Please turn to the book of Acts, chapter 1. We will read from verses 12 through 14.
Then they returned unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is nigh unto Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey off.
And when they were come in, they went up into the upper chamber, where they were abiding; both Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the brother of James.
These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.
Then Acts, chapter 2. We will read from verses 37 through 47.
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do?
And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto Him.
And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation.
They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls.
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.
And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need.
And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,
praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.
Then chapter 4, Acts chapter 4, verses 32 and 33.
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul: and not one of them said that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
And with great power gave the apostles their witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
Let us have a word of prayer.
Lord, we have read Thy Word. And now, Lord, may Thy Holy Spirit breathe upon Thy written Word and make it living and operative in our lives, to Thee be the glory. In the name of our Lord Jesus, amen.
We have begun to share together on the life of the church, the body of Christ. If you still remember, because that was way back in January, we had our first session. We spoke about the concept of the church.
The church is not a product of history. It is a concept in the Godhead, even before the foundation of the world.
Even before the foundation of the world, God has purposed in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that there should be a church, a body. And through that church, that body, the manifold wisdom of God will be made known, even to the principalities and authorities in the heavenlies.
So, brothers and sisters, first of all, we need to remember that the church is not a product of human history. It is in the very heart and mind of God in eternity past.
We need to know the church in God’s mind. The success or failure of a church is to be measured by its nearness or farness from God’s concept of the church. That measures success or failure.
Then, way back in May, we had the second session, and we shared on the birth of the church—that is, its birth on earth.
We mentioned two things. First, the church is never organized; it is born. And it is born through travail—through the travail of the triune God and the travail of God’s people.
Secondly, we mentioned the meaning of Pentecost. The primary meaning of Pentecost is not in sight or sound. It is in the exaltation of Jesus as the Christ, as the Lord, and also in the union, the formation, of the body of Christ.
Now, this morning, we would like to begin on the life of the church, the body of Christ.
Of course, the first one that appears on earth is the church in Jerusalem. So we would like to see together the life of the church in Jerusalem.
Now, brothers and sisters, we know there is only one church. Our Lord Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” That is the one universal church.
But in the building of that one church, God builds through many local churches. This is very evident. Not only do we find it in the book of Acts, but we can see it in the book of Revelation.
In the book of Revelation, in the first three chapters, we see the seven churches in Asia. Then finally, in Revelation 21 and 22, we find the universal church, the holy city, the New Jerusalem.
So the actual building of the universal church is through the building of the local churches. And the first one that appears on this earth is the church in Jerusalem. Therefore, the church in Jerusalem has a very special place.
After our Lord ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, some of His disciples returned to Jerusalem. They went to that upper room, and there they waited actively, praying with one accord for the coming of the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Now, who were those gathered in that upper room? The Bible tells us that in that upper room there were the eleven apostles, and their names are given.
Aside from the eleven apostles, there were some women there. No doubt, if we read Luke 8:2-3, we will find that when our Lord Jesus was ministering on earth, there were a number of women following the Lord and ministering unto the Lord and to His disciples.
They were Mary Magdalene, Joanna the wife of Chuza, Susanna, and other women. No doubt, these were the women who were there.
Also, we find that Mary the mother of Jesus was there, and the brethren of our Lord Jesus. You remember that when our Lord was on earth, His brethren in the flesh did not believe in Him.
But somehow, after His death and resurrection, all His brethren became His disciples. Among them, of course, were James and Jude.
So altogether there were about 120. These 120, we may say, were the cream of all the disciples of our Lord Jesus at that time. They were the ones who followed the Lord Jesus faithfully. They were the ones who obeyed the Lord Jesus, returned to Jerusalem, and waited for the coming of the promise of the Holy Spirit.
They knew the Lord. They all had a long history with the Lord.
While they were waiting and praying, prevailing on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came from heaven. They were filled with the Holy Spirit, and something happened.
In one Spirit, these 120 believers were baptized into one body, the body of Christ. You find that not only did each one have an organic relationship with the Lord Himself, but they were organically united one with another as one body—not 120 individuals, but 120 members of the one body of Christ.
Probably when we read the record of the day of Pentecost, we think that it was Peter who stood up and preached the first gospel message. But, of course, if you read a little carefully, you will find that when Peter stood up, the other eleven all stood up with him.
But if you read still more carefully, you will find that it was the 120—every one of them—who spoke in tongues, and they spoke of the great things of God. It was because of this that the multitudes were drawn to them.
Evidently, they moved from that upper room to Solomon’s Porch, because that was the place where multitudes could gather. Everybody heard them speaking in their own tongue.
So, brothers and sisters, immediately after the body was born, all the members of that body were functioning. Not just Peter functioning, not just the eleven apostles functioning with him, but the men and the women—every member in that body was functioning.
