10.10.09
Ready for Rain 6
Community of spirit
We have witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and how the disciples humbled themselves under God’s mighty hand, and how they were used to reveal God to the people. We saw how they presented the gospel of Christ in languages they had not known, and the result of that preaching was an enormous influx of new believers into God’s infant church.
Now we shall see the kind of community the Holy Spirit created among the believers—the community of Spirit that emerged. We take it up with the book of Acts chapter 2, and starting with verse 42:
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Verse 42 describes the ongoing activity of the believers—their lifestyle, you might say. The Bible says they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine. What this means is they heard the message that was presented, they received that message into their hearts, and they incorporated the truth of that message into their daily life. They acted on the message of truth.
Mighty things happen when you act on a message of truth! In our day it is rare for a believer to continue steadfastly in the doctrine that is being presented by the spiritual leader. Indeed, there are many truths that I myself have presented, and which have the full backing of Scriptural authority and prophetic guidance as well, and yet those truths have, for the most part, not been received; those who have heard, primarily, have not continued steadfastly in those timely truths.
This is a real problem in our day. This is a real pitfall for believers. When something is truthful, we should act on it. We shouldn’t look for excuses not to act on the truth that we have heard. We need to return to the faith and dedication of the early believers. We are walking on very dangerous ground when we do not accept and continue in the truth that God is showing us. We are denying the very Spirit whom we are studying in this series.
But there are three other daily activities that characterized the early believers’ lifestyle. The Bible says they continued not only in the pure doctrine they heard, but they also continued in fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer.
This ongoing koinonia, fellowship, was not merely shooting the breeze, hob-knobbing it, small talk. The Greek here is very expressive. It was a spiritual communion they shared amongst each other. It was a mutual building up and strengthening of each other in the Lord. And their meals were shared meals. They became a spiritual family. Truly this was the beginning of the potluck experience that we enjoy.
Notice they were regularly in prayer as well. It was through prayer and the influence of prayer that they were able to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the first place. I would have liked to be a part of these early believers’ prayer circles, wouldn’t you? It would be wonderful to hear what they prayed for, and to hear the passion and longing for souls and glory to God that come from their lips.
43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
Now, this is a holy fear, not a frightful fear. This is a great awe that came upon them, knowing and sensing that they were in the presence of Almighty God. They witnessed the signs and wonders that the apostles did, as the Holy Spirit worked through them. God used these signs and wonders to grow His kingdom. If you think that the era for signs and wonders is over, think again.
In our lifetimes we will see supernatural signs and wonder from both Satan and his people, and from God and His people. God will once again manifest His power among His people, in order to bring millions of precious souls into His remnant church! In fact, we will see much greater signs and wonders than what was seen in the first century. They will happen to the extent that we are surrendered and obedient to His truth, as were the early believers.
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
Now, this is where it gets interesting. The word “common” is from the same root as the word “fellowship” in verse 42. Koinonia involves a constant readiness to share one’s material possessions, if the need arises. It means that these believers shared items, possessions, food, clothes, as the needs arose naturally. This wasn’t exactly a communal situation, but close to it. It was simply a continuation of the simple existence Jesus and His disciples shared, when He was yet with them.
It was not a rudimental form of communism in the economic sense. Indeed, communism as a political and economic alternative is a corrupt, failed system that has ruined every nation that has practiced it.
No, the community that the Holy Spirit created among the people of God was one of mutual love and care and personal dignity. It was self-sacrifice and hard work. It was looking after your neighbor, and the strong helping the weak. It was a natural, loving way of life that grew right out of the love that Christ showed for His people.
Today we can see this koinonia in action whenever churches reach out to their community in practical ways. We also see it with the popular Medi-Share program, in which Christians share one another’s medical bills, and help to pay for one another’s medical bills systematically.
There are many practical ways to bring about the koinonia that was started in the first century. In short, we should always be willing to help those in need, if we are able to do so.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47
These believers spent a lot of time in the church! They visited often with other believers. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. They praised God for His goodness, and the Bible says they enjoyed a good reputation with all people. That is what we will enjoy as well if we live as they lived.
And because this early church was a safe place to bring new disciples to, God blessed their obedience and their love, and gave them lots of new people on a regular basis. Now, mind you, these believers couldn’t stop talking about a risen Savior and His power to save!
The Bible says they were with one accord. At times they had differences, and the Holy Spirit would help them to make good decisions, and He would correct wrong ideas when necessary. But for the most part, these early believers had the same goals: the salvation of everyone in their community! And they all put into practice what they were being taught, so they were on the same page, lifestyle-wise.
