Together - wk 2 - Devoted to the Good News

Last week we started a new series we are calling “Together.” To kick us off, we talked about why we should stop going to church. In case you missed last week or you aren’t sure what I just said, let me say it again. Yes, you should stop going to church. If “going to church” is something you do because you feel that it is your responsibility as a follower of Christ, then when you miss church you will feel like you have failed or done something wrong.

When “going to church” becomes our calling, we begin to judge or criticize other Christians for failing to do their part in attending a church service. When you miss church you might end up pretending that you are not at home and turn off your phone so that you don’t get the “we missed you this weekend” phone call. The phrase, “we missed you this weekend” goes from being a loving greeting to a hostile accosting.

When we invited Jesus into our hearts, He didn’t say, “Great! Now you just need to go to church. Join a church, sign up for the pot luck, and get your name on the weekly volunteer schedule.” No, He actually said, “Hey, welcome to the family, you ARE the Church. Now GO OUT! Out into the world.” In other words, instead of GOING TO church, we are called to BE THE CHURCH.

Our driving scripture for this series is in Acts, let’s read all of it again this morning. You may remember that last week we took note of the literary device the author used when writing this passage, called “inclusio.” Inclusio is where the author will highlight a thought by making it the parenthesis, or the bookends, of a passage. The main theme of this passage is all of the people being added to God’s family.

Acts 2:41–47 NLT

41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. 42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

In other words, God was growing the number of Christ followers every single day. These people weren’t simply becoming members of a church and devoting themselves to attending church. They were becoming part of a family. They were devoting themselves to the family. They weren’t GOING to church, they were BEING the church.

The Greek word for ‘devoted’ is ‘proskartereo‘ and it’s meaning is significant. It’s more than just devotion, it is an intense devotion. This family of believers is more than just attentive to the fellowship, they are steadfastly attentive. They aren’t just pursuing Jesus, they are in a constant state of relentless pursuit of their Lord and Savior. Proskartereo.

Today we are going to continue working our way through this passage as we drill down on the next thought. In verse 42, Luke draws a connection between the apostles’ teaching and performing signs and wonders.

Acts 2:42–43 (NLT)

42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching... 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

According to Luke, the apostles’ were teaching people about Jesus, and amplifying that message with signs. This idea isn’t exclusive to Luke. Throughout the bible it is pretty simple to find teaching and signs accompanying each other. So why are signs important? How are signs and teaching used in the bible?

Signs are given in the Old Testament to warn people, to execute divine judgement, to deliver people from oppression, to mark sacred time, and to anticipate the coming of a savior. In the New Testament we see signs with similar intentions and discover Jesus to be the ultimate sign and fulfilment of the covenant to Israel, beginning a new promise.

All of the signs in scripture have one thing in common. They each point people back to God. Through signs, God was teaching His people to know and rely on Him alone. Each powerful sign was never about the sign in and of itself, but they were only ever trustworthy when they faithfully pointed back to the one true God, the only God worthy of trust.

Signs seem pretty important in the bible and could stand on their own as powerful and meaningful, so why pair signs with teaching? Signs and teaching share the same purpose. God uses signs and teaching so that we will see the significance of His works, and understand the importance of His words. God wants people to know and trust Him, so, through Jesus, He gives Himself as a sign to teach His people to rely on Him.

That is a very brief look at teaching and signs in the bible. We could spend several days discussing that topic, but that gives us the fly-over look at the subject from the thirty-thousand foot view. What does it mean for us today? Who is supposed to teach? Does God still use signs?

Of course! You can probably think of countless times God has revealed something to you that confirmed His truth to you. It stood out to you in a way that enhanced your trust in God in ways only you could truly understand. It probably gave you a story about God’s love and mercy that you can share with excitement. God still uses signs and we often treasure them as a message directly from God to us.

It’s also important to note that signs aren’t ALWAYS given. Sometimes people would reject Jesus, so He would move on without performing miracles. Mark’s Gospel records some of the Pharisees trying to get a sign from Jesus so He said, “Why does this generation seek for a sign? NO SIGN will be given to this generation.”

We aren’t going to study “signs” in great detail today, however there is an important truth to remember as we witness the signs and miracles God performs in and around us today…

WE ARE CALLED TO TRUST IN JESUS, NOT SIGNS.

There are many examples of people in the bible wanting God to show them signs to prove the truth in what He was revealing to them. Matthew recorded a moment in chapter 12, verse 39, when the teachers and Pharisees wanted Jesus to show them a sign to prove who He was. Jesus responded by simultaneously giving them a sign and noting that the need for a sign comes from people who don’t truly love God.

