Simple Church

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42 NIV)

I got to go to a pastors’ conference this past week. It’s always good to see and talk with brothers in the ministry. But I have a problem. I almost always leave pastors’ conferences feeling discouraged. Know why? At pastors’ conference, I hear what everybody else is doing. When you hear what everybody else is doing, how do you feel about yourself? Kind of useless. “I’m not doing any of that. Maybe I should be doing that. Why aren’t I doing that?” After every pastors’ conference, I walk away with a big list titled, “All the Things I Should Be Doing!”

Because there are a lot of things that Christian churches do. Have you noticed that? Just look around. “They show movies during church. Maybe we should do that.” “They have a really cool pastor. Maybe we should get one of those.” “They are having a chili cookoff.” “They have the biggest building.” “They have billboards around town.” “They have their own slogan.” “They get really involved in politics.” “They are always volunteering in the community.” We could keep on going, couldn’t we? Christian churches are doing lots of things. Many of them are good. What should we be doing? Doesn’t it seem complicated? What should our church be focusing on?

The best place to start is to look at the Christian church in the Bible. This Easter season, our sermons are coming from the book of Acts. Acts tells us about the early Christian church. Today we have a description of what the first Christian church focused on. It’s good for us to hear. Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended into heaven. The Holy Spirit had just come to Jesus’ disciples on Pentecost. So what did that first Christian church focus on? Listen: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

That doesn’t sound complicated, does it? It’s simple. Church is meant to be simple. What did those Christians devote themselves to? “The apostles’ teaching.” What do we call that? God’s Word. The Bible. Those first Christians weren’t focused on buildings or programs. They devoted themselves to the Word of God. Like what? Later in Acts, Peter explained: “Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12). That’s the cornerstone: Jesus! A Christian church is devoted to Jesus and his Word!

There are three things that go with that. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship…” When we hear “fellowship” we think of coffee and donuts, don’t we? I don’t think that’s the kind of “fellowship” that’s meant here. The word “fellowship” really means unity or oneness of faith. When it came to the apostles’ teaching, those Christians were united in what they believed. They didn’t say, “Let’s agree to disagree.” They didn’t say, “That teaching doesn’t matter.” Jesus had told his disciples to teach people “everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Those first Christians were united on every teaching of God’s Word.

And they showed it in a special way. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread…” That’s a special phrase—“the breaking of bread.” It can refer to eating a meal together. But in the New Testament, it can also refer to something else. Know what? The Lord’s Supper. Those Christians showed their fellowship together in God’s Word by receiving the Lord’s Supper—Holy Communion—together. In fact, they were devoted to it. When Christians are united in God’s Word, they take the Lord’s Supper together often.

And there’s one more thing: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” They devoted themselves to prayer. In the Bible, that word “prayer” can refer to all of worship. They prayed to God together. They heard God’s Word together. They sang hymns together. They received the Lord’s Supper together. That’s what they devoted themselves to. It’s not complicated, is it? Actually, it’s simple. That first Christian church was a simple church. They devoted themselves to God’s Word.

Do we? Do you? Are you devoted to God’s Word like you’re devoted to your favorite sports team or your favorite hobby? In life, it’s easy to overlook important things. There’s a constant temptation to overlook the importance of the Word of God. “The Bible? I know that already. We got that. Let’s move to something cool!” “United in all teachings? Come on, that’s a little strict. Let’s just focus on the fundamentals.” Aren’t there bigger things that we can accomplish than just devoting ourselves to God’s Word? You won’t see that on the news: “Christian Church teaches God’s Word!” Who cares? Shouldn’t we be moving on to cooler and better things?

No! Our lesson says, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.” We get used to our model of a church. On Sundays, for one hour, we get together. What was their model of a church? “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.” Huh. That sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Why? They couldn’t get enough of God’s Word. They couldn’t hear often enough about Jesus’ forgiveness. They couldn’t wait to learn more about God’s will. It’s not complicated. It’s simple. That first Christian church devoted themselves to God’s Word.

