Pastor Aaron Prelock provides the second part of the message from last week and gives the responsibilities of the church from Acts 2:42.
Bloomington Bible Church Sermons
What does the Church do?
Acts chapter 2 verse 42 we're looking this week at the question what does a church do last week you saw from Acts chapter 20 what does a pastor do this week we're looking at the question what does a church do I am a child of the 80s and I remember my first awarenesses of politics as a kid being very mixed feelings remember watching the Berlin wall come down and my dad who worked at caterpillar at the time pointing out that it was caterpillar machines that were helping tear down this sign of tyranny as a young boy I felt that somehow we were involved in this my family were helping do something good in the world I remember watching I guess it was new technology at the time the video recordings in night vision of the bombardment of Iraq and the first Gulf War there's iconic green and white images of rockets flooding the sky and impacting Iraqi cities at the beginning of the first Gulf War and not understanding what exactly was going on but knowing that there was something significant happening and then I guess it was a few years later I remember Bosnia and realizing maybe for the first time that there were places around the world where people's lives were profoundly difficult and there were no easy solutions and that war however sometimes necessary it might be doesn't fix things that many people around the world live in places that are dangerous are painful and very frustrating and yet going to church there were there were many good things about the church that I grew up in but when it came to politics more often than not the comments from the front were sort of smacking down Christians for being too concerned about politics the only time politics came up it was generally to say just remember Jesus is King Jesus power and authority is not of this world which is of course true but the result was that it seemed like the pastors and leaders of the church thought Christians shouldn't be concerned about politics which I know they didn't think but that was the message that was communicated and ordinary Christians men and women who were reading their Bibles and then reading their newspapers were left somewhat clueless what does the Bible say when I look at the world around me what does the Bible say when I try to figure out what life in a fallen world looks like life in a fallen Democratic Republic looks like what do I do with what I see on the news what everyone in the world around me is talking about how do I approach that from a Christian perspective and all too often growing up at least from church there really wasn't much in the way of instruction from God's word I don't know if this was the case then but now perhaps there may be sometimes too much instruction in one way or another that ends up equally obscuring God's word but brothers and sisters as Christians you and I need to understand that God's words speaks to our lives today God's words speaks to the things that we experience today God's words speaks to life in a fallen and complicated world today those scripture doesn't clarify absolutely everything for us sometimes it may not tell us all that we wish it would or all that we want to know God by the power of His Spirit and because of the authority of His Son gives us profound insight into how you and I are to live how you and I are to think sometimes even what you and I are to choose certainly how you and I are to feel and the midst of a world that seems like it's come unstuck I appreciate that Esteban just mentioned Psalm 2 we will come to Acts 2 in a moment but Psalm 2 I was reflecting on that this morning I think Psalm 2 is a fantastic place for believers to meditate why do the nation's rage and the people's plot in vain the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed saying let us burst their bonds apart and cast their cords from us and this is what we see in the world around us don't we I don't know that this is more true today than it has been in other times in history but we certainly see the nations raging today we certainly see our nation raging today kings and rulers taking counsel together against the Lord and His anointed so what are we to do with that how do we respond I doubt there's anyone here who doesn't have politics in some form on his or her mind this morning we're all thinking about these things we all feel a certain amount of unsureness instability and security wondering what's gonna happen regardless of your political perspective yesterday was a very serious day we don't know what's gonna happen the selection cycle was already going to be interesting enough wasn't it and now this is just up the ante what does that mean is Esteban said what does that mean for us and what does that mean for our children one thing it means is Psalm 2 verse 12 kiss the Sun less TV angry and you perish in the way for his wrath is quickly kindled blessed are all who take refuge in him one thing yesterday's events mean for all of us is that we need to remember this blessed are all who take refuge in God's son you and I are blessed when we we come back to his word when we come back to his people what we're doing this morning gathering together with God's people and all instability economic political weather job health all instability is a reminder to us to come back to Christ and to seek refuge in him and in him alone because of that though acts 242 in answering the question what does a church do might seem distant and unrelated to the events of this weekend but in fact there's nothing more relevant for us as Christians than to look at the question what is a church to do let's look together acts chapter 2 verse 42 remember this is a few weeks after the events of the passion narratives and the gospels this is a few weeks after Jesus betrayal crucifixion and resurrection this is not long in other