Same plans: enlargement of the
In this series we have spent valuable time in Deuteronomy, learning about the early rain that comes in the Fall, to cause things to grow, and the latter rain that comes in the Spring, to gather in the harvest. We learned that the rain is a fit symbol of the Holy Spirit of God. In Deuteronomy we saw that God only gives His rain if His people live in obedience to His principles and commands. We also saw that the Bread represents Jesus, the Bread of Life, the Wine (juice of the grape) represents the shed blood of our Lord Jesus, and the oil represents the Holy Spirit.
In the book of Joel we learned that the regular sanctuary services had come to a complete stop, because the people of God had allowed themselves to become just like the surrounding nations. They had fallen into corruption and idolatry. In the book of Joel God calls upon His people of today to rend their hearts, to fast, to mourn over their sins, to repent and to come back to the Living God. He promises to pour out His Spirit in latter rain power, upon all those who are weeping between the porch and the altar.
In the book of Zechariah we were allowed to be witness to the false words, false comfort, false dreams, and deception that the religious leaders were giving the people of God. We learned how serious it is to mislead God’s people, and that the Lord will judge those who give false comfort.
We then took a closer look at false comfort #1: Telling someone that they don’t have to be so concerned about their sins or their sinful ways or habits, because nobody’s perfect, and we will continue sinning until Jesus comes.
We saw how damaging and how untrue this guidance is; how deadly it is. We explored what the Bible says about true conversion, and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. We discovered that in the new birth, we are given a new nature; that we participate in the diving nature; that sin no longer has dominion over a person who has been born from above.
We also learned that the devil does not want God’s people to know this important truth, because if they know it and accept it, they will awake out of their spiritual slumber, be converted, and will go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit to win souls to Christ!
We saw that the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of Truth, and that He will always lead us into truth, if we are willing.
And we looked at the experience of the disciples, who initially were full of themselves, full of defeat, depressed and lost, and how these same men in a matter of five weeks, through prayer, repentance, and surrender, became new creations!
We saw the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, regenerating them, beginning the process of restoring them to the image of Christ. And we witnessed the revealing work of the Holy Spirit, as the disciples received tongues of fire on Pentecost, and began to proclaim the gospel of Jesus in languages they had not previously known.
We discovered that this early rain experience is for us as well, and that if we humble our hearts before God as they did, we too would be regenerated, restored, and we would be able to powerfully reveal the Lord to the people in our community.
There is no doubt, my brother, my sister, that the Lord Jesus Christ is ready and willing to do a mighty work in each of our lives, if we will but open our hearts to all that He is trying to show us.
Today we have the opportunity to experience the last remaining drops of the early rain, and to usher in the powerful time of the latter rain of the Holy Spirit. Will we be ready for that downpour when it occurs? Will we? We must lose sight of ourselves, we must forget about our convenience, our reputations, and we must fall on our faces before our God in deep repentance and forsaking of our sins. We must let go of the harmful and debilitating habits and customs of this world if we will make it to our heavenly home!
Today we will take a serious look at the second kind of false comfort that Satan is using today quite effectively. But we will do so in the context of the community of Spirit in which the early Christians lived and moved about. Before we do so, let us pray for the Lord’s guidance and instruction.
False comfort #2: Telling someone that it is being judgmental to point out someone’s sins, and that God wouldn’t do something like that, so we shouldn’t.
Have you ever heard something like this? Has anyone ever told you something similar to this before? Have you ever given this kind of advice to anyone?
First of all, let me say that there is an element of truth to this type of false comfort, and that is why it is so deceptive and hideous. We are not supposed to judge people, or to look down on people. Jesus Himself says:
“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?”
Matthew 7:1-3
Jesus had a lot to say about focusing on the sin of someone, while you yourself are just as guilty if not more. He spoke out adamantly against hypocrisy. But He did not tell us that we should not exhort one another, warn one another, help one another, guide one another, etc.
The Bible distinguishes between bad judging and good judging.
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:10-16
Several principles can be garnered from this passage:
1. Through the Holy Spirit we can know and understand the things of God. We can be brought close to the mind of our Lord.
2. We should speak or share the things of God with others, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. This implies Bible study.
3. The person who is born again and filled with the Holy Spirit is to judge all things—that is, discern between good and evil, and make righteous decisions.