They were all testifying, speaking of the great things of God, and that drew the multitudes to them.
Now, that is a healthy body. When you see every member of the body functioning, you know that body is healthy.
So thank God, from the very beginning, you find a very healthy body was born.
When the multitude heard the preaching of the gospel, they were pricked in heart. You know that this was the time of the Feast of Pentecost, and many Jews from all over the world gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate that feast.
Unfortunately, many people came out of tradition. It was a religion to them. But thank God, among the multitudes there were people who were real seekers—seekers of God, seekers of truth.
It was to these people that light broke into their lives. When they heard the preaching of the gospel, they were pricked in heart, and they asked Peter and the eleven apostles, “What shall we do?”
“We have rejected Christ. Now what shall we do?”
And Peter said, “Repent. Be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is not only to you, but to your children, to those who are near, and to those who are far.”
You find that these people fully received the word that Peter said. Peter said many other words, exhorting them to be saved from this perverse generation.
This perverse generation rejected the Savior. Now be saved from this perverse generation. Be separated from them, and be wholly committed to Christ Jesus.
So those who believed were baptized, and in one day about 3,000 were added.
Now, brothers and sisters, these 3,000 were soundly saved. They were perfectly born.
You know, today, when people say they believe in the Lord Jesus, sometimes you find that it is not that absolute, not that clear. But here you find people who repented, who separated themselves from the world and from that perverse generation, who were baptized, fully committed to Christ, and who received the promise of the Holy Spirit, filled with the Spirit.
They were soundly saved, perfectly born, even though they were still babes in Christ.
When we believe in the Lord Jesus, we are babes in Christ in the beginning. Yet, because they were so soundly saved and perfectly born, these 3,000 and the 120 were joined together as one body. There was no gap of any kind. They were just one people, one body.
Now, that is the church in Jerusalem.
The church in Jerusalem was not composed only of veterans in Christ Jesus. It was composed, even from the very beginning, of babes in Christ. It is a family.
Those who had known the Lord for a long time were able to help those who were babes in Christ. And those who were babes in Christ were humble enough to receive help from those who knew the Lord very well. They just merged together as one because they were one—one family, one people, one church, one body.
How can there be a new body, a living body, and not a new way of life? Without any planning, without any need to enforce anything, you find naturally—supernaturally naturally—a new lifestyle beginning to appear.
Formerly, these people each lived their own lives. But now something had happened. They had become one people—not only one people, but one body. Very quickly, you find that body life began to show forth.
Now, brothers and sisters, body life is not something planned or manufactured. Body life comes out of life, because they share a common life. Because they are in the one body, very naturally you find that they begin to live together—a way of life, a style of life. It is so natural.
It is a way of life, a corporate life, a life together, that the world has never seen before. It is a way of life different from all the ways the world has ever known of living.
Why? Because Jesus, He is the way.
Now, brothers and sisters, we would like to see what kind of life body life is—what kind of life these early believers lived as the church of God.
First of all, you find in Acts 2:42 that they persevered, they continued, they occupied themselves with the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Now, brothers and sisters, remember: before this happened, they were occupied with many things. But hereafter, you find what occupied their lives. How did they live? They continued faithfully, occupied with the teaching and fellowship of the apostles.
What is the teaching of the apostles? You should notice that the word teaching is singular in number, but the word apostles is plural in number. There were twelve apostles, but there was only one teaching: the teaching of the apostles.
Now, what is the teaching of the apostles? You remember our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “Go and disciple the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.”
In other words, the teaching of the apostles is none other than what the Lord taught them. They simply taught what the Lord had taught them.
You also remember that in 1 Corinthians 11:23, the Apostle Paul said, “That which I also delivered unto you I received from the Lord.”
The apostles did not have their own teachings. They taught only what they had been taught by the Lord. So the teaching of the apostles is none other than the teaching of Christ. They taught them Christ.
The fellowship of the apostles—again, you notice that fellowship is singular in number. There is one fellowship, while the apostles are plural in number.
Brothers and sisters, what is the fellowship of the apostles? In 1 Corinthians 1:9, it is said, “God is faithful, through Whom ye were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”
In 1 John 1:3, it says, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”
So, brothers and sisters, it is clear that the fellowship of the apostles is none other than the fellowship of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Peter does not have his own fellowship. Paul does not have his own fellowship.
Actually, Paul told the Corinthian believers that to say, “I am of Paul,” is wrong, because Christ is not divided. There is only one fellowship: the fellowship of God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
Not only the teaching, but also the fellowship. The teaching comprises our faith; the fellowship is our practice. There is one faith, one fellowship—one common faith and one common fellowship.