words the chaotic events at the end of the gospels are fresh in the minds of those who are here acts chapter 2 verse 42 and they that is those who had received his word and were baptized those who were about three thousand souls in the end of verse 41 and they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers let's pray father we we come before you humbly this morning we confess we act as if we are gods but we are not God our wisdom is limited our sight is short our power is oh so small while we confess this is not how we live please forgive us for our independence from you and from one another forgive us for our arrogance forgive us for our self-sufficiency forgive us for our failure to think as you call us to in your word whether help us humble our hearts before you this morning and help us hear what you would have us here through your word and by the power of your spirit if other help us help us as a result of what we hear today have calm hearts hearts that trust you because we understand you are king and God and your son is ruling sovereignly from his throne and whatever we experience we truly have nothing to fear for you are working all things for your glorious purposes and those purposes are what's best for your glory and for our good rather help us to see that in the church maybe love the church more as a result of what we see in your word this morning we pray this in Jesus name amen let me read this again Acts chapter 2 verse 42 and they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers several years ago I had a friend who pointed out this verse to me and said look this is basically the whole of the Christian life in one simple verse what's the Christian life all about what's the church all about well look at this one verse I like things that come in simple packages that kind of break it down for me in a way that I can understand that that verse I can remember that I can memorize that and then there's four aspects to this question what does a church do that we see answered in Acts 2 42 look at those together first what is it that the believers devote themselves to what is it that these new Christians this new church focuses on well first it's the apostles teaching the apostles teaching now what does that mean the apostles teaching is that something specific well I think generally it means this they wouldn't have had all of this then but it would have been the apostles teaching from what they received from Jesus it would have focused largely on the Old Testament at that time and how Jesus interpreted and applied the Old Testament to those in the time of the Gospels and Acts but by the time we get to the close of the first century the apostles teaching comes to refer to all of scripture all 66 books the Old Testament and the books that are added to it through the work of the apostles those who had walked with and seen Jesus that means brothers and sisters in so far as this verse is held up as a model to us and I think it is that means that believers in the local church need to be centered on the apostles teaching number of years ago well Kate and I lived in Bloomington I had an itch and we went to all Saints Eastern Orthodox Church for vespers on a Saturday night we're going to a concert and I you I can't remember what we're going to see but we're going to go to a concert we're going to get cheap Chinese and I thought why not go to vespers just for fun kicks and giggles never been to an Eastern Orthodox Church didn't know a whole lot about Eastern Orthodoxy their priests had awesome beards and black robes which I thought was a little bit more serious in the sort of glitzy prancing robes of the Roman Catholic Church so we went to even song it freaked Kate out just what have you taken me to one of the things I noticed by the way I'm not Eastern Orthodox there's massive theological issues with Eastern Orthodoxy but I did notice this there was a lot more time focused on prayer and scripture than in the average Protestant church and we should consider that to our shame in one sense despite all of the problems and there are significant massive problems in Eastern Orthodoxy in one sense that service that we went to on a Saturday night was more focused on the apostles teaching than the average Protestant church is that true of us is that true of our lives is that true of this church is the apostles teaching really centered on or is this church really centered on the apostles teaching are our lives our homes the way we think choose and feel about our workplaces our marriages our parenting is every aspect of our lives truly centered on the apostles teaching as you look through the rest of acts as you look through the rest of acts too and the early chapters of acts church isn't just a Sunday thing for them they're in church they're going to the temple and worshiping together constantly and we complain about an hour and a half service once a week I think part of the reason this is important for us is it as we focus on the apostles teaching we realize God's word tells us not just what we want to hear sometimes it tells us what we don't want to hear but God's word tells us what we need to hear God's word comes to us with authority it speaks to us it calls us to repent it calls us out of our sin it calls us out of our death and calls us to life we read through these initial chapters and acts that God is continually adding men and women to this church as they devote themselves to the apostles teaching now if I could apply this to all of us personally let me urge you brothers and sisters this was true before yesterday but it's certainly true after yesterday spend far more time focusing on this than on this or at the very least as you read whatever you read on your phone social media the news read it through scripture have your Bible in the other hand let scripture speak to what you read last night I spent plenty of time just scrolling and clicking and trying to find more information it's amazing how