Jan 26, 2014
Acts 2:37-42
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Peter’s sermon has been surgical:
1. He defends against the accusation of drunkenness.
Logically, the accusation was baseless. Biblically, the accusation was unfounded.
2. Then He explains to the crowd what this event meant.
Peter’s progression is methodical: Jesus was sent by God “attested by miracles, signs, and wonders.” Though you knew this “you took Him by lawless hands and crucified Him” anyway, but.... God raised Him from the dead. Alive, Jesus was then “exalted to the right hand of God, received the promise of the Holy Spirit, and poured out this which you now see and hear.” After making it clear Jesus had indeed been resurrected to life, Peter boldly closes his sermon by presenting a sobering reality they’d be wise to consider. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus.... both Lord and Christ.”
One can accurately say that everything the Holy Spirit has been doing on Pentecost (arriving with a thundering sound, pouring Himself upon the 120, enabling them to worship in foreign tongues, filling the apostles with boldness to take a stand, using Peter’s natural leadership giftings to preach to the multitudes) has all been leading up to this glorious moment....
Acts 2:37, “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
It could be said that the most radicle work of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was softening the hearts of those who were listening to the sermon Peter preached.
Look at the crowd’s reaction:
1. “They were cut to the heart....”
The Greek word “cut” is “katanyssomai” which indicates the audience was “pierced or stabbed” by the words they heard! The conviction they experienced brought with it a physical pain. It’s a fact that the first legitimate child of truth is always conviction.
2. Then they asked, “What shall we do?”
As the magnitude of what they’d done begins to settle in, this multitude is left with only one basic question.... “Is there any hope for us?” It was a crucial reaction! I’m of the opinion that the “Spirit of truth” always produces conviction deep within the soul of the hearer; however, the results of this work become completely predicated upon the willingness of the individual to act accordingly. Resisting the conviction of the Spirit will only lead to destruction; but, as we see in this instance, embracing conviction will yield a plea towards repentance.
As we mentioned last week it really is evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit’s work on Pentecost that the multitude responded without the solicitation of Peter. “It’s been said that in normal seasons of Christian work the evangelist seeks the sinner. Yet in times of revival or awakening, the sinner seeks the evangelist.”
So in response to their question, Peter answers them....
Acts 2:38-40, “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”
First, Peter tells them to “repent!”
Tragically, most people have a false-understanding of what Biblical repentance actually looks like. Many mistake “repentance” as nothing more than the “feelings of sorrow.” Nothing could be further from the truth! In the Greek the word “repent” is “metanoeô” which describes when a person makes a conscious “changing of the mind that produces a change of direction.” In exhorting them to “repent” Peter is literally telling them they need to “change their minds concerning Jesus - turn from themselves - and follow after Him.” In it’s most simplistic state repentance can be defined as “siding with God against self!”
Let me paraphrase an interesting observation David Guzik¹ makes in his commentary on this passage. He says, “Responding to the question, “What shall we do?” Peter gave them something to do.... which means that we must do something to be saved, we must do something to follow Jesus; salvation doesn’t just “happen” independent of our involvement.... it requires repentance!” Please understand, while it is 100% true that “salvation” is only a manifestation of our “faith in Jesus” independent of our “works,” “repentance” is the critical first act of the will responding to the conviction of the Spirit whereby we turn from self and come to Him for the purpose of salvation.
Picture a thief who, in the midst of his evil scheme, hears the words, “Stop! You’re under arrest!” In that single moment of guilt he’s now forced to make an important decision. “Do I run or surrender?” Understand, repentance is more than the acknowledgment of guilt. Repentance is akin to the thief, in the moment of his guilt, making the choice to raise his hands in surrender before slowly turning around to face the captor who will determine his fate. C.S. Lewis said, “Every story of conversion is a story of blessed defeat.” “Repent! is the first word of the Gospel. It is not an accident John the Baptist, Jesus, and now Peter had the word “Repent!” as the core of their message to the people!”
Then Peter continues.... “And let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins....”
Though a cursory reading of this verse indicates that Peter is making an argument that baptism is essential for salvation, this isn’t the case for three simple reasons:
1. Practically, we have examples in the Bible contrary to this belief.
(A) Acts 9: The conversion of Saul. (B) Acts 10: The conversion of Cornelius.
2. Doctrinally, salvation is presented as a manifestation of faith not works.
If baptism was so vitally important why did Paul say in 1 Corinthians 1:14-17, “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius.... For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.”