So, brothers and sisters, these people received the teaching of Christ. They were taught of Christ, and they fellowshipped in Christ. They fellowshipped one with another in Christ.
That is body life: in the breaking of bread and prayers.
The teaching and fellowship of the apostles are especially expressed in these two means. One is the breaking of bread.
Why is the breaking of bread so important? Because the breaking of bread is our communion with our Lord. We all come into communion with His blood; we are in communion with His body; and we are in communion one with another. It is a practical expression of our union and communion in Christ Jesus.
Then there are prayers. Why are prayers so important? This is not merely personal prayer, but praying together—corporate prayer.
Why is it so important? Because prayer expresses our union with Christ in His purpose and interest. We do not just pray each for ourselves or merely for our small circles. We pray for His interest and His purpose.
So the breaking of bread actually is the life of the church, and prayer is the ministry of the church.
Brothers and sisters, how important and essential it is that we be there at the Lord’s table.
It is not a ritual. It is not a form. It is not a habit or a tradition. Every time we gather together at His table and remember the Lord, we are in spiritual communion with His blood and with His body.
And we are in fellowship with all the brothers and sisters, members of the body of Christ throughout the whole world. It is a testimony. It is body life.
Now, how can you say you have body life if you absent yourself from the Lord’s table? How can you say you have body life if you absent yourself from the prayers?
These are the practical expressions of the body of Christ, of body life. From the very beginning, these 3,120 believers occupied themselves in this manner.
May I say, as many believers as there are, there should be as many at the Lord’s table and as many in the prayer meeting. Now that is body life.
Number two: all that believed were together.
This togetherness is more than merely physical togetherness. This togetherness is a spiritual oneness.
It is expressed in different ways. First, you find it expressed in their concern for one another, in their care for one another.
You find that they were people completely delivered from self-possessiveness. You know, self-possessiveness is one of the primitive instincts of human beings.
Even a child has this instinct of self-possessiveness. When they are playing with their toys, they say, “Oh, this is mine.”
We are all selfish people, self-centered people.
Yet when these 120 and more were born into one body, all this selfishness and all this self-possessiveness were gone.
They shared everything. Nobody said, “This is mine.” They cared for one another. They supplied the needs of one another.
You must remember that during those days, many came to the feast and did not return. So there was no job; they were not doing anything. Houses were open for them to live in, and they ate together and shared everything together.
Suppose a cell in your body says, “This is mine. This life is mine.” What will happen? You have cancer.
No cell in your body will say, “This is mine.” They share everything with the whole body.
Brothers and sisters, when the Spirit of God gave birth to that heavenly body on earth, they began to live a lifestyle never seen on this earth. It was not taught, not enforced—natural, spiritually natural.
Together. How can we say we are one body if we do not care for one another?
They expressed their togetherness by breaking bread from house to house.
They loved the Lord so much, and they loved one another so much, that probably at every meal they celebrated and remembered the Lord.
You know, sometimes I feel that we make this matter of breaking bread too complicated. Actually, it should be very, very simple. Maybe after a meal, when we feel touched by the grace and love of God, let us break bread and give thanks to Him.
They did that to show their togetherness.
They assembled daily in the temple with one accord. That is togetherness.
We cannot say, “My spirit is with you,” when your body is not there. That is not togetherness. Now, if the body is there and your spirit is not there, there is no togetherness either.
But if there is togetherness, your spirit should be there and your body should also be there. So you find that they assembled daily in the temple with one accord.
They did not forsake the assembling of the saints. They encouraged and exhorted one another to love and to good works.
Now, that is togetherness.
Modern life is not conducive to spiritual living. That is true. But in spite of that, brothers and sisters, I feel very much ashamed when I think of how the early believers lived their body life and how we live today—supposedly our body life. We need to be before the Lord about it.
Number three: they received their food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.
I believe, brothers and sisters, that when it says they received their food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, they were a joyful, thankful, contented people.
They were completely delivered from the love of the world. They began to live a simple life.
Brothers and sisters, how do we know that we are delivered from the world if we still live a very complicated life? A Christian life ought to be very simple.
Contented with what the Lord has given us, completely delivered from the love of the world.
A new lifestyle comes forth: a happy, contented, thankful, praising people.
I believe that when the Spirit of God is really moving, wherever and whenever, you will find a people living simply—not for the world, not for themselves, but for the Lord.
That is body life, just the life of the church.
When the world looked at these people, they were amazed, because they had never seen anything like that on this earth.
Then fourthly, in Acts 4, you find that the heart and soul of the multitude of those who believed were one.
The Spirit of God mentions again and again that these people were one. Remember, by that time 3,000 had been added on the day of Pentecost, the Lord had added to them daily, and then in Acts 4 the number came to 5,000.
So you find that with all these people, they were one in heart and one in soul.