silly it becomes we're not gonna know anything more in the immediate future in the hours to come it's not like more is gonna come out that really changes how I think or feel about this and yet we're sort of like kids and all you can eat buffet just trying to consume consume consume and does it help us does it make us feel better does it give us security no it leaves us feeling more empty more frustrated but God's word is like that and how many of us what what's the term I'm so hip and relevant doom scroll how many of us doom scroll through scripture how many of us when we don't know what else to do where we don't know else to turn we look to scripture and that is what we're addicted to first part of what a church does is it focuses on the apostles teaching second fellowship I am not used to over the ear mics I apologize really irritating to watch someone continue to play with this kind of stuff I'll get used to it hopefully but sorry the early believers are devoted to fellowship that seems to be a real strength by the way of this church of Bloomington Bible church you seem to like spending time with one another you seem to like one another that's a good thing not all churches do that is a real strength that is something that's encouraging to watch you are involved in each other's lives you care about one another you like spending time with one other you like talking to one another I think one measurement that can show how healthy a church is is how long do people say after the service and talk with one another how often are the believers and the members of a church in one another's homes it's one of the things I absolutely hated about church during COVID where we were it's in Giles because we had to finish our service and then people had to go out we weren't allowed that wasn't wise in our church to defy the rulings yet we were allowed to have fellowship together in the church so the service would finish and people would file out in their little family groups and that was it and I hated it that's not the church church is not just going in me sitting in my spot zoning out while watching someone speak from the front and then going back out no churches it's involved it's it's interconnected we see throughout the rest of this chapter and the rest of the early chapters and acts these people are committed to one another it's not just that they all look the same or they all have the same set of beliefs or they support the same football teams or they go to the same restaurants or they went to the same universities or they have the same tastes or they watch the same news channels no we see in the book of acts that these people are profoundly different they are from cultures all over the known world at the time they are from backgrounds that are night and day different they're involved in one another's lives committed connected fellowship is so important in the church we live in a world that's incredibly divided it's going to be even more so least through the election perhaps afterwards and the church is the one place on the planet where the things that divide us outside should be left at the door the issues that have divided Christians in recent years I think about the last five years COVID discussions over racism politics those are important things I'm not in any way gonna say those things don't matter but they shouldn't hinder our fellowship the church should be the one place in the world where men and women who have perhaps strongly different views on these things can come together for a brief amount of time they can put those things aside because they're together over something more important they're together because they belong to Jesus and next to Jesus what is a political party what is a university what is a job what is a culture what is a skin color compared to belonging to Jesus none of these things is of ultimate significance again that's not to say those things don't matter those things are important there are there are big discussions about how we as Christians engage with those discussions the fellowship in the church is more important than all of those things by way of application let me urge you brothers sisters don't be threatened by disagreements with one another I would expect honestly I would hope that this church is not uniform in its interpretation of the issues I just mentioned if you all agree on all of those issues you're a bunch of weirdos that's not normal to have this many people agree on all those issues don't be threatened by disagreements with one another I think our tendency part of this is a cultural issue that we as Christians sort of uncritically accepted our temptation is to hear buzzword something flying in front of me that was trippy it was a hair wasn't mine our culture has trained us and as Christians we've often uncritically accepted this that if we hear certain buzzwords certain comments certain terminology certain names perhaps even certain tones we initially backup walls up arm ourselves with rhetoric views latest Instagram posts from your favorite favorite social media commentator and we are ready to go in for the kill the problem is everyone is ready to do that and no one is ready to listen has any of us ever won an argument by saying did you see what he said the other day did you see her video does that ever work especially as Christians we should do this just in general as good members of society but especially as Christians we should not be threatened by disagreements disagreements may be important they may make or break relationships but disagreements do not on these issues you're not have ultimate significance why well that's why we looked at Psalm 2 what is true ultimately Jesus is King he is ruling he will return to judge the living in the dead and his kingdom will have no end amen that is ultimately true happens today politics it's important but it's not ultimate for example how many of you know someone who's recently voted for the bull moose party or the