Awe

Introduction

We often think about the early church and how to imitate its practices. Often we focus on practices—the Lord’s Supper, the non-use of instruments, and roles for members including elders, deacons, and teachers. These areas are certainly worthy of consideration and study. However, often we gloss over an important concept that is found in the early church and that is fellowship. In our text today, we are going to notice an important aspect of fellowship.

At the end of Acts 2 the early church is in its infancy. Peter has preached the first sermon and people have responded. Recognizing their sin, people have changed their lives and expressed that change in a washing away of sins. Luke gives us a snapshot of the day to day living that went on in Jerusalem after this monumental first day. This is the focus of our study time together today.

The Text

Three thousand baptisms occurred on that Pentecost Sunday. A little over 3,100 people now make up God’s new family. So what did this newly formed group do? The text tells us that they devoted themselves to several things. The word “devoted” means that they seriously and earnestly persisted in some things. While one can be devoted to bad things, we often think of this word in a positive light. To be devoted to another in marriage is to seriously and earnestly persist in the relationship. To be devoted to one’s job is to seriously and earnestly persist in things associated with the job. This early group were seriously and earnestly persistent in those things which identified them as belonging to Christ. What were those things?

This new group listened intently and consistently to the teaching which the apostles brought. This teaching according to verse 43 was accompanied by signs and wonders. These miracles helped to solidify the faith of these new believers. Having been with Jesus for 3+ years, the apostles were the ones who had the knowledge and experience which needed to be shared. Just as Jesus had told them, they were given the opportunity to set the tone for this new group.

Fellowship is the word “common or having things in common, sharing.” It is a word which is diminished in our vocabulary. Often we use this word to describe eating together and perhaps our worship together. But this is not the meaning of the word. If we understand the root word to be “common” then verses 44—45 come alive. The fleshing out of this fellowship includes that the believers had all things in common (v. 44) and this resulted in selling possessions in order to take care of the needs of others.

Breaking of bread could refer to the Lord’s Supper or to sharing a common meal. But the fleshing out of this phrase is found in verse 46. Each day they broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. This breaking of bread resulted in real joy as they shared meals together. Small groups of 20 or so met together to enjoy a meal. They expressed their love for each other in this way.

Prayer is found in verse 47. Praising God. In their daily get togethers and in the temple court meetings there was praise. This was a time to express how great God was and these early believers devoted themselves to this praise on a daily basis.

Some argue that this was a special situation. Jerusalem swelled with Jewish pilgrims from different parts of the world coming to celebrate Passover and 50 days later Pentecost. Some will argue that this initial snapshot of the early believers is not a model for us. That in time these believers went back to their homes and the group in Jerusalem move from the emotions of the beginning of something new to more mundane experiences. In other words, the serious and earnest persistence of devotion gave way to living life so that people eventually lost their enthusiasm.

There is little doubt that things in time changed. People returned home to far away places. This group of believers in Jerusalem became smaller. But is the assumption that the group became less devoted a fair assumption? Did the apostles’ teaching become mundane? Did the breaking of bread stop? Did praise for God turn into ritual? Hardly. Even the fellowship continued as seen in Acts 4:32—36. “There were no needy person among them. From time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet.”

So What?

So what is the point? Look at verse 43. Everyone was filled with awe. A deep reverence and fear of the great God who had brought them together. This awe is what is often missing. In the absence of awe we struggle to find something which make us feel something.

We look for a new song to sing so that we can feel something new. We talk about God as an idea and a subject to be debated. We look for something which will generate enthusiasm. But where is the awe? Where is the reverent fear of the holy one? Where is the response of the heart based not on what is done inside of a building but that is in awe of a loving, majestic and awesome God?

When awe is real then what is done inside a building becomes real. When we are responding to the awesome God, then we devote ourselves to scripture and to sharing our belongings so that there is no needy among us, and to breaking bread together and to genuine praise.

Where is the awe? For too many God is far away. The pressures of this life keep us from engaging God. For others God is just a family tradition to uphold. So there is a desire to start a new set of traditions to lay claim to my own experience. But this doesn’t engage God, it engages that which is different for its own sake. For others God is just a scientific endeavor. He is to be debated and is a conclusion to an argument. But this doesn’t engage God, it is to make God cold and sterile.

What brings this awe? We are so tied to making “church” look a certain way that we have forgotten the one who calls us follow. We have forgotten that there is a God who is real, near, and awesome. When we are filled with awe about this God then we devote ourselves to him. His teachings consume us. We no longer hang on to possessions. We gladly share in meals. And we pray with a sense of praise. How Great Is Our God. Human effort and human emotions are a poor substitute for the awe of God. What will bring us awe?

It is a cycle. Those early believers were in awe of God from the message and then turned their devotion to teaching and were more awe inspired. Immerse yourself in scripture. Allow your prayers to be praise filled. Engage in meals with fellow believers. Sell some of your possessions and give to those in need.

Engage God as these early believers did. Understand that the Christ is risen from the dead. He is the one who died for you. God’s plan was laid out before the beginning of time. This same God wants to be with you. How awe inspiring is that?

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