The First Fellowship

Published by Stanley Pouw in 2016 · 17 January 2016

In Acts 2:42-47 we learn some of the ideal characteristics of the church. There are really two main ways in which the New Testament exhibits to us what the church should be like. One of them is doctrinal and that is in Ephesians. The other is historical and that is specifically in Acts 2. We see this new born church in its prime when the memory of Jesus was still vivid, when the gifts of the Spirit were fresh and when there was a vitality that was beautiful and glorious.

So the church was born in Jerusalem on that first day and had three thousand added to the original of one hundred and twenty disciples. They knew who was a part of the church by a profession of faith and by baptism and this is really the precedent for such a thing as membership in a church. So they know who has committed himself to Christ and for whom they are responsible in ministries. So the firstfruits of the church were gathered on Pentecost which was a feast celebrating First-Fruits.

Now as we go through the book of Acts, we are going to see how it grew and how it reproduced. And we are going to see the growth of the church out to the end of the book of Acts. Now what was this first church like? And perhaps even more significant is, can we be like that church? Every true evangelical church has tried to capture that all through the ages since.

But before that we have to know what that church was like. Now as we look at verses 42 to 47 in kind of a general way, we begin with a little group of humble disciples who have counted the cost; and are identified by public baptism with Jesus Christ, thus separating themselves from their Judaism. The church, the new dispensation is born and people filled with the Holy Spirit and possessing the power promised by Christ begin to do what Christ did not finish.

Now you will see that this was an ideal church for many reasons. Number one, it had the proper content. Number two, it had proper character. And number three it had the proper results. To be a growing church, we have to go back to the church beginning and begin with its content. In Ephesians 4:11-12 it tells us that there were apostles and teaching shepherds and evangelists given to the church for the perfecting of the saints.

Let's look first what indicated this church had the proper content. Well, it was a saved church; and in verse 42 it says that they continued steadfastly. In other words, continuing in Christ is a proof of real salvation. People always say, what about so-and-so? They believed for a while and then they dropped away. 1 John 2:19 says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” Continuation is a sign of true salvation.

Notice the second thing, the church has to have the proper character. They were not only a saved church, they were also studying doctrine. Verse 42, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching.” They gave themselves to being instructed and teaching others. Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:2, “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Reproductive cycles of teaching is the right pattern for the church. It never was intended to be an entertainment center. And you cannot teach if you yourself do not study. The pattern for growth in the church is given in 1 Peter 2:2, which says, "As babies desire milk you desire the word that you may grow by it." Growth comes from teaching. Teaching, studying, content, doctrine is the basis of the church. Not emotion-doctrine.

1 Timothy 4:6, “you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.” Verse 16, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” And then he says in 2 Timothy 4:2, “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” So it was a saved and a studying church.

Third, they were a fellowshipping church. It says in verse 42, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Fellowship just means spiritual togetherness. The fellowship of the body is the interaction of believers with each other in ministering their spiritual gifts and various other ministries. And this church was involved in that.

Now fellowship is a positional word that comes from a word that means partner. When you receive Jesus Christ you became a partner with Christ. You also became a partner with every other Christian. You can never be out of partnership with God or with other believers. But you lose the joy of that fellowship when you sin, that's 1 John 1:4, "These things I write unto you that your joy may be full.” Fellowship is permanent but the joy comes and goes as you participate in the fellowship.

It was also an awesome church. Verse 43, "And awe came upon every soul". This church brought awe, which means reverence, not terror. It is the idea of being aware that something supernatural is going on. God is working and every soul felt a sense of awe. Their life was so real and so powerful such that other people were mesmerized with their mouths open because they couldn't figure it out.

For example Luke 7:12-16, “As Jesus drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear (or awe) seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “God has visited his people!”

Not only was it an awesome church but it was also a miraculous church. Verse 43 continues, “and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.” In Acts 5:14-16 we can see the effect, “And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”

The works that Peter did and the miracles all were pointing directly to Jesus as Christ, the Messiah. And the apostles were given power to do miracles in order to confirm the word they preached. In Hebrews 2:3 it says, “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard.”

Now when the Word was fully completed in Scripture, the age of miracles as such ceased. If different people come and they all teach different things, I can tell very quickly who is teaching the truth, I compare him with the Bible, Right? I don't need miracles anymore I have the standard right here. When that which is perfect has come being the word of God, then those other things begin to fade away.