3. Scripturally, Peter isn’t making this claim in this passage.
Peter is specific they “be baptized.... for the remission of sin.” The word “for” has been incorrectly translated. In the Greek “eis” means “because of” or “on account of.” Peter is literally saying, “Because your sins have been forgiven, you should be baptized.” Baptism was encouraged as a public expression of their saving faith in Jesus. Note: This was a big deal for this group of “devout” Jews who were familiar with baptism, but had never participated in the practice. In Judaism water baptism was a ceremonial proceeding specifically for Gentile converts. The act of being immersed in the water signified the cleansing of sin and rebirth into the family of God! Peter is basically telling them.... “Repent! Be saved! Then let the world know!”
We can’t move on without addressing this phrase.... “the remission of sin.” “Remission” is the Greek word “aphesis” meaning “released from bondage or imprisonment.” The phrase “remission of sin” should be translated “to be released from the bondage of sin by the remission of the penalty for sin!”
Finally, he closes with the exhortation, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”
“Be saved” means “to be separated.” This word doesn’t present an action we’re being exhorted to take, but rather a position we’re commanded to have! How is a person “saved” from “this perverse generation?” Interestingly enough we find the same word used in John 3, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
Isn’t it fascinating that Peter is appealing to “devout” religious people to “be saved?”
Acts 2:41, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
“Then those who....” The sad reality is that not everyone responded to Peter’s sermon. As we’ll see next week a real opposition would resist what God was doing. That said.... Luke the Historian makes it clear there was a large contingency of people (3000 to be exact) who “gladly received his word” and “were baptized.”
Before we continue I think it would be prudent to look at this event on Pentecost from the macro-perspective of Scripture.
If you go all the way back to Genesis 9, in response to the depravity and rebellion of man’s sinful nature which resulted in a flood, God commanded Noah and his family to spread out and “fill the earth.” Sadly, according to Genesis 11, Noah’s descendants defied this command and decided to do the opposite by coming together to build the “Tower of Babel.” As one commentator stated, “The heart and the materials relevant to the Tower of Babel showed that mankind was not only disobedient to God’s command, but had also refused to believe God’s promise to never again flood the earth.”
Recognizing the extent of man’s fallen state, and in a proactive move of mercy to avoid another judgment, God thwarted man’s plans by personally forcing the separation of peoples by confusing their languages. At Babel, you can say God divided the nations.... But.... now on Pentecost, since humanity had been given a new nature through the indwelling Spirit, we see God actively reversing the effects of Babel by personally unifying peoples from every nationality to form a new, holy community. Interestingly, the mechanism for accomplishing both (separation at Babel and unification on Pentecost) was human language. At Babel, God divided the world by confusing their language. But on Pentecost, God unifies people by enabling everyone to hear “the wonderful works of God” in their own native tongue.
1 Peter 2:9-10, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
Now with so many new Christians filling their ranks the pressing question arose.... How do you effectively care for the needs of a church totaling 3120 people? How do you go about bringing all these new converts into maturity? How do you provide for their spiritual health and spur on development? We’re about to see they determined four things were essential for accomplishing the task at hand.... and in these four things we continue to develop the blueprint for the church.
Acts 2:42, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
Luke says, “they continued steadfastly” in these four things. “Steadfastly” is the Greek word “proskartereô” meaning “to be devoted.” Note: The key to spiritual maturity is not that you do these four things on occasion or even when you feel obliged. The key is that you devote yourself to incorporating each of them into the fabric of your life. That said.... it’s also important to point out that a dedication to the same four things is also essential for the church to function as Christ intended!
1. They continued steadfastly in the “Apostles’ Doctrine.”
“Apostles’ Doctrine” in the Greek is “apostolos didachê” which literally means they continued steadfastly in “what was taught to them by the Apostles.” The relevant question: What did the Apostles teach the people?
A. They taught the people who Jesus was and what He had done for them. This is demonstrated by the Christ-centricity of every sermon recorded in the book of Acts. These lessons would be complied into the four Gospels.
B. They taught the people the very things Jesus had taught them from the OT Scriptures.... in essence they taught them the Bible. It’s important to point out that the NT doesn’t really present anything new. Since Jesus came to “fulfill the Law and the Prophets” every concept discussed or expounded upon from Romans to Revelation finds its origin in the OT Scriptures and ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. In essence, since Jesus was the key to understanding the OT the Apostles were able to look back at the Scripture with the benefit of the cypher making their NT writings simply a commentary on the Old.
Note: It is not an accident the “Apostles’ Doctrine” is listed first. Though there are other things important to the health of a church (worship, outreach, etc), none is more important than the teaching of God’s Word. As a fact of church history there has never existed a revival or great spiritual awakening that did not have as a key component the teaching of God’s Word!
