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The Great Covenant Kingdom (Palm Sunday 2023)

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INTRODUCTION

Augustine says that, “Pride is the beginning of sin.” Pride is a stiff-necked obsession with self, thinking higher of yourself, your looks, your abilities than you ought (Rom. 12:3). And pride is often highly religious and spiritual: “men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud… highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof…” (2 Tim. 3:2, 4-5).

This is Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, when we remember the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as the greatest conquering King of all time, and precisely because He is the greatest, he came to defeat our greatest enemies: sin, death, and Satan, with pride at the heart of all of it. Our sermon text is after Palm Sunday, on the night of the Passover that week, but it summarizes the mission of Jesus well as He labors to teach His prideful disciples that He is establishing a Kingdom of Humble Servants, a Kingdom of Left-handed Power.

THE TEXT

“And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest…” (Lk. 22:24-30)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Immediately after Jesus had warned that His betrayer was there at the table with them, the disciples began to quarrel about which of them would be the greatest (Lk. 22:21-24). Jesus says that this is how the rulers of the Gentiles talk and act, and this is not how His disciples are to think and act (Lk. 22:25-26). They are to understand greatness and power as arising from the one who considers himself younger and serves (Lk. 22:26). Jesus asks who is greater: the one who sits at the table or the one who serves, and He answers His own question by pointing out that He has served them all (Lk. 22:27).

Jesus affirms that the disciples have been His servants by continuing with Him in His trials, and He says that He is “covenanting” them a Kingdom, as the Father has “covenanted” to Him, a Kingdom where Jesus will continue serving them at His table, and by which they will be authorized and trained to rule well (Lk. 22:28-30). Following this, Jesus warns Simon that Satan is gunning for him, but Jesus has prayed for him to be restored after he falls (Lk. 22:31-34).

PAGAN POWER VS. COVENANT POWER

This text is bookended by pride: the pride of Judas and the pride of Peter, and in the middle, we have all the disciples quarreling because of their pride. Pride is what drives the kings and elites of the nations, like Nebuchadnezzar, vaunting their great power and wealth, ruling with threats of violence and flattery and bribes (Lk. 22:25). And Jesus says, “you shall not be so.” This is both a warning and a promise: they must not act this way, and this is because His kingdom does not work that way. Jesus says that the kingdom He is giving them, He is “covenanting” to them, as His Father, “covenanted” it to Him (Lk. 22:29). In other words, this Kingdom comes by the power of God’s Word, by the power of God’s promises, faith in those promises.

We see this all through the Bible: God occasionally works directly (e.g. the flood, a great plague, or military victory), but the story is more often filled with barren wives conceiving, sacrifices, and ordinary obedience and faith. This is the difference between what Luther called “right-handed power” and “left-handed power.” Right-handed power is direct, material intervention, whereas left-handed power is indirect and looks like weakness: the exaltation of Joseph, the Exodus, and the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The thing to underline is that while all that God does is powerful and miraculous, left-handed power highlights the power of God’s Word. It happens because God says so. Justification is the central doctrine in salvation that highlights this left-handed power, and this is why justification is the great Christian doctrine of humility.

THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND TAX COLLECTOR

Pride is so slick, so slippery. Pride can appear at our worst, but it often appears at our best. Pride shows up when we deny temptation or abstain from sin. If you pray, read your Bible, go to church, join the choir or a small group, pride is right there ready to pat you on the back. This is why Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector for those who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others” (Lk. 18:9): The Pharisee is not a complete hypocrite: he is pious and godly inside and out and he’s even full of gratitude and gives God all the glory: “I think you, God…” (Lk. 18:11). And then a corrupt IRS agent waltzes in, maybe after a night of hard partying, and in a moment of utter sobriety, staring at the floor, with a hand on his chest says, “God have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Robert Capon says that one of the ways you can test whether you really get this parable is to imagine the tax collector coming back to church the following week without having made any amends. “Now then. I trust you see that on that on the basis of the parable as told, God will not mend his divine ways… He will do this week exactly what he did last: God, in short, will send him down to his house justified.” Does that make you gag? Or turn it around, what if the publican comes back with some slight improvements in his life: no prostitutes this week and less stealing: Capon again: “Why are you so bent on destroying the story by sending the publican back for his second visit with the Pharisees’ speech in his pocket?” The glory of justification has nothing to do with our goodness or improvements, and it has everything to do with God’s sovereign grace. He declares sinners righteous for the sake of Christ alone (Eph. 2:8-9, 1 Cor. 4:7). This is where all human pride goes to die; this is the beginning of true humility.