So, this is judging in the sense of discernment, and sharing what we know to be true. The Bible sanctions and encourages this kind of judging. It is usually called exhortation in the New Testament, and it is necessary for the people of God.
Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5
Here the apostle Paul was urging and exhorting the people to please the Lord, and to obey His commandments. Again, this kind of judging has to do with discerning the will of God, and sharing that truth with others. For instance, here we find that it is the will of God that we be sanctified, and that we are able to have self-control and not be caught up in the passions and lust of this world. A modern application would be avoiding television and certain magazines that promote pride, vanity, and lust. TV programming today is absolutely full of sexual innuendos and overtones.
If Paul were writing today, he would speak to these issues specifically, because he believed in mutual exhortation in the truth, and he believed in protecting the people of God.
For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.
13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.
2 Thessalonians 3:11-13
Here exhortation is given to those who are gossiping, and a different exhortation for others to not to grow weary in doing good, but to keep on moving forward, doing the next right thing, and being a blessing to others. This kind of judging or exhortation is important for the people of God, and it is very specific in nature.
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth… 2 Timothy 4:1-4
Here Paul was training young Timothy to convince, rebuke, exhort, with all patience and teaching. In other words, whatever is needed, that is what you do. The Holy Spirit will show you what is needed. Timothy is told that this kind of exhortation is needed more and more, because the time would come that the people would not endure sound doctrine, and would not accept the truth.
This was already a problem in Paul’s day, and it is much worse in our day. Today people will generally turn their ears away from a straightforward message of truth, because it challenges their lifestyle in some way, and they would rather hear something pleasant and non-threatening to their lifestyle. So they tune the message out, and listen to other messages that are more “grace-oriented.” The problem is, they don’t realize that God is trying to reach them and to save them. They don’t understand that the grace of God is a transforming power in one’s life. And so spiritual exhortation is needed today most definitely.
In the early church, spiritual exhortation was very specific in nature:
But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
6 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Titus 2:1-8
Paul was giving these marching orders to young Titus, who was a pastor that Paul had left in charge of organizing the work on the
But it wasn’t just young pastors that were to exhort and to guide; it was all believers:
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:
“ Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Hebrews 3:12-15
We are to exhort one another daily, the Scripture says. We are to care enough about one another that when we see someone departing from God or being deceived by sin, WE SPEAK UP AND WE EXHORT HIM OR HER TO TURN AROUND AND COME BACK TO THE SAFETY OF THE FLOCK! It is a love issue. The community of Spirit is a community of mutual care and concern. When a family member is in danger, you spring into action and try to save them.
Jude describes the kind of community of Spirit that existed in the early church, and his message is for us as well:
These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. Jude 1:16-19
As Jude looked around him at the state of affairs in his day, he noted that it was characterized by lusts and sensuality, devoid of the Spirit of God. But he said it ought not to be this way with the community of Spirit:
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Jude 1:20-23
Godly exhortation is all about building up the
With some we are to gently, compassionately exhort to be true to God. But others we are to SAVE WITH FEAR, PULLING THEM OUT OF THE FIRE! Some people are plummeting head first into the abyss, and we need to pull them out, and into safety. There is no time to lose. They have no idea that they are in danger and being deceived by sin. So we must act quickly.
Either way, there is a ministry of exhortation that is to be carried on by the community of Spirit. Believers are to exhort one another, and to care enough about one another to tell them when they are departing from the will of God. This is true love. IT IS NOT AT ALL LOVING TO LEAVE SOMEONE ALONE IN THEIR SIN AND IN THEIR SELF-DESTRUCTION. THIS IS THE MESSAGE THAT GOD HAS FOR US THIS MORNING.
There is a good kind of judging that is to occur in the
Satan would like to keep this truth from us, so that we do not cooperate with the Holy Spirit in exhorting one another. But we must reject the false comfort and false guidance that he presents to us these days. That false guidance comes in many forms, it even comes from church leaders. We must be on our guard and in the Word of God regularly, so we can safely navigate through these perilous times.
The Bible says that we will one day judge angels, so we ought not to be afraid to judge matters in this world:
Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3
We need to accept our role in these final days—we will one day rule with Christ, judge the angels, be an active part of the judgment process in heaven, look into the books ourselves—SURELY WE SHOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH JUDGING THE THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO THIS EARTHLY LIFE!
Oh, that we would see importance of this kind of Godly judging! It is very much needed as we approach the end of all things.
And so I close with the words of exhortation of Jude:
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen. Jude 1:24, 25