That’s our goal here at Christ the King: To devote ourselves to the Word of God. A man once said to me, “Pastor, I don’t know why anyone would go to your church except for the Word of God.” I don’t think he meant that as a compliment, but I didn’t mind. The Word. That’s what it’s all about! Let’s devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching. Come to worship. Come to Bible study. We have three different Bible studies every week. Read devotions. Read your Bible. There’s no better question for me to hear than, “Pastor, I was reading my Bible and…” Yes! “Pastor, I don’t know why anyone would go to your church except for the Word of God.” Amen!

Except, there is one more thing. That first Christian church focused on one other thing too. Listen: “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Everyday they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” There was something more than the Word the God. What was it? Food! Even more than that. Togetherness. Sharing. Love for each other. That first Christian church wasn’t just a bunch of individuals studying God’s Word. It was a family. A church family devoted to God together.

God’s wants Christians to devote themselves to God’s Word together. God’s love for us is meant to flow into love for each other. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Heard that one? “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). Know who said that? Jesus! “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18). A Christian church is a family of believers devoting themselves to God’s Word together.

Even sharing things. Did you hear that part? “All the believers were together and had everything in common.” Let’s say it: What does that sound like? Communism! They had everything in common. As they looked at their lives, they thought of each other, not just of themselves. They looked at their possessions, not as their own, but as gifts from God to be used for everyone’s benefit. There wasn’t the self-centered individualism that so often plagues us as human beings. It wasn’t, “What’s in it for me?” It was, “My life is not my own. All I have is Christ’s.”

Doesn’t that sound strangely beautiful? Of course, it wasn’t communism. It was totally different, for two huge reasons. First, it was centered on Jesus. Jesus and his love and his sacrifice were at the center of everything. Communists today do the opposite: They reject God and try to stamp out Christianity. Communism is incredibly foolish: “We want Christian love for each other without Christ.” That’s impossible! Second, it was all voluntary. In that first Christian church, nobody was forced to share or give or unite. It was all voluntary. I see that here at our own church. Random acts of generosity. Often in secret. All to God’s glory. It’s a beautiful thing!

Because just like with God’s Word, this second part of a simple church is easy to neglect. It’s easy to miss the most important people in your life. Who are they? The ones sitting next to you. It’s easy to overlook our brothers and sisters in Christ who most need our love. Do you ever notice that it’s easier to care for people far away than to care for the people right here? It’s hard to open your mouth and actually talk to someone about Jesus. It’s hard to go up to that person and care about them and listen to them. There are two simple things that a Christian church is to focus on: The Word of God and the family of believers. It’s easy to neglect both, isn’t it?

Let’s keep things simple. There are so many things that churches can do and get involved in. Let’s keep things simple. Let’s do everything we can to study and hear the Word of God. Come to Bible study. Start reading your Bible. Take time every day to pray. And let’s do everything we can to cultivate a church family that cares for each other. Talk to someone new today. Invite someone to your house sometime. Go out for brunch together. Look for someone who needs encouragement. Let’s devote ourselves to God’s Word and to each other. That’s a simple church.

Do you know who those first Christians learned that from? Jesus. As Jesus carried out his work of saving the world, what did he focus on? Preaching God’s Word. Over and over again. And caring for people. Over and over again. Even to the point of dying on the cross to forgive all of our self-centeredness. To forgive all of our laziness. To heal all of our guilt and all of our shame. That’s who we follow—Jesus! God’s message to Christian churches is simple: Devote yourselves to the Word of God, and let the love of Christ abound in your love for one another.

Then trust that God will bless us. That’s how our lesson ends: “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” God blessed them. As they devoted themselves to God’s Word together, God blessed them. “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Notice something: Who added? The Lord. Who made their church grow? The Lord. How? Through his Word shared with Christian love. So what should we focus on? God’s Word and caring for one another as a church family. Isn’t that what we want to be? A simple church.

(To listen to this sermon on my Upside-Down Savior podcast, please click HERE. To watch this sermon on my Upside-Down Savior YouTube channel, please click on the link below.)