CONCLUSIONS & APPLICATIONS

This is why Jesus says that His power and greatness comes from being young and humble. It’s because when you “get low” you see God’s greatness and power. He says the word, and the universe comes into existence. He speaks the word and Christ is born, your sins are paid on His cross, and Jesus is risen from the dead. He says the Word and you go home scot-free, justified.

Jesus does not say that Kingdom greatness is doing whatever anyone demands of you; Jesus says that Kingdom greatness is serving at His table in obedience to His Father (Lk. 22:27-30). Kingdom humility and greatness submits to the Word of the King. Kingdom humility is kingdom greatness because God is the greatest, and His Word directs us in greatness. And Jesus embodies this greatness in His obedience to His Father, presented at that very table, with His body broken and His blood shed, to destroy all our pride and make us truly great.

So greatness and leadership in the Kingdom of God first comes by being served by Christ in this way. Acknowledge His greatness and sit down and eat and drink: survey that wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, “my richest gain, I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.” And then as you eat and drink the greatness of Christ (which was His great humiliation in your place), you are being equipped to rule like Christ, judging the tribes of Israel in your place in the Kingdom, in your family, at your place of work, in your service in the church.

And maybe the greatest thing is simply to forgive as you have been forgiven.

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Great Fear (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #8)

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INTRODUCTION

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This is not a craven fear, but an honest, reverent, and clean fear. It acknowledges that God is perfectly holy, almighty, and the highest and greatest, and He knows all things, and all that we are is laid bare before Him in humility.

THE TEXT

“And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord…” (Acts 4:23-5:16)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

When the apostles were released and returned to the company of Christians, they reported everything, and the response was worship (4:23-30). Specifically, they sing/pray Psalm 2 and apply it before God to what happened to Jesus (4:25-27). They acknowledge the sovereignty of God over all of it, and they ask for boldness to continue speaking, to disobey the priests, and for signs to accompany the Word (4:28-30). Their prayer is answered immediately with the house being shaken and the word of God proclaimed boldly (4:31).

As we noted previously, between the free generosity of the gospel, the immediate needs of thousands of new Christians, many from out of town, and the expectation of the destruction of Jerusalem in the near future, the people began selling lands and houses and the apostles initially oversaw the administration of the funds (4:32-37). Ananias and Sapphira conspired together to lie about giving the entire proceeds from a land sale to the church (5:1-2). Ananias initially brought the gift, and Peter confronted him for lying to the Holy Spirit, insisting that the land and money was his to use freely, and Ananias immediately fell down dead (5:3-6). Three hours later, Sapphira showed up and confirmed that she was part of the conspiracy, and she also fell down dead (5:7-10). Great fear came upon everyone, as God answered the prayers of the apostles through signs and wonders, and many more people believed (5:11-16).

THE SANCTUARY OF WISDOM

Where do you turn when you are threatened? Where do you turn when you run into trouble? Where do you turn when people say all kinds of false things, foolish things? The early church shows us the faithful response: lift up your voice to God (4:24). But it really isn’t an accident that they lift up their voice to God “with one accord.” This is what corporate worship is, the gathering together of the saints to tell the Lord what has happened, and to ask Him for strength and boldness to obey no matter what (4:25-30).

Many of the Psalms describe this: “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues” (Ps. 31:20). “For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning… When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end. Surly thou didst set them in slippery places: thou cast them down into destruction” (Ps. 73:14, 16-18). Worship is the central thing because worship is where we hide safely from the strife of tongues and where we learn to see and think clearly about everything.

WORSHIP IS THE ENGINE

Notice that the “one accord” of worship translates into the “one heart and one soul” and “one accord” of community (4:24, 4:32, 5:12). Worship is the engine for community and culture. Living in the rootlessness of postmodernity means that everyone is desperate for meaning, for identity, to belong, for community, for purpose. But we have to have it fixed in our hearts and minds that community is a byproduct of the gospel and worship. The Holy Spirit calls men and women out of the darkness by the gospel, and He gathers us together in worship. It is a result of those things that the Spirit forms community and Christian culture. But if the gospel and worship are not the central things, it’s not the Holy Spirit, and it’s not Christian community or culture. Notice that as soon as people start gathering together, counterfeits show up on the scene, like Ananias and Sapphira, trying to manipulate and lie their way into community. But Christian fellowship is built upon grace and truth, not manipulation and lies. We have grace and truth to share because we have received grace and truth in Jesus Christ.