Matthew 12:39 NLT

39 But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.

There are a couple of thoughts we can learn about signs from Jesus’ teaching. His interaction with the Pharisees shows us that...

1. Signs are intended to support our trust in God alone, not replace it.

Those who really trust God don’t even need a new sign to confirm His truth to begin with. A sign is intended to confirm and support God’s truth, not become the truth. When we rely on proof and verification through signs, it is extremely easy to shift our trust from God to the signs. It becomes easy to need a sign before we are willing to have faith in God’s calling.

One could even ask if it is faith at all, if we must wait for a sign to give us comfort. It becomes easy to see bad things that happen to us as a sign of God’s displeasure, or a reaction from Him to our mistakes. We do have to face the consequences of our actions, but God doesn’t operate under the laws of karma. Jesus also teaches us that…

2. Signs alone will not convince people to trust God.

We shouldn’t even NEED a sign. On the flip side, those who DO NEED a sign won’t be convinced anyway. In a parable (Luke 16:31), Jesus told the story of a rich man who died and went to the place of torment. There he begged for God to send Lazarus from the dead to warn his family, but Jesus explained that those who seek a sign without trusting God couldn’t receive anything that would convince them.

Luke 16:31 NLT

31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

Signs should always point to God, not the other way around. To me, the most profound truth about signs that Jesus teaches is that…

3. When we trust in Jesus, we become signs of God’s love.

The big ‘C’ church, believers, Christ followers, you and I… we are signs for the world to see Jesus. Jesus consistently talked about His followers doing the exact thing that signs had always done up to that point in history, pointing people to God. When we stop GOING to church and start BEING the church, we point people to Jesus. This was Jesus’ prayer for His family of believers...

John 17:23 NLT

23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

It’s never about the signs. The signs are only there to point to Jesus. We’ve been talking about “going” to church versus “being” the church. I love this thought that Cheree Hayes from The Bible Project shared when writing about symbols, holy days, and other memorials that teach about God’s provision and promises. She said, “If the practice of honoring a sacred day leads us to trust in the practice itself, we’ve missed the point.”

The signs and the teaching is all about Jesus. It should always point to Jesus. So who should do the teaching? How do I know if I am supposed to teach? The bible specifically called certain people to teach those who they lead. Kings, prophets, apostles, teachers, pastors, mothers, and fathers were all specifically called to teach. Which one are you? Well, according to Paul, it really doesn’t matter. He says, “As members of one body… THE Church…Every one of you are called to teach...”

Colossians 3:15–16 (NLT)

15 ... For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

Everyone in God’s family is called to participate in sharing God’s story. We are all called to be intensely devoted to the Good News. What would it look like if people were as devoted to sharing the Good News as some people are to sharing the location of the Chic-Fil-A food truck? What if people were as excited about digging into scripture as some people are to black Friday sales?

We are the church, and we are all called to teach each other. We are all called to tell the story of Jesus. Everyone is called to learn, everyone is called to teach. As a part of the body of Christ, a member of His family, you are a minister. You are an evangelist. This isn’t as complicated as it sounds. The bible encourages several ways of teaching and learning. We’ve talked about some of them in the past...

Meditating on Scripture - Psalm 1:1-3, Joshua 1:8

Scripture Memorization - Deuteronomy 11:18, Proverbs 7:2-3

Public Scripture Reading - 1 Timothy 4:13

Day to Day Repetition - Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Celebrating Holy Days/Memorials - Exodus 13:6-10, Joshua 4:21-24

These are just a few. The important thing to remember is the same thing we mentioned earlier about signs. It should always point to God, not the other way around. If anything you practice leads you to trust in the practice itself, then we are missing the point. If you HAVE to GO TO church, then you miss a week or two, feel guilty, and hope for forgiveness because you are supposed to GO TO church, you might have missed the point. It might be time to change the way you think about church. Time to BE the church. Time to realize that you aren’t a member of an organization, but a member of a family that relies on one another.

