And the Lord added to their number….
Acts 2:42-47 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
As I read this passage, I can’t help but think about the good Gospel work the Lord is doing in and through Christ the King Reformed Baptist Church. It was only two short years ago that we had our rejoice and recommit service and our faithful church of 55 years, was in a way re-planted, under a new name (Christ the King Reformed Baptist Church), and our statement of faith was fortified with the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689). These changes helped communicate who we serve above all (King Jesus) and with God’s help what we confess to believe and faithfully live to God’s glory.
Since that time, I believe we have been experiencing a lot of what the early church experienced as described here in Acts 2. We are a local body of believers, devoted to sound teaching. While we are no longer directly under the Apostles, we are blessed to have a gifted number of men able to bring the full counsel of God’s Word (His complete Revelation) to us regularly. We are committed to fellowship with one another and the breaking of bread. Not only do we do this monthly at our fellowship feast, quite often I hear of our members getting together outside of that. Having people in their homes, meeting for lunch, and this time is not centered around temporal things, but a time of fellowship, centered around Christ. We are also a body of believers devoted to prayer. One way this is experienced is through our weekly prayer meeting. This is such a blessed time of prayer for the needs of our church and the saints. It is also a time of praise, as we testify to answered prayers in our lives. In addition to that, on a given Lord’s Day, we see brothers and sisters praying for each other before and after service. I am greatly encouraged by this and all that the Lord is doing at Christ the King. Like I said at our members meeting, we are in this together. We are a committed body of believers dedicated to seeing God’s word proclaimed from this pulpit, as a beacon of light in this dark world. Be encouraged brothers and sisters, get behind what God is doing, and like we read in the Acts 2, do it with gladness and sincerity of heart. Praising God and having favor with all people. And may the Lord continue to add to our number day by day, those who were being saved!
One other example we can take from this passage and apply to our church today, is the example of how the early church sacrificed for those in need and the greater good of the local body. We read how they sold their property and possessions and shared them with all, as anyone might have need. I am not suggesting that we need to go and sell all our possessions, but I do encourage us to reflect on this for a bit and ask ourselves what can we do in our context today for the greater good of the local body? Possibly cancel a subscription service, avoid the stop at the coffee shop for an expensive drink we can’t pronounce, prepare our coffee at home, make our lunches for the week, and use wisdom with all our purchases, thinking about how we can better use what God has given us for His good. These are just examples of the many ways we can sacrifice for the greater good of the local body. This passage is not saying that the early Christians lived in a commune or pooled and redistributed everything equally, but the main idea here is that they held their own possessions lightly, ready to use them at any moment for the local body, as needs arose.
Brothers and Sisters of Christ the King, as I said before, I am so grateful to the Lord for being part of this together with each of you. The Lord has brought us together for a purpose greater than ourselves, may we be reminded that under Christ, we are in this together! May we continue to submit ourselves to His will and keep our eyes fixed on Him. May we carry on the torch of good Gospel work in the Chicagoland area. May it start within our own hearts, followed by in our homes, in our local church, and then out into our cities. There has been many before us that began this good Gospel work in our area, from D.L. Moody to the early faithful brothers that started Trinity school of Divinity, to the many faithful Bible preaching, Christ proclaiming churches small and large throughout Chicagoland. Let us not grow weary or lose heart but be committed to and encouraged by all the Lord is doing through many faithful local churches. Brothers and Sisters, our work is not done, may we continue to pray, speak truth from God’s word, labor, and repeat until God calls us home or Christ returns. Sole Deo Gloria!