APPLICATIONS: THE FEAR OF THE LORD

This passage describes multiple causes of fear: the apostles have just been released from custody and threatened and Ananias and Sapphira died for lying to the Holy Spirit. “And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things… And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women” (5:11, 13-14).

First, notice that fear came upon all the church. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and since worship is the center of our fellowship, we worship with reverence and godly fear (Heb. 12:28). Jesus taught this: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt. 10:28). Ananias and Sapphire did not fear the Lord, and they thought they could get away with lying. This is the sin of hypocrisy. But the Lord sees all and knows all: “His eyes see, His eyelids test the children of men” (Ps. 11:4). The question is not whether there is any impurity in you, the question is what do you with it? “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts” (Prov. 17:3). If you cling to your impurity, you will be consumed with it, but if you cling to the Cross of Jesus, your impurities will be burned away until you shine like gold.

Second, notice that this godly fear had two effects on those outside the church. Some kept their distance but “magnified” the church (thought highly of them) and multitudes believed and poured into the church. One of the central reasons the world does not fear God is because the church does not fear God. And this has had disastrous effects on our society. When professing Christians don’t fear God they become hypocrites and liars and do their evil in secret, but when pagans do not fear God, they do their evil deeds brazenly in the broad light of day (Gen. 20:11, Ps. 36, Rom. 3). You can also tell who the masses fear by who they give deference to, who they obey. Instead of the living God, our culture fears the tinpot deities of “Science” and “Health” and “the Economy” or just popular opinion, and so we are easily manipulated.

So, are you more concerned about fitting in, being “healthy,” and keeping your head down in the culture, or having a clean heart before God, staying in fellowship with God and your people? Whom do you fear?

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Bold Submission (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #7)

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INTRODUCTION

We often think of boldness and courage as breaking the rules, but in a fallen world, it is often just the opposite. True boldness is submission to God’s rules when the world wants to rebel. Jesus was the courageous one who submitted to His Father in order to save the world.

THE TEXT

“And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead…” (Acts 4:1–22).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

We pick up our text in the middle of the commotion over the healing of the lame man at the gate of the temple (Acts 3:2-8). After Peter concludes his sermon, inviting everyone to receive the forgiveness of sins through repentance and faith in the resurrection of Jesus, the leaders of the Jews lay hold of Peter and John and put them in jail (Acts 4:1-3). By this point the number of believers had swelled to five thousand (Acts 4:4). The next day, the rulers conducted a hearing, and asked the apostles how they had performed the healing (Acts 4:5-7). Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, began preaching Jesus, crucified and risen, the Messiah, and the only name under Heaven given for salvation (Acts 4:8-12).

This boldness was remarkable and reminded them all of Jesus, and given the fact that the healed man was right there with them, they privately conferred, agreeing that they couldn’t deny the miracle but they needed to squelch the message (Acts 4:13-17). When they called Peter and John back before them, they threatened them and commanded them that they should not speak or teach in Jesus’ name anymore (Acts 4:17-18). After Peter and John politely declined, pointing out that it was more important to obey God than them, they threatened them again, finding no way to punish them because of their popularity with the people, and because everyone knew what had happened to the man (Acts 4:19-22).

THE GIFT OF CONTROVERSY

Part of the point of the book of Acts is that God grows His church through controversy. This is fundamentally the case because in a dark, fallen world, the Light of salvation offends the sensibilities of fallen sinners. We have already seen the Pentecost commotion and immediately following that, the Holy Spirit has created another controversy. Part of this continues to confirm that Jesus is alive, and it is His Spirit at work because wherever Jesus went, there were crowds and commotions. Of course, it is not enough to create trouble and blame the Holy Spirit. Achan was a “troubler of Israel” for his disobedience and sin (Josh. 7:25). But Jesus taught His disciples that all who follow Him should expect trouble (Mt. 5:10-12, Lk. 6:22, Jn. 15:18). Taking up “your cross” and following Jesus is taking up the scorn and hatred of the world (Mt. 16:24). A cross implies a public spectacle and controversy. And here, we see that in the midst of controversy, the gospel goes forth, and thousands more are added the church (Acts 4:2-4).

