Printer Friendly VersionI once had someone say to me: “So Jesus is alive? The
resurrection is true? Where’s the proof? What do you have to say about
that?” All I could think to say at the moment was, “The Church.”
Community is an interesting argument for the resurrection of
Christ. Recently Hallmark Corporation conducted a survey that asked thousands
of ordinary people: “What is the number one need of your life as you
enter the new century?” The overwhelming majority of people responded
community/fellowship was their need.
When my son was old enough to play sports I encouraged baseball
and basketball. He wasn’t interested. I didn’t say anything about
soccer. Suddenly he wanted to play. I didn’t know the game or the terminology.
Not knowing how to cheer for him as he played all I could muster at the soccer
matches was: “Kick it!” and “Run fast!” At the time
he was 6 years old. There was no rhyme or reason to the game. The boys would
clump together and roam around the field chasing the ball. If there was a
lot of grass it was “herd soccer.” If there was a lot of dirt
it was “cloud soccer.”
Christian community is more than humanity’s version of
the herd instinct. It is a God-given desire for relationship. Community is
composed of two separate words: Commune, sharing all of life together and
Unity, a oneness of purpose. Thus, when we call ourselves a Christian community
we are saying we are group of people who share life together with the singular
purpose of being a living witness that Jesus Christ is alive.
When the living Christ comes in the power of His Spirit, He comes to form
a people. Verses 41-42 tells us the first thing these new baby Christians
did was join the fellowship of other believers. They joined the community
of faith. They joined the Church!
“Devoted,” means “constantly.” It’s
the same word used to describe the persistent devotion of the disciples to
prayer in chapter one.
What were they “devoted” to?
The apostles’ teaching (learning about their faith).
Fellowship (being together in Christian community).
Breaking of Bread (probably the Lord’s Supper).
Prayer (growing in their faith).
And what was the result? A deep sense of “awe” came
over everybody. Who was everybody? Christian and pagan alike. Why was there
awe? Because of the miraculous signs and wonders being performed by the Early
Church, the least of which was the way in which these very different people--ethnically,
culturally, educationally, socially, and economically--lived together.
Look at the evidence. Verses 44-46 tells us the community overflowed
with:
Compassion--They looked around at the needs of people and did
something about it.
Generosity--This was not an early form of communism. Nobody
was forced to do anything. When a need arose somebody simply stepped up to
the plate and did something about it.
Hospitality--They had a “my home is your home mentality.”
They knew 3,000 people couldn’t hang out together all the time and so
they developed small groups.
Sincerity--There was no pretense or make-believe. They weren’t
trying to impress anyone. They just had a single-hearted devotion and they
were filled with joy.
They gave praise to God with their whole lives and as a result
the Church became a living witness of the Resurrection--proof that Jesus was
alive.
They didn’t have all that much in common. They were separated
by staggering boundaries: race, class, income. But there they were around
the table, sharing with one another, looking out for one another.
No sociological or economic theory could explain that! No scientific
theory could explain why those who had so many things to divide them, were
together. There was no explanation for them . . . except one thing. Easter!
Jesus had to be alive.
And do you know what happened? The witness of that community
was so compelling and contagious it spilled over into evangelism because the
people around them were caught up in the proof!
Lloyd Ogilvie, chaplain of the United States Senate, says the
Church is the fellowship of those given by Christ to be to each other what
He has been to them, so that together they can be to the world a demonstration
of the new humanity He died and lives to make possible.
This means we are an eschatological people, born of the Spirit
of Jesus, to live today the way God intends for the world to be tomorrow.
Our present life together is being shaped and defined based on God’s
intended future. And that’s what makes Christian community a sign that
Christ is alive. The Church is proof of Christ’s resurrection!
My wedding ring is a sign--it’s a covenant reminder of my life with
my wife and the promise I made to be faithful to her. Every time I look at
it I am reminded of this promise. But it’s not just a sign to me. It’s
a sign to everyone else as well. They may not know who I am but they know
that I belong to someone.
When we call ourselves a Christian community it is nothing more
than saying we are a sign. It is a description of who we are and what we hope
to be as God gives us grace to be His Church. And the signs are all around
us.
Where are the signs?
Baby dedications are signs of our hope for the future.
Testimonies are signs of our assurance of God’s forgiveness.
Communion is the sign we are receiving the Body of Christ as
the Body of Christ.
And there are more signs sitting in these pews. You are a sign!
Every time you see the signs you know Jesus is alive. And the
Lord just keeps adding to our number daily! What makes the Church alive is
the Holy Spirit of Jesus being poured out on His people in community.
Never forget community means two things. It means a devotion
to be a learning, caring, fellowshipping, worshipping Church. That’s
the commune part of it all. But it also means unity. Unity does not follow
renewal--it precedes it.
I have never known a contentious church receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Nor have I ever seen a church in which division and disunity prevailed receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit. If we want the power of God to come upon us we need to do a relational inventory: Is everyone forgiven? Is there any restitution needing to be done?
We cannot be empowered as a church until we are of one mind
and heart, until we love each other as Christ has loved us, and until we live
today the way God intends the world to be tomorrow.
How does the world know Jesus was raised from the dead? Is there proof Easter is true? When it comes down to it, the strongest proof that Christ has been raised from the dead, life is stronger than death, there really is a new power at work in the world . . . is us. The comm–unity of faith. The Church! A body of people whose life together is so inexplicably new and radically different that there’s nothing else to say but: Christ is risen! He has risen indeed!
