What is the Church?

In less than two weeks, Jill’s dad will celebrate his 75^th birthday. As in many families, one of the traditions in Jill’s family is that on a family member’s birthday, everyone sings Happy Birthday. This often happens over the phone because we’re at a distance from one another on a birthday. Given the vocal abilities of the Wertz and Scalise families, this is truly an exercise in love, especially for the person who has to listen, although I will say, we’re better than we used to be if we have Nathan and Greg with us. We sing enthusiastically, boldly, and hopefully quickly, because of the love we have for that person.

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May 15, 2016
Acts 2.1-13 – What is the Church?
Pastor Doug Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church

As a nation, we celebrate our country’s birth on July 4^th with parades, food, flags, music, and fireworks. In the church, we celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. We celebrate the birth of the church on Pentecost Sunday which is today. While the church has never treated Pentecost on an equal level with Christmas and Easter, one could argue that we should. If the Spirit of God had not come upon 120 of Jesus’ first followers on Pentecost causing them to enthusiastically share what God had done in Jesus, there wouldn’t be a church today. No one would celebrate Christmas or Easter if the events of Pentecost had not taken place. Christmas has been turned into a commercial onslaught and Easter has been taken over by candy makers and the biological oddity of a bunny that leaves eggs, but Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of church remains firmly, completely, and exclusively the church’s celebration. The wider culture doesn’t know about it or acknowledge it at all.

Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks was celebrated by the Jewish people seven weeks or 50 days after Passover. It was a pilgrimage feast when Jewish people would travel from many different countries and regions to worship in Jerusalem. Pentecost was more than an agricultural festival; it was also a time of remembering God establishing a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai. This was the day they celebrated the moment when Israel was called to be God’s own people. At that moment, the people who heard the invitation to be God’s people and accepted it were from one particular group. On Pentecost in Jerusalem there were people from at least seventeen different nations or language groups from one end of the Roman Empire to the other. When God appeared to the people in Exodus 19 there was fire and smoke. John the Baptist had spoken of the connection of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in Luke 3:16 (NIV). John said, ““I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” What Jesus began would be continued through the Holy Spirit empowering the disciples who will be witnesses to who Jesus was, what he did, and what he makes available to all people – forgiveness and abundant, eternal, joyful life.

The Pentecost experience of Acts 2 describes the sound of a mighty wind and tongues as of fire echoing Exodus 19. That brings us to the next scripture from Acts 2:1-13. “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

The story of the first Pentecost is an account of something strange, miraculous, and supernatural that we may dismiss as impossible. However, the fact remains, that the church came into being and formerly timid and frightened disciples suddenly became bold proclaimers of the good news about Jesus. Luke’s explanation for this transformation is that they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

In Genesis 1:2, at the beginning of the story of creation, the Spirit of God moved over the face of the water. In Acts 2 the Spirit is once again bringing something to life. Creation, like birth, is often messy. Bystanders are bewildered by what they see and hear. They dismiss the enthusiasm of Jesus’ followers as drunkenness. The power and presence of God are often revealed in unconventional and unexpected ways that individuals find unsettling and disturbing. This pattern we see in Acts 2 is repeated throughout the rest of the book.

The Spirit-filled followers of Jesus proclaim that a way of new life, of salvation, is open and available to all who will turn from their former ways and believe the good news of Jesus Christ that they can change their life, believe, be forgiven, baptized and receive the gift of the Spirit. Some people respond to this offer with mocking and arrogant rejection. Others want to know more and come to faith. Inside and outside of the church today, both groups are still present. Some people will accept the invitation and others will think we’re nuts, but that shouldn’t stop us from allowing the Holy Spirit to use us to share our faith appropriately and in ways consistent with who we are.

The Acts account of Pentecost emphasizes that there are Jewish people from the eastern end of the Roman Empire (Parthians, Medes, Elamites) to Rome itself in the west and everywhere in between who hear the invitation to become God’s people. Amazingly, the gift of the Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to speak boldly, loudly, and enthusiastically in the languages of all the people present. The Holy Spirit was almost 2,000 years ahead of the mass translation that now takes place at the United Nations. At least 17 nations or groups are listed and “about three thousand persons” (Acts 2:41) were baptized and received the Holy Spirit that day. The message is clear: God’s favor is both totally democratic and unmerited. It was meant to be the end of all tribal, ethnic, and elitist religion. But it didn’t last long; by 313 A.D. Christianity began aligning with empires and emperors in both Constantinople and Rome and the church lost touch with the Spirit of Christ and who the church is called to be.

The word “church,” is the English translation of a Greek word (ekklēsia) meaning ‘assembly’ or ‘gathering.’ The church is the body of Christ with Jesus as the head, and God’s Spirit dwells in us. In the New Testament, ‘church’ always refers to a group of people, either all the Christians in a city (Acts 14:23; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1) or those gathered for worship in a particular house (Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19) or all Christians in all the churches, the whole church (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:22). It never signifies a building or a ‘denomination.’ We don’t go to church, we are the church. The church is the people of God, the people who belong to God.

There are a few key scriptures that tell us more about the church. One image the New Testament uses to describe the church is that of the body.