THE BOLDNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Because it is the plan for the gospel to go forth in the context of controversy, boldness and courage are necessary. The word here for “boldness” is PARESSIA, which means plainness, clarity, and boldness. The idea isn’t loud or bombastic. The idea is simple, straightforward, and plain. And notice that Peter is mostly repeating himself: Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, God raised from the dead (Acts 4:10, cf. 2:23-24, 3:13-15). But also notice that Peter does not shy away from the collision and confrontation, and he identifies Psalm 118:22 as referring to the Jewish leaders who oversaw the execution of Jesus: the stone which the builders rejected. So the boldness of the Holy Spirit centers on talking about Jesus and Scripture.

OBEDIENCE TO MAN OR GOD?

This text is important for rightly understanding obedience and disobedience to authorities. When Peter and John are threatened and commanded to stop preaching the resurrection of Jesus, they say, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye” (Acts 4:19). First, notice that the apostles appeal to the “sight of God,” which relativizes all human authority. All human authority is under God and answers to God. Second, the apostles clearly state that the greater authority must have the greater obedience. The basic principle would be that we may obey human authorities so long as they do not command what God prohibits or forbid what God commands. Another area which requires real wisdom would be in matters where authorities are being disobedient to God. The Bible teaches that we may obey authorities in those circumstances if it isn’t requiring us to sin and it is often good to do so, but we don’t have to (Mt. 17:24-27, 1 Pet. 2:18ff, Acts 9:23-25, Acts 12:17).

APPLICATIONS

Controversy is a gift but only if we know what spirit we are of. Remember the apostles at one point wanted to call fire down on the Samaritans, who really were confused theologically, but Jesus said that was not His Spirit (Lk. 9:51-56). Jesus came not to destroy men’s lives but to save them. This means we are not revolutionaries; we are reformers. We are in favor of true life-saving surgery, and we hate all demented life-deforming surgery.

Practice your boldness on yourself first. Deal with your own sin plainly, directly, without excuses or compromises. This is what had to happen with Peter. Remember it was only a 6 weeks earlier that Peter was cursing and swearing about being associated with Jesus, and now it’s a badge of honor (Acts 4:13). But he only got there because he repented and was completely restored. Never wield a sword on anyone else you haven’t first practiced on yourself. This isn’t a ban on boldness; it’s an exhortation to true boldness.

Practice submission to lawful authority. Understood rightly, submission to true godly authority is the only path to true authority. This begins with submission to the exclusive claims of Jesus: There is no other name given under Heaven whereby we must be saved. We live in a land in desperate need of real leaders, and this is what happens when everyone “does what is right his own eyes,” when everyone is their own god/savior. But Jesus is the cornerstone that holds everything together. Submission to Him establishes you in your place.

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Forgiveness in His Name (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #6)

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INTRODUCTION

This passage is about the power of Jesus to completely forgive sinners. Jesus did not die and rise again in order to make forgiveness a possibility. He did not die and rise again in order that if you do your part, He will do His. No, He died and rose again in order to raise powerless-lame sinners from their guilt and shame, in order to guarantee that times of refreshing would come from the presence of the Lord.

The Text: “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful…” (Acts 3:1-26)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

As Peter and John go to the temple for prayers, Peter heals a lame man begging, who immediately begins walking and leaping and praising God (Acts 3:1-8). This causes quite a commotion, and Peter sees another opportunity to preach the death and resurrection of Jesus and the power of faith in His name (Acts 3:9-16). Peter says that while the Jews and their leaders crucified Jesus in ignorance, it was all part of God’s plan to bring times of refreshing from His presence (Acts 3:17-21). Jesus is the Prophet that Moses foretold would come, along with Samuel and all the prophets, whom God promised Abraham by covenant would come for the blessing of all the families of the earth (Acts 3:22-26).

APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY

Remember that Jesus told the apostles that they would receive power to be His authoritative witnesses of the resurrection to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8, cf. 3:15). We believe that God still performs wonders and miracles, but the apostles had the unique authority to command it as proof of that authority, as we see here when Peter heals the lame man (Acts 3:6). This particular miracle echoes one of the early healings of Jesus when the lame man was let down through a roof and Jesus proved that He had the authority to forgive sins by commanding him to rise and walk (Lk. 5:18-26). This miracle is not merely a generic power; it is the personal power of Jesus at work (Acts 3:12), which is why Peter commands “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” (Acts 3:6) and preaches that it was “through faith in his name” that healed the man (Acts 3:16). But Peter insists that the point of the power is the same as what Jesus insisted on: the forgiveness of sins (Acts 3:19, 26).

REPENTANCE & TIMES OF REFRESHING

The specific command that Peter gives in conjunction with the testimony of the resurrection is: repent and be converted (Acts 3:19). “Repent” literally means to change your mind and “convert” means to turn or turn around. Biblically, when we describe Christian repentance, we mean both of these actions. In Ephesians 4, Paul describes this in terms of putting off and putting on: putting off the old man and putting on the new man, putting away lying and telling the truth, etc. (Eph. 4:22-29). One puritan summarized biblical repentance as sight of sin, sorrow for sin, confession of sin, shame for sin, hatred for sin, and turning from sin, and he said: “If any one is left out it loses its virtue.” Many people feel sorry for sin (at least its consequences), maybe they even feel some shame, but they frequently stop short of hatred, confession, and real change, and so they have not really repented and this is why they have not experienced “times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). Often the temptation is to do just enough towards repentance to start feeling better or get others to leave you alone but not enough to actually finish the job.

THE POTENCY OF JESUS

Do not misunderstand: the gospel is not that you must turn over a new leaf, try harder, or make some lifestyle changes. Nor is it that if you do your part, God will do His. The gospel is that Jesus suffered for sinners and rose from the dead in order to raise sinners from the dead. In your sins, you are the lame man begging at the temple gate, from your mother’s womb. You were conceived in iniquity; you cannot lift yourself up to God or please Him. But God sent His Son to be wounded for our transgressions, to be bruised for our iniquities, so that by His stripes we might be healed (Is. 53:5). And the point is that the command to “repent” is the same as the command given to the lame man to rise up and walk. You can’t unless you have believed in His name. But even that faith is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8). So this is why the Bible describes this power of conversion like God’s command “let there be light.” It is what is sometimes called a performative command: God’s power is resident in the command: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

While the apostles had the unique power to do miracles, proving that they were authorized witnesses, the gospel continues to be “the power of God unto salvation” for everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16). God “sends” Jesus in the preaching of the gospel (Acts 3:20), and Jesus blesses those who receive Him in turning you from your iniquities (Acts 3:26). The power to turn, the power to repent is all in Jesus. We proclaim Jesus crucified for sin and raised from the dead and command everyone everywhere to repent that their sins may be blotted out, and everyone who does, does so by the power of Jesus.

CONCLUSION

In the Old Covenant, the priests came from Aaron’s family, but anyone who was lame was not allowed to go into the Most Holy Place or offer anything on the altar to the Lord (Lev. 21:18-23). Part of what is signified here in this healing is the access to God that has been won by Jesus. By His wounds we are healed, and by His blood, we may draw near into the Holy of Holies; we may enter that Beautiful Gate with complete confidence and joy, walking and leaping and praising God, with hearts washed completely clean.

So what is in your file? When God pulls up your file in Heaven, what’s in there? Is it all your filth? All your evil thoughts, words, actions? Or does it say, “Holy One, Completely Righteous, Well-beloved Son, Blessed of God?” If you have been turned away from your sin, than you have only done so by the power that turns you completely toward Christ. To be turned toward Christ is to have His light shining full blast on your heart. So that your file is now filled with praise.

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Covenant Community from the Heart (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #5)

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INTRODUCTION

When the Spirit is at work, God’s covenant promises are proclaimed clearly, and they prick human hearts and drive them to repentance. And instead of sin driving a wedge between people, the Spirit begins knitting them together in glad fellowship around the worship of the Lord.

THE TEXT

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:36-47)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Having proclaimed Jesus risen from the dead and established as Lord and Christ (Acts 2:1-36), the people are cut to the heart and ask what they must do (Acts 2:37). Peter says to repent and be baptized, receiving the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, which was the new covenant promise going back to the beginning (Acts 2:38-40).

