A Church that Grows Through the Holy Spirit’s Works (Acts 2:43-47)
Sermon: Rev. Jaewoong Chang
Date: April 6th, 2014
Acts, which depicts the first Christian church’s history, introduces the “living church.” This church was the Jerusalem Church. Jerusalem Church was a church that was being well received by the people, and it was also a church that the Lord was pleased by. It was also a church that exuded vitality, and many people were getting saved daily there. If you look in today’s scripture in verse 47, it is written, “praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” It has been over 35 years since our church has been founded, and we are standing again at the starting point as we look toward the new vision titled, “The past 35 years, and the coming 35 years.” We aspire to become a living church like the Jerusalem Church. We earnestly hope that we will not simply be a church because we are called a church, but because we are alive and kicking and demonstrating service, education, charity, and evangelism. Hidden in each letter of the word “church” are the desires of God for the church.
1. C: Christ
The reason God called for a church in this world was because “he intervened to choose a people for his name” so that they would give him glory. (Acts 15:14) This is why the first goal for the church is to be a place of worship and to lift the name of Jesus. A church is not simply a building, but a place where people who confess Jesus Christ as savior gather together. (Jesus: One who will save his nation from sin, Christ: Anointed one). We must remember we are one body that has been saved from sin. Through Christ who is our head, we have become spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5) Jerusalem Church was a church that praised and exalted him daily.
2. H: Healing
Why did Jesus come to this earth? The three goals for Jesus’ coming was Preaching of the Lord’s kingdom, Teaching the people, and Healing those of various ailments. Why did people gather where ever Jesus went? This is because Jesus healed the sick. The same type of healing took place at the Jerusalem Church.
Do you all remember when Apostle Peter and John healed the lame man in front of the temple in the name of Jesus of Nazareth? If we look in today’s scripture in verse 43, it is written that “everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.” If you entered the doors of Jerusalem Church, there was healing of both the heart and flesh.
3. U: Uniting
A healthy believer is one who appropriately incorporates newcomers into the church. Many Christians often say, “It is difficult to get into that church’s social group.” We must put an end to the atmosphere of the church that makes people feel like strangers years after their arrival. Jesus kept himself a part of the sinful world and its environment. A healthy church always keeps its doors open to the world and maintains good relationships. A church is open to its neighbors, participates in their programs, and keeps the doors of the church building open.
One day when Reverend D.L. Moody was sitting in front of his fireplace, a young man came to him and asked, “Reverend, must you got to church in order to be living the Christian life? Isn’t it okay for one to read the word and pray alone?” Without a word Reverend Moody scattered the kindling firewood. Slowly each ember started to die out and in matter of minutes, a chill was in the room.
“Hey there, just a little while ago the entire house was warm and cozy. Why is it so cold now?”
“It is because fire died after you scattered the firewood.”
Reverend Moody then said to the young man, “You cannot believe in Jesus alone. It is when you pray and share your life that your faith catches fire.”
Jerusalem Church was a community that worked daily to gather and share bread and praise God.
4. R: Reaching Out
A healthy church does not hide its head in the ground in times of danger like an ostrich. It instead is aware of what is going on in the world and proactively forges relationships with the world. A living church is one that is joyful in sharing the living gospel regardless of what sacrifices or struggles come its way. A church is a testimonial community that exists to save the world. A church is a gathering of believers that has been sent back into the world after it was called to be Jesus Christ’s witness. The greatest form of service a layperson who has been called to Christ can do is becoming Jesus Christ’s witness. Jerusalem Church was a community of witnesses that boldly proclaimed the gospel to the world to bring spiritual relief. (Later on, Jerusalem Church became complacent it its duties of evangelism, and God criticized the church, allowing hardships for the church. It is with the scattered members that Antioch Church was founded.) Just as spring water becomes clearer the more you pump out, the church will become more vivacious the more it shares.
5. C: Communion
In the winter, as geese flock together to fly south, they form V formations. As the geese in the front get tired, they shift to the back of the formation as other geese move to the front. It is said that the sounds we hear from the geese are sounds of encouragement from the geese in the back to the geese in the front. Not only that, if one goose becomes injured or ill, two other geese will break away from the formation to come down and take care of the unwell goose. Those geese stay with the unwell goose until it recuperates, and until its death. A living church is a loving community that stays by those who are sad, sick, tired, and experiencing hardships.
Philosopher Aristotle talked about the three types of friendship. The first type of friendship is maintained because those involved experience joy through each other. The second is one that is maintained through mutual benefits. The third is maintained because it is beautiful and true, and those involved share love. Jerusalem Church was a beautiful community in which its believers shared the Word during difficult times as they raised intercessory prayers for each other.
(1 Corinthians 12:26 “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”) A healthy church is one that forms a body of love and decreases subunits as much as possible as it produces workers of Christ so that they may personally participate in ministry.
6. H: Hallelujah
If you look in today’s scripture in verse 47, it is written,”praising God and enjoying the favor of all people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Jerusalem Church’s sanctuary was always overflowing with the sounds of praise to God. Our God is a God who is present amongst our praise. In Psalm 22:3 it says, “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.” A living church is a community that praises with joy each time its believers gather together. A living church is a singing church, a hallelujah community.
I believe that God will be in our presence and be glorified by our spring praise festival.
St. Augustine said, “Leave the past to God’s mercy. Leave the present to God’s love. Leave the future to God’s providence.”
The past 35 years, and the coming 35 years.. Let us go forward with our brothers and sisters of the church to the world to serve our neighbors and become a visionary community. As a living church, let us leave our past joys and pain and even our time to God’s mercy. I now earnestly bless and hope that now in God’s love and providence, we will be used by God as we diligently manage the great works of spiritual repair of God’s holy spirit.
(Translator: Grace Ko)