Satan was helping her to grow:Topic: Afflictions
Subtopic: Refining Influence of
Index: 496
Date: 7/1998.101
Title:
Did you know that if one of the arms of a starfish is severed, a new one will grow in its place? In fact, if a starfish is cut up, any pieces that contain a part of the central disc will develop into a new starfish.
Some oyster fishermen found that out, much to their dismay, when their oyster beds became infested with starfish. The fishermen cut up the starfish they caught and tossed the pieces back into the water. Rather than destroying them, however, they were actually helping them multiply.
What a picture of Christianity. The more it has been opposed and persecuted, the more it has multiplied, just like the starfish because of the witness of ordinary members.
We make a great mistake if we downplay the importance of the individual believer's witness. We make a great mistake if we say evangelism and outreach and missions is the job of ministers and missionaries and evangelism committees. Rather, it is the job of each and every member. More than 20 years in the ministry has shown me that the witness of individual believers is by far the most effective means of outreach. Tony Campallo has this to say about the importance of the witness of the ordinary Christian:Topic: Witnessing
Subtopic:
Index: 3603-3605
Date: 4/1993.27
Title:
On a number of occasions I have taken an informal survey to see how people have come to know Jesus. I ask how many became Christians as the result of listening to some Christian radio show. Seldom does a hand go up. When I ask how many were saved through a Christian television show, the response is not much better. Out of a crowd of several thousand people, usually just a few hands go up when I ask how many have become Christians because of a sermon they heard. Usually only two or three percent of the crowd responds.
But when I ask how many have become Christians because some person loved them and shared the gospel with them, the response is always overwhelming. There is never any doubt after such surveys that the best and most "powerful" means of evangelism is not TV at all, but ordinary people who love their friends and relatives enough to tell them about Christ.
We need to regain the perspective of the early church, the perspective that every member has a responsibility to witness to Christ.Topic: Witnessing
Subtopic:
Index: 3603-3605
Date:
Title:
Dr. James Stewart, professor of New Testament at the University of Edinburgh, described what he thought is the greatest threat to the church. He said, "It is not communism, atheism, or materialism; the greatest threat is Christians trying to sneak into heaven incognito without ever sharing their faith."
Sad to say, many Christians are this way – they never once share their faith.
B Acts 4:31 tells us that the early Spirit-filled church witnessed with boldness. In fact, Acts 4:29 tells us that the apostles prayed for that: "enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness." With this we should link the words of Acts 4:33: "with great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus." Those early Christians witnessed in spite of persecution or threat of persecution. They witnessed regardless of what people might say or think of them. They were willing to go anywhere and to anyone in order to witness to Jesus Christ. They were willing to go around the world and across the street, around the country and across the lunch room, around the continent and across the office. They went to friend and foe, to home and marketplace, to the Synagogue and riverside with the good news of Jesus Christ.
C The book of Acts also tells us that the early Spirit-filled church witnessed daily. Our text tells us the Lord added to their number "daily." In the Greek language the verb "added" implies continuous action. The Lord added and kept adding every day to the church's numbers. The early church's evangelism was not occasional or sporadic. It didn't happen only during a Mission Emphasis week or VBS. No, just as their worship was daily (46a), so was their witness. Daily witness, like daily praise, is the natural overflow of hearts filled with the Spirit. Spirit-filled Christians testify daily to the Christ.
D What was the result of this witness? Eight times we are given wonderful summaries of the early church's growth. We are told that "three thousand were added to their number" on Pentecost Sunday (Acts 2:41). Later we are told "more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number" (Acts 5:12). The early Spirit-filled church was blessed by the Lord with growth in numbers (cf 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:30-31).
III Evangelism: A Work of the Lord
We know that God, not us, is in charge of all things. He controls the weather. He holds men and nations in His hand. He holds up the heavens and the earth. This same care and control is to be seen in the area of evangelism and missions. There too it is God, not us, Who is in charge.
Our text reminds us of this. It tells us "the Lord added to their number." Yes, He did it through the preaching of the apostles, the witness of church members, the impressive love of their common life, and the fervor of their worship. Yet, He did it. For He is the head of the church. He alone can admit people into the church's membership and He alone can give salvation.
We need to hear this today because often we think it is up to us to save the lost. We hear of church-planting ministries. We hear much talk today of how radio, TV, tract, and print ministries are opening up the world to God's Word. Human technology does allow us to reach out as we never have before, but let us never forget we remain dependent upon God. It is He Who is the principal evangelist. It is His Spirit which must open minds and soften hearts. It is the seed of His Word which must take root and grow and develop. Ultimately, it is He Who adds the lost to the church.
Conclusion
God is the principal evangelist. Yet, in a Spirit-filled church every member is a bold and daily witness to Jesus Christ.
Let me ask what I asked before: are we a Spirit-filled church?; are you a Spirit-filled Christian?
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