About three thousand souls received this word gladly and were baptized, and they all joined together in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and in prayers, and this event shook the whole city in a good way (Acts 2:41-43). As there were many gathered from out of town, it was necessary for an intense hospitality to be practiced, and everyone pitched in gladly, so that they continued learning and growing in worship and gladness (Acts 2:44-47).

THE COVENANT PROMISES

When the people are cut to the heart, Peter proclaims the “promise” (Acts 2:39). We know that this refers back to what Jesus had previously said (Acts 1:4, Jn. 14:16-19, 26), and of course it was also the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy (Acts 2:16ff, Joel 2:28ff). But there were other texts as well: Ezekiel had promised the exiles that God would gather them together again and sprinkle clean water upon them, cleansing them from all their idols and give them a new heart of flesh and put His Spirit within them (Ez. 36:24-27, cf. 37:14). This promise is specifically called God’s “covenant of peace” that He promised Israel and their children and their children’s children forever (Ez. 37:24-26). Isaiah likewise prophesied of the days when God would pour water on the thirsty land and pour out His Spirit upon the offspring and descendants of Israel (Is. 44:3). Even during the days of Moses, the Spirit came upon the seventy elders, and Moses cried out, longing for God to put His Spirit on all of the Lord’s people (Num. 11:29).

Ultimately all of this goes back to the promise that God made to Adam and Eve after the Fall, that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the seed of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). This was the first promise of God to undo the power and guilt of sin. Then, after that, Peter says that the flood was a type of baptism, picturing the filth of our sin being washed away so that we might have a clean conscience before God (1 Pet. 3:21). Therefore, the renewal of the covenant with Noah after the flood, is a renewal of God’s promise to take away our sins and bless us (Gen. 9). So when God renews covenant with Abraham, the promise of a seed and blessing for all the families of the earth should be heard as including forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Spirit, signified by circumcision (Gen. 12:3, Gen. 17:6-10, cf. Dt. 10:16).

ALL THINGS IN COMMON

Sometimes Acts 2 is cited as evidence of some kind of “New Testament Christianity” that functioned sort of like communism. In some fringe sects, this even included open marriages and such. But that isn’t what was going on here at all. As we will see in a few chapters, when Ananias and Sapphira conspired to lie about a gift they brought to the apostles, Peter explicitly says that their land and money belonged to them and was theirs to do with whatever they wanted (Acts 5:4). What we have in Acts 2 is a situation where there is a huge influx into the church (thousands overnight), many from faraway lands, coupled with the promise of Jesus about the destruction of Jerusalem (Mt. 24:2, 15-16) (also indicated by Joel’s prophecy).

So you have a unique historical moment with a sudden explosion of practical needs and a bunch of folks starting to plan to get out of dodge. The Christian Church does have a mandate to practice hospitality (Rom. 12:13), welcome strangers (Heb. 13:2), care for the needs of true widows and orphans (1 Tim. 5:9-10), especially for the household of God (1 Pet. 4:9, Gal. 6:10). But the apostolic tradition has always been that if a man will not work, he should not eat (2 Thess. 3:10) and anyone who does not provide for their own household is worse than an unbeliever (1 Tim. 5:8). This is why the deacons oversee a Deacons Fund (internal needs), an education fund, and a benevolence fund (external needs), and they work closely with individuals/families to truly help.

APPLICATIONS

While we are not yet at Pentecost proportions, the Lord has seen fit to bring many new people here to Moscow who have likewise been cut to the heart by the Lordship of Christ; so we have some of the dynamics in play that the early church faced. And we really do want to practice Christian hospitality centered around the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and the prayers. This is why Lord’s Day worship is the central thing we do. It is the Lord’s hospitality to us (and to all) proclaiming and renewing His covenant promises, and precisely because that is what it is, we want to extend it to one another. So make a point to meet someone new and catch up with someone you already know here every Lord’s Day.

And just like the early church, this formal gathering spills out, “from house to house,” and so the encouragement is to continue practicing hospitality in your homes throughout the week and do so “without grumbling” (1 Pet. 4:9). The reason why we need this reminder is because we are tempted to grumble. We are tempted to grumble when no one invites us over, tempted to grumble when the guests stay too long, tempted to grumble when no one volunteers to help with the dishes, or when other expectations are not met. But our hospitality is a reflection of the gospel