2. They continued steadfastly in “Fellowship.”
“Fellowship” is the Greek word “koinônia.” Though common throughout the NT this is the first time we find the word used in Scripture. It should also be pointed out that koinônia” is one of the most difficult words to translate from Greek into English. Honestly, “fellowship” is a rather poor translation of “koinônia.” The word itself is so complex it can also be translated “association, community, joint participation, togetherness, oneness, community.” Think of “koinônia” as “life-sharing.” The word speaks to the reality that the Christian experience is designed to be shared or lived with others. The early church found it essential for spiritual growth that they continuously place themselves under the encouraging influence of other like-minded believers. In some ways you could say they “made it a priority to hang out with one another,” but the word describes a deeper connection between people. “Koinônia” transcends simply spending time with one another. It describes sharing life in a Christ-centered community with one another.
Realize this “koinônia connection” is essential for a healthy church. Think about it this way.... If we are all one body in Christ Jesus, but we’re made up of separate, individual parts than we grow together or face deformity!
Today the great issue facing the church in a generation of socially inept people is how to create and foster “koinônia” within the community of local believers. In addressing this issue the first thing to keep in mind is that genuine “koinônia” is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit working organically through the natural connections of ordinary church life. “Artificial Koinônia” is nothing more than an illusion.
“Organic Koinônia” happens when people congregate together on Sunday.... move beyond inhibitions to make a simple connection with another person as the Spirit leads.... only to then make an effort to develop that connection outside the walls of this building by meeting again sometime throughout the week. Grabbing lunch after church, inviting a family to your home for dinner, setting up a play date with the kids, getting together to watch football or grill out can all be forms of sharing life with one another.... building “koinônia.” This doesn’t mean that you’re going to be able to share life with everyone in the church. Sociologist claim human beings only have a maximum capacity for 12 meaningful human connections at a given time. That said.... consider.... how many Christians are you sharing life with?
A growing trend in church life is what I’d call a “loner approach” to the Christian experience. This is why most people gravitate to large churches because it’s easier to attend without ever actually connecting with other human beings. If you are introverted and find it easiest to engage in the “You + Jesus + No One Else Christian Experience,” please understand, you’re doing nothing more than hindering your own spiritual development. “Koinônia” is not presented as a suggestion. It is presented as an essential component for spiritual health. That being said.... I do understand that not everyone has the ability to make these kind of meaningful connections at church on their own. Some folks, and it’s mostly introverted personalities, have a difficult time connecting with others.
This is why at Calvary316 we’ve created various venues of structured fellowship designed to aid people as they attempt to develop “organic koinônia.” Sunday Fellowships, Special Events, Mom & Kids Outing, Sisterhood Events, Sunday’s Cereal Bar, Band of Brothers all exist to create a more personal environment with the goal of helping you create and foster “koinônia.” Here’s the kicker: Calvary316 cannot create “koinônia” for you! We can provide you with opportunities, but until you see this as something you need and are willing to make an effort it will never happen and you’ll be worse for it!
3. They continued steadfastly in “the breaking of bread.”
Because “the breaking of bread” is in the emphatic tense this means more than they made it a priority to eat meals together. The idea presented behind this phrase is that it was a regular part of their lives to partake of communion just as Jesus had instructed them that first Passover. It would seem this church made it a priority to remember what Jesus had done for them on the cross by partaking of the elements whenever they gathered. This is why we make communion available every Sunday morning.
It should also be pointed out that this phrase challenges the concept of communion being limited to only the communal gather of the church on Sunday. Have you ever considered.... why do we only enjoy communion at church? It’s interesting, but history suggests that when Christians would eat together even in a social setting they would close their meal with communion. Now obviously there would be some practical difficulty to having communion following your Sunday lunch at El Real, but I do think over the years the church has “overly formalized” the act of communion.
4. They continued steadfastly “in Prayers.”
The idea behind “in prayers” isn’t that they spent time in prayer on their own individually, but that they came together to pray corporately. One commentator observed, “In the Greek the definite article occurs before the word ‘prayer.’ The text actually says, ‘to the prayers.’ They devoted themselves ‘to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.’ Obviously, that is a reference to something formal – to worship in which the people got together and praised God.”
In conclusion:
Your church takes these four things so seriously we have woven them into the fabric of our church. We’ve done this because these four things are not only crucial for your growth, but are are essential for us to follow Jesus’ blueprint for His church.
Without an attitude to “continue steadfastly” in the study of God’s Word - “koinônia” with like-mind Christians - keeping Jesus’ work on the cross at the forefront of our minds by constantly partaking of the elements - and making prayer a lifestyle not a one time event.... it will be impossible for you to develop spiritually!