Fourth Sunday in Lent
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The Fellowship of Believers
The Fellowship of Believers
The second lesson for this day, relates to us the great and wonderful events that happened on the day of Pentecost. That after Peter had gotten up before the crowd and the Holy Spirit convicted the hearts of people for crucifying the Lord of Glory, they had asked what shall we do then, and Peter says that are to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and this promise was for them, and for their children and for all who were far off, whom the Lord our God calls to himself.
The results of Peter and the disciples of Christ on that day were that 3000 souls were added to the Church, a wonderful blessing on that day as the Holy Spirit brought many to faith through the preaching of the Word and the Waters of Holy Baptism. So today I would speak to you of how this conversion still goes on today, and how the Church stays united around the breaking of bread and prayers.
Pentecost continues to this day
Pentecost was the day that the Lord’s promised helper was poured out on the Church. Jesus had told the disciples that He would depart that he might send to them the Helper who would convict the world regarding sin, righteousness, and judgment. We see that happen on the day of Pentecost that through the preaching of the Word, they cut to the heart, realizing their guilt and their sin, but also of the righteousness that is found in Jesus Christ, and the promise of forgiveness found in Baptism that is not just simply pouring water upon the head of a person or a profession of their personal faith, but also gives the gift of the Holy Spirit.
This same message is the one that is preached throughout the world to this very day. The message that bears fruit, that reminds us of the cost of our sins and the danger we are under as sinners. For even though it may have been Romans who nailed Jesus to the Cross, it was our sins that brought about his suffering and death, and paid the price when we could.
2. Fellowship in the breaking of Bread and prayers
Now if you remember that this group of 3000 included folks from all over the area, from different and diverse backgrounds and different langauges. But what they had fellowship with each other, adn that word there is κοινωνία, we get a couple of english words from that. The word common would be one, and the other would be communion. They gathered together to receive what we know as the Lord’s Supper and the prayers would refer to as a Church service.
They would also devote themselves to the Apostles’ Teaching, now what that meant was what JEsus himself had taught, that which he had taught in the Sermon on the Mount, what He had revealed to them about the Old Testament and how He was the fulfillment of it. This is what created κοινωνία that they shared together in teaching, in the Lord’s Supper, and their prayers.
This fellowship that was created extended beyond that to incorporate other aspects of their life, look at what it says, they began selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to help each other. There was a spirit of joy and gladness that filled them as they grew closer together as the family of God. A truly blessed time, a very different picture than the disciples who had been hiding in the upper room after the Crucifixion of Jesus, and now they are filled with joy. We as Christians are to be a people of Joy, who cling to Christ alone.
Now that may sound odd to say in the middle of Lent, but it is that Joy that helps us endure difficult times such as these. For we already know what the world has in store for us. One day we will close our eyes in death, and no matter how hard we might fight or work against it, it will happen to each of us. But we have joy in what we know that Christ lives, and that this world is not all that we will know there is something far better that awaits us upon his return. No matter what problems may come upon us here in this life, that here we can receive with glad hearts what Christ has given to us in the breaking of bread.
3. It is the Lord who added to their number those being saved day by day
Now this last part is perhaps one of the harder things to see, and we might wonder how true this is for us today. There is no denying the fact that Christianity is experiencing a decline in modern America. But we are able to rejoice that places we had sent missionaries to over in Africa, Asia and the around the world that the Word is taking root in the hearts of folks everywhere. We may not see that 3000 year in our town, our even in our own county but throughout the world the Lord is still adding to the number day by day those who are being saved.
But do you know what happened with these folks who after they had been baptized went home and did? They shared the word with folks at home. They took the teachings that they had learned here, and spread them throughout the Roman empire and beyond. So the Church continued to grow throughout the world and to share that same joy and gladness that was to be found around the teaching of the Apostles’, the breaking of bread, and the prayers.
That’s why we are here together on a Sunday, to spend time together in the Word and learn the teaching of the Apostles, as they point us to Christ through the Words of the Holy Scripture, as we receive the body adn blood of Christ here at the altar that we may have fellowship with one another, and finally join together in prayers, lifting up not only our amens at the end of each prayer, and singing the praises of God that have been sung throughout the history of the Church.
We are part of that fellowship, κοινωνία, the same fellowship that these dear believers that had that came before us. For the faith isn’t a personal view or thought or private spirituality, it is a shared faith that flows from the Scriptures, the Apostles’ teaching and here at the altar receive the same gifts that they received.
Now does this mean that every Tradition that followed after was right? No, and that is why it is so important that we cling to these same things that the people clung to on Pentecost. That we may not deviate from teh wonderful message of salvation that we have through Jesus Christ our Lord.
When this is present, what follows but joy and gladness. Now we might think how can that be, there world is different than our world, but not by much. Are Christians out-numbered? Yes, Is the world largely ignorant of what Christian teaching is? Yes. Do we still hear this teaching and receive the Sacrament as we pray together? Yes, that is why the mission fo teh Church has not changed. We are a bit more spread out than we were 2000 years ago, but the Lord is still adding to our number day by day those who are being saved.
Of course who wouldn’t want to see all of the folks who were called to faith today or tomorrow lined up together that we might celebrate with them. One day we will get to do that, and we will get to also celebrate with those folks who are heard Peter Pentecost, as we all gather together in heaven at the feast CHrist has prepared.
So my brothers and sisters in Christ, may you rejoice in the good gifts that God continues to give, may never depart from thsi most holy teaching, and may that spirit of joy and gladness be kindled in our hearts as we celebrate the good gifts that Christ continues to give us to thsi very day. in Jesus name Amen.