wigs there was once a time in American history where these were major players and now do we know anything about them could we name a candidate for those parties if Jesus does not return soon people will read about America in the history books and the issues that are so life in death to us will be but a footnote but Jesus ruling as King and God overall his rain lasts forever and nothing can shake that they tried the Jews in the Romans put them to death that didn't work too well how do you kill a leader who can come back to life G.K. Chesterton made the the statement Christianity has died a hundred deaths but it follows one who knows the secret of coming out of the grave brothers and sisters don't be threatened by disagreements especially within this body especially within the church but even outside is well what does the church do it fellowships third this ties together fellowship why is fellowship so important because third the church is focused on the breaking of bread breaking of bread is something of a we could call it a shorthand a specific term in the New Testament for the Lord's Supper now it's not always that sometimes it just means they're eating together but often in the New Testament it means the Lord's Supper it means communion it means a specific meal that they have together especially the beginning of acts it's not always clear what they're talking about but here it seems pretty clear because we've just talked about fellowship the breaking of bread refers to the believers celebration of Jesus Last Supper and broadly speaking we could say the breaking of bread here refers to the sacraments baptism and the Lord's Supper I was encouraged last week that we celebrated the Lord's Supper in the middle of the service sometimes baptisms and the Lord's Supper things that we tack on at the end the things that sort of get rushed at the end we don't often think about how they matter for daily life how they matter for our Christian life brothers and sisters the sacraments are tremendously important for our daily Christian walk they're central to the early church they should be central to this church let me give one example for each of the sacraments for the Lord's Supper the Lord's Supper when I was at St. Giles in the middle of COVID as if we didn't have enough going on get the news that George Floyd had been killed in Minneapolis good grief already struggling to keep this congregation together people are arguing over masks or we're going over whether or not we should comply with lockdowns how strictly we should comply with lockdowns arguing over how significant or insignificant COVID is and now we get to talk about racism oh goody I got hammered for a service my number of people in the congregation who were displeased with how I handled the service and on the other hand had people begging me we need teaching on how to respond to this we are getting hammered by people outside of our church so I got involved with a number of people in our church discussing the topic of racism the topics of COVID topics of politics in the UK and in the US and remember at one point it occurred to me these issues are really important and they matter but with this man I'm talking about racism with or this woman I'm talking about COVID with we can't celebrate the sacraments right now because we were barred from that in the UK that was concerning but it wasn't the appropriate time for our church to defy those restrictions but seeing when we come back to celebrate the Lord's Supper if these disagreements have not been resolved can I celebrate the Lord's Supper with this man based on how this conversation has gone how we have treated one another can I celebrate the Lord's Supper with this man in good conscience because of how I've handled the conversation because of how the disagreement has gone this woman that I'm talking about COVID with would it be right for us to celebrate the Lord's Supper together because of how we've each handled this and it occurred to me if the answer is no then we have effectively excommunicated one another not necessarily over sin but over what political views if we cannot sit down next to someone with whom we may have profound disagreements over and receive the body and blood of Jesus our Savior we are withholding the Lord's Supper from our brother or sister in Christ and that dear friends is a serious sin especially within the church within a particular congregation the Lord's Supper is a profound engine for unity because whatever disagreements we may have with one another will gather in a week two weeks three weeks time to share of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and that requires that we be united if you look at 1 Corinthians 11 it's clear that one of the most significant issues that the church of Corinth was facing was not just individuals living in unrepentant secrets sin at home that's an issue that's often what we focus on the most the biggest issue and the reason Paul says some among you are sick and die is because they are engaged in massive disunity with one another massive dis division within one another people in first Baptist catch that Josh first Baptist Church of Corinth are dying because they are divided with one another by the way it's kind of cool that this is a church that's not divided over Baptist or Presbyterian Credo Baptist or Pito Baptist that's kind of cool don't know many churches that have done that that have done that successfully but that's that's an encouraging thing to see your unity over something that matters it was so cool to hear Esteban this was back in March when we were here say we don't agree on baptism but we agree that it's tremendously important and we want to be united together despite that disagreement brothers and sisters the Lord's Supper is such a powerful engine for unity it it reminds us that what is most important that Jesus has saved me from my sins and compared to that absolutely everything is secondary how does baptism then