Acts 2:42-47: Now what do we do?

Watch this lesson on YouTube, or listen to it here.     

Intro

1)     Acts 2:37-38 – They became Christians.

2)     2:41 – They were added to the Lord’s people.

3)     The driving questions for this study are who are we, and what are we supposed to be going? Or, now that I’m a Christian what comes next?

What do God’s people do?

1)     They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.

A)   Jesus told his Apostles that he would send the Holy Spirit to them.

1)     Jn. 14:15-18; 15:26-27; 16:12-13

B)    Matt. 28:18-20 – Their commission was to teach other people.

C)    Acts 1:1-2 – The Gospels are what Jesus began to do and teach, but as we move through Acts, we can see what Jesus is continuing to do and teach through the Holy Spirit and his apostles:

1)     This is who Jesus was.

2)     This is what Jesus did and said.

3)     This is how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament.

4)     This is what we’re supposed to be doing as people who serve King Jesus.

5)     This is what we’re NOT supposed to be doing as people who serve King Jesus.

D)   Eph. 4:11-15 – The goal.

E)    POINT: The NT church wanted to know what the Apostles had to say, and that needs to be just as much our focus as it was theirs. One of the primary functions we have as God’s people is to devote ourselves to God’s inspired word.

2)     They devoted themselves to the fellowship

A)   We will spend the entire next lesson talking about this point.

3)     They devoted themselves to the breaking of bread.

A)   I think it is most reasonable to take this as the Lord’s Supper.

B)    Institution of the Lord’s Supper: Matt. 26:26-29 / Mk. 14:22-25 / Lk. 22:18-20 (* “Do this in remembrance of me.”)

C)    Paul talked about this:

1)     1 Cor. 11:17-22 – “When you come together” (3x) – The Corinthians were just eating, not properly memorializing Jesus in the Lord’s Supper.

2)     1 Cor. 11:23-26 – THIS is what we’re supposed to be doing.

D)   NT Christians came together “on the first day of the week.”

1)     1 Cor. 16:1-2

2)     Acts 20:7 – “On the first day of the week when we were gathered together to break bread…”

3)     Rev. 1:10 – “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day…”

4)     The first day of the week was…

(a)   The day that Jesus was raised from the dead,

(b)   The day when his people gather together to share his meal and worship him together.

(c)   It’s his day!

4)     They devoted themselves to the prayers.

A)   e.g.

1)     1:12-14 – Prayer for help understanding God’s will.

2)     2:42

3)     4:23-24, 29 – Thanksgiving for victories.

4)     12:5, 12 – Praying for Peter.

5)     13:1-3 – Praying about the work that we do as a group.

6)     20:36-37 – Praying throughout struggles.

5)     v. 43 – “And awe came upon every soul.”

A)   “awe” = phobos

1)     It can be “fear” but in this context I think “respect or reverence” is better.

2)     L/N – Profound respect and awe for deity.

3)     cf. Acts 9:31 – “Walking in the fear of the Lord”

B)    MAIN POINT – Be changed. The Gospel should change us, and our life should reflect profound respect and reverence for God.

6)     v. 44 – “All who believed were together…” (i.e. Unity).

A)   Luke loves this word:

1)     1:14

2)     2:46

3)     4:24

4)     4:32 – Different word, same concept

5)     5:12

6)     15:25

B)    Others: Rom. 15:5-7; 1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 4:1-6; Phil. 1:27; 2:2; 1 Pet. 3:8

7)     v. 45 – They had all things in common (sharing their stuff) (next lesson on fellowship)

8)     vv. 46-47 – Day by day…

A)   When we ask about what we’re supposed to be doing now that we’re Christians, the answer is not just about what we do when we come together on Sunday.

B)    “Day by day” is a description of a new life that they have.

1)     “attending the temple together” – i.e. Going where the people are, AND ESPECIALLY where study and worship is happening.

(a)   NOTE: This is not just a Sunday thing, this is a day by day thing.

2)     “breaking bread in their homes”

(a)   Different words

(i)    2:42 – breaking of bread (κλάσις)

(ii)  2:46 – breaking bread (κλάω)

(b)   We come together on Sunday to remember Jesus in the Lord’s Supper.

(c)   But we get together other days through the week to enjoy each other’s company. This is what family does.

(d)   Getting together and being a family and sharing meals with each other is a part of Christianity.

3)     “praising God”

4)     “having favor with all the people”

(a)   Trans.

(i)    NET – “Praising God and having the good will of all the people”

(ii)  MSG – “People in general liked what they saw”

(iii)          NCV – “They praised God and were liked by all the people.”

(iv) NIrV – “They were respected by all the people.”

(b)   Commentary

(i)    Bock – “The idea is that others are appreciative of this new community...”

(ii)  Witherington – “These early Christians were characterized by having glad and sincere hearts that prompted praise of God, and goodwill among the local Jews in general.”

(c)   I know that this is not always within our control, BUT…God said, “so long as it depends upon you be at peace with all men.”

(d)   Christians should NOT be an obnoxious group of pot stirrers and troublemakers who cause other people to groan and be miserable when they see us coming.

(i)    I see lots of people on social media who clearly don’t understand this.

(ii)  I know several people who think they are not living a faithful life unless they’re out there making everybody else in the world miserable.

5)     “day by day” in Acts

(a)   2:46

(b)   6:1 – Serving each other daily

(c)   17:11 – Studying the Bible daily

(d)   19:9 – Teaching lost people the gospel daily

6)     Christianity is not a Sunday thing only. It’s a whole new way of life for us.