The early church was extremely devoted to the apostle’s teaching. If being devoted to teaching isn’t about GOING TO church, but about BEING the church, how can we participate? As a part of the fellowship of Christ followers, how can I BE the church and be devoted to the teaching of the Good News? I love the way Paul said it to the Romans…

Romans 10:14–15 NLT

14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

Before you can believe, at some point we all have to go through this process of going, telling, and listening. Once I’ve listened then believed, the cycle starts over with me going and telling. Let’s talk about how we can apply Paul’s inspiring message in our lives. If you are taking notes, I want to share three important actions that we can take to be devoted to the Good News like the early church. First…

DEVOTED TO THE GOOD NEWS

1. GET TO KNOW THE GOOD NEWS

Familiarize yourself with the Good News. Before we can teach anything, we must first learn something. On page one of the Bible, God begins outlining the Good News of His plan to save the world. Until we actually open it up and read it, it will just be a bunch of words on some pages. When you start reading, the words come to life! The more you learn and the more you meditate on scripture, the more God’s love and truth begins to pour into your mind and your heart.

The bible was written with meditation, pondering, re-reading, and prayer in mind. The more you do that, the more amazing things you find. Pray for God to lead you to excellent resources that will help you understand what you are reading. There are some talented and wise scholars out there that will help you see scripture in new ways that make sense. The bible was written a long long time ago, and it is easy to read it in the context of an Oklahoman in 2023. It helps to hear the stories in the bible from the perspective of people who have studied that culture.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to hear people bad talk the bible or even completely give up on it simply because they don’t understand what they are reading. I am by no means saying that I do understand everything I read in the bible, I am just honest enough to admit that God does things that I will never understand. I don’t even know why He would partner with a broken and sinful humanity to record their history of consistent failure, while still promising these broken and sinful humans more than they could ever deserve. I am glad He did, though.

Even if you open your bible and only think of Jesus while you read it, you will never be disappointed at the way God reveals His Son on every page. If you want to be devoted to the Good News of Jesus, it is absolutely critical for you to start by getting to know that Good News. We don’t need to become Bible experts to know the story. All it takes is a little time and effort exploring the Bible and searching for God’s truth consistently. Not MY truth, not the truth according to Pastor so-and-so on channel 3, not the truth as told by the church lady at the coffee shop… Consistently seeking God’s truth.

First, Get to know the Good News. Second…

DEVOTED TO THE GOOD NEWS

2. TELL THE GOOD NEWS

This one sounds intimidating. “What if I am not smart enough to adequately convey the Good News? What if someone asks questions I don’t know how to answer? What if I find myself in a debate with Satan himself and end up doubting what I believe?!?” Don’t think like that. You are WAY overthinking it. Sure, it’s possible to end up in those conversations if you engage in them. If that is what you want to do, then I really hope you took #1 serious first.

The truth is, that’s not what most people want anyway. Not on either side of the conversation. The most interesting story that someone could hear you tell isn’t your synopsis of a story that has been well recorded for a couple of thousand years. The most interesting story that you can tell someone who needs to hear the Good News is how that Good News intersected and transformed YOUR life. Think about these questions...

How did God meet you?

How is God changing how you view yourself and others?

How has following the way of Jesus challenged and changed you?

These questions will help you see how your story connects with the Good News of God’s story. It’s that connection that has meaning with the person God brings into your life. Tell the Good News as it slammed into the burning wreckage that you used to call life and completely transformed you and made you brand new.

Learn the Good News, Tell the Good News, third...

DEVOTED TO THE GOOD NEWS

3. LIVE THE GOOD NEWS

To me, this is the biggest part of being sent. God wants to use you to share the Good News where you are at just as much as He wants to use a missionary half way around the world. Sharing the Good News is about so much more than telling someone a story. It’s also about living that story every single day. Often times, the way you live the Good News story in your live will speak louder than the words you project from your lips.

The Good News reminds us that we are forgiven so that we can forgive others. It reveals God’s humility so we can put others ahead of ourselves. It reminds us that we didn’t go find it on our own so that we will take it to the people we work with, the people stuck in traffic, the people at the grocery store, the people at the gas station.

Not everyone accepted Jesus, and that is important to remember when we face difficult situations where we feel rejected and hated for living for the Good News of Jesus. Jesus even warned the disciples that His message wouldn’t always be accepted so they shouldn’t let it get them down or stop them from sharing it with the next person.

We can’t force people to accept the Good News, and it could do more harm than good if we tried to force them to accept it. Many people just need to wrestle with it for a long time before they are ready to welcome Jesus into their lives.

Our role is to be faithful as we learn, share, and live the story. We may plant the seeds, and we may water them, but it is God who makes them grow. So we keep praying, trusting God, and sharing the Good News with anyone God puts in our path. And celebrating with people when they say yes to God’s Good News.

If you want to be intensely devoted, proskartereo, in relentless pursuit of the Good News… Don’t wait for a sign, take that leap of faith right now and ask God to give you the opportunity to share the Good News in some way with someone else this week. Ask God to show you how you can BE the Church today.

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