Do you think God does miracles? I know He does. If you're a Christian He did one great miracle-- He made you a new creature. I have seen God do miracles in the church. I've seen God touch people's bodies and heal them. I've seen Him touch their minds and give them understanding. I've seen Him patch together broken homes. I've seen Him piece together broken hearts. I've seen miracle after miracle. He's still a God who by miracles cares for His own and accomplishes His will.

There is another thing about this church's character, it was a sharing church. Verse 44, "And all that believed were together and had all things common." They just passed stuff around, humble, loving selfless people. Verse 45 says, "They sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need and they continued daily with one accord.”

Many of these people that had received Jesus Christ undoubtedly came from out of town. So consequently there were some immediate pressing problems. What do we do with these people who having received Christ are now lingering around to grow in their faith and to sit under the apostles' teachings? They did not want to go back immediately but remained to be taught in their new faith.

In addition to that there were many poor people in Jerusalem whose income may have been cut off by certain Jews when they had named the name of Christ. So they had an immediate problem of dispensing welfare to these individuals. And of people, who perhaps for a little season, had ceased their employment in order to sit under the teaching of the apostles and would later on go back to their employment.

So these people were sharing with each other and living with each other. Verses 44-46 say, “And 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. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.”

But the key thing to understand are the two verbs in verse 45, there are sold and parted. They were selling their possessions and goods and parting them to all men as every man had need. The idea here is simply that when somebody had a need somebody then sold something and supplied that individual's need.

For God there is no difference between the visible church and the invisible church. The New Testament word ekklesia, means the called out ones, the assembly of believers; the church. Now that word is used to speak of the spiritual reality of all believers in the whole world. The same word is also used to speak of the local congregation. And if you are not involved in your local church, you are disobedient to the concept of fellowship.

Now look at the symbol of their togetherness. Verse 46 says, "breaking bread". This refers to the Lord's Supper. The symbol of their fellowship was the communion. We all meet at the foot of the cross as sinners saved by the grace of God. And thus the cross is that which brought peace which reconciled us to God, which also reconciled us to each other. And so it becomes a symbol of our unity with Christ.

And we do this the last Sunday of every month. It is not a public service for unbelievers, it is for us who love Jesus Christ to share and fellowship. And when we come together for the Lord’s Supper in a real spiritual sense Christ and every other believer is one with us when we partake of that cup and that bread. Now watch the rest of verse 46, "And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple". They still went to the temple for prayer and to witness too.

And then verse 47 it says, “they were praising God.” Did you know that everybody was involved in praising God and giving Him all the glory? So it was also a praying church. Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscles of omnipotence and if you can get enough people praying then you are going to activate God's power. Jesus told them in John 14: 14, “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

And they were in prayers. And it's not talking about the individual prayers as it is talking about coming together collectively to be involved in prayer. The church will be packed for a Christian rock concert or for a Christian comedian but when you announce a prayer meeting only a few faithful saints will trickle in. I believe we would see miracles happen if we got together in mass and prayed. Do you believe that?

And they got the proper results. They were a church that attracted people. It says in verse 47, "And having favor with all the people.” Aristides, the Athenian philosopher, was an unbeliever viewing the early church wrote this about Christians: "They abstain from all impurity in the hope of the recompense that is to come in another world. They do not worship strange gods and they walk in all humility and kindness and falsehood is not found among them and they love one another. When they see the stranger they bring him to their homes and rejoice over him as over a true brother. And if there is among them a man that is poor and needy and if they have not an abundance of sustenance they will fast two or three days so that they may supply the needy with the necessary food.

They observe scrupulously the commandment of their Messiah. They live honestly and soberly as the Lord their God commanded them. Every morning and all hours on account of the goodness of God toward them they praise and laud Him and over their food and their drink they render Him thanks. And if any righteous person of their number passes away from this world they rejoice and give thanks to God and they follow his body as though he were moving from one place to another. Such is the law of the Christians and such is their conduct."

Lastly, they were a growing church. Listen verse 47 ends with, "And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” We have to be faithful in telling people the good news, but it is the Lord who was doing the adding. And He is still in charge today, Amen? Are you doing your part in witnessing about His love for you to everyone around you? Let us pray.