Colossians 1:18, “He is the head of the body, the church,”

1 Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” A body is a complex living organism in which many parts and systems are interdependent and serve a larger whole that no part can fill on its own. None of the parts of the body can survive on its own; either, they only live, exist, and fulfill their purpose as part of the body. You don’t see elbows walking down the street by themselves. You don’t see disembodied hands pushing a cart in a grocery store aisle. Just as the parts of the body can only exist while they’re connected to the body, so it is with us as members of the church. When one suffers, all suffer with it; when one is honored, all rejoice with it. When Jill came to the Baby Shower for the Baby Center yesterday, I did some yard work and in the course of doing so, I got a thorn or splinter in my finger. It’s ridiculous that something as small as a splinter which is tiny compared to your overall body, is so annoying. Yet your whole body knows when you have a splinter; I looked down at my finger and I said what all of you probably do too, I sighed and said, “1 Corinthians 12…” Isn’t that what you say?

A second key image for the church is a temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (note: “you” in these verses is plural), “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” While I was working in the yard yesterday I also found an empty bird nest on the ground. I picked it up and looked at it closely and thought of the birds that had lovingly and devotedly created this temple, this space, for their eggs and young to dwell. In a similar way in the church we’re a temple in which God’s Spirit dwells.

Another key passage with many echoes of Acts 2 and Pentecost is Ephesians 2:17-22, “So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.” The Church is a dwelling place for God.

A Third image that was introduced in Ephesians 2 is that the church is the household or people of God. 1 Peter 2:9-10 puts it this way, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” We are blessed to be part of the body of Christ, part of God’s temple and God’s people. What does God expect of us? God calls us 1 Peter says, so that “in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” That is what Peter and the first disciples did on Pentecost. They proclaimed the mighty acts of God and that’s what we’re to do as well.

Pentecost is the birthday of the church. It’s when the church celebrates and remembers that we’re called to be God’s own people. Pentecost is also a reminder of the need and urgency of publicly proclaiming what God has done in Jesus. Peter’s sermon isn’t given in a church, temple, or synagogue, his witnessing is done where the people are right on the street. The disciples don’t wait for people to come to a church building or worship service, they go to the people. In a similar way, as we build bridges of relationship with people who are not yet part of the Spirit-filled community created by God. Peter was a common man. What enabled him to share his experience was that he had been with Jesus, he prayed as he was able, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. We can spend time with Jesus, pray, and we have the Holy Spirit as well if we’ve received Christ. What we may need to do is to explore the depths and gifts God has already placed within us and draw up from within the spiritual resources God has placed there for our use.

Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ told the following story: During the Great Depression in the 1930’s a man named Yates owned a sheep ranch in West Texas. Mr. Yates wasn’t able to make enough money on his ranching operation to pay the principal and interest on the mortgage so he was in danger of losing his ranch. With little money for clothes or food, his family (like many others at the time) had to live on a government subsidy. Day after day, as he grazed his sheep over those rolling West Texas hills, he was no doubt troubled about how he would pay his bills. Then a seismographic crew from an oil company came into the area and told him there might be oil on his land. They asked permission to dig a wildcat well, and he signed a lease contract. At 1,115 feet they struck a huge oil reserve. The first well came in at 80,000 barrels a day. Many subsequent wells were more than twice as large. Thirty years after the discovery a test of one of the wells showed it still had the potential flow of 125,000 barrels a day. And Mr. Yates owned it all. The day he purchased the land he had received oil and mineral rights. Yet he’d been living on government relief. A multimillionaire, he was living in poverty because he didn’t know the oil was there and that he owned it.

Many Christians and even churches live in spiritual poverty. They don’t know they have the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit or they don’t know how to access them. Pentecost is the fulfillment of the promise Jesus made to his disciples in John 14 when he said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth (v. 16-17, NIV) … But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you (v. 26, NIV).”

As the church, we are the body of Christ, God’s temple, and God’s people and we are to act like who God calls us to be. Once individuals and the church have received the Holy Spirit, our task, our response, our privilege and joy is to be able to tell others publicly, boldly and enthusiastically, as Peter did, about God’s love for them in Jesus.

Prayer: We pray for a fresh filling and anointing of the Holy Spirit as we celebrate Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the church.

Blessing: Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Questions for Discussion or Reflection

1. Before today’s worship service and sermon, how familiar are/were you with what Pentecost is all about?
2. If someone asked you to define “the church” how would you respond?
3. The Acts account of Pentecost emphasizes that people from all over the world heard the Galileans speaking in the pilgrims’ individual languages after the descent of heavenly fire and wind (Acts 2:1-11). What does this diversity of language and cultures tell us about the nature of God’s kingdom and the church?
4. Pentecost would have been nothing more than a strange occurrence without Peter publicly explaining what was taking place and proclaiming what God had done in Jesus. What can you do to become more comfortable talking with other people about who Jesus is and what he’s done for you? If you’re in a small group, brainstorm about how you can help each other and share anything that has worked for you.
5. Some people focus on the gift of language on the Day of Pentecost, but Pentecost is even more about hearing. Why is it important for people to be able to hear about “God’s deeds of power” in language we can understand? How does this shape our sharing about Jesus with others?
6. On the birthday of the church, what gifts have you received through your involvement in church(es) for which you’re most thankful (for example, are there people, relationships, learning, experiences, trips, service, etc.)?