apply to daily life well and baptism we remember that we were cleansed that means we were dirty each and every one of us who is in baptized professes we we were filthy we were defiled and we were completely incapable of cleansing ourselves do you remember the scene at the beginning of slumdog millionaire the kid jumps in the latrine that doesn't even begin to describe what our sin looked like to Almighty God what we looked like to Almighty God but apart from us not by our power and certainly not by our initiation God reached down pulled us out of the cesspool of our decisions and our actions and our thoughts and our desires and he said you are mine by the power of his spirit he washed us he cleansed us not not just a little bit when one of my well it's only one of my children right now but when one of my children has an explosive diaper you can't wash it enough that smell stays kids vomit in the nighttime you can wash all the sheets you can lice all the room to death and you still smell it go into bed the cleansing that we had from the spirit was complete we were made clean how does that matter for daily life brothers and sisters given what we have been cleansed from how can we continue to give ourselves to the sins that defile us how can we live in sins how can we give ourselves to things that are a stench in the nostrils of Almighty God we have been baptized we've been cleansed that is not to characterize us any longer and every time we watch someone be baptized we remember what God through his spirit has done for us so baptism reminds us of the spirits work in us that isn't just true in baptism the spirit is working and cleansing and renewing us in all of life let the sacraments drive us to repentant repentance and unity there may be some here who are not Christians do you see what Jesus offers you through his church table fellowship at the Lord's table and washing don't you want family don't you want cleansing don't you want brothers and sisters who you may not agree with everything on but you know they have your back you know they are for you you know they will help you they are with you don't you want cleansing you know you're a sinner you know your sin has defiled you don't you want cleansing and family there are lots of things in this world that offer family they lie there are lots of things that offer cleansing but they're like junior high boys and acts it just masks it doesn't deal with the problem if you are not a Christian you need to understand this God's word offers the only way to have true family and true cleansing that is repentance and faith in Jesus God's only son who died in the place of wretched sinners to set them free from the penalty of sin from the power of sin in daily life if you're not a Christian you need to ask this question what must I do to be saved and the answer is the same as those in Acts 2 repent and be baptized everyone in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit don't believe the lives of the world around you there's no way else to be cleansed there's no way else to find family the fourth thing that the churches do the prayers the prayers a church devotes itself to prayers you can tell a lot about a church by its prayers public private prayer is a symbol of our humility and our dependence on God it's where we really see our heart in some ways I don't know about you my prayer life is often consumed with God I need and there are needs that I have there needs that each of you have how much time do I spend praying to the God who created the heaven and earth and praising him for who he is and what he has done elders a number of years ago I went to a pastor's conference it was just 10 20 men wasn't big but I was really convicted by what the speaker said why are elders or pastors set apart for the work of ministry and Acts were told it's for prayer and the ministry of the word there's lots of time that can be devoted to other things in fact I think for most groups of elders a lot more time is devoted to other things than to prayer myself I'm much happier to spend time preparing to preach or to read or to teach but I have to devote myself to prayer elders have been set apart as elders for the purpose of prayer and the ministry of the word and that sets the tone for a church brothers and sisters let me urge you especially in light of this weekend but put social media down put your phone down put the news down and pray you and I can't change a thing in this world these discussions are so much bigger than us so much broader than us so much more powerful than us and all of our scrolling and attempting to learn and read and listen doesn't change a thing the prayer prayer does at first it it changes our hearts it softens our hearts and brings us closer to the father it humbles us and it reminds us there is a God and it is not you and me prayer the church is devoted to prayer and did you notice the words at the beginning of Acts 242 they devoted themselves to that's what they were all about the apostles teaching fellowship breaking of bread and prayers not a casual interest not a hobby not as and when it was convenient not on a good day or just when they felt like it here every day that a model for church we're gonna be the first everyday church of Bloomington okay might be a bit much just focus on one day a week they were devoted to it's a lifestyle it's a commitment brothers and sisters is that true of this church is that what you want is that what you have been is that what you would like to be a church that is built on centered on embedded in steeped in the apostles teaching the fellowship of the believers the sacraments and prayer let's pray by the way praise you that you have given us such clear insight and clear instruction into who you are and to what you want us to be humble our hearts as we see our failures in these areas and strengthen us by your spirit that we may grow in these areas we pray this all in the name of Jesus our Savior amen [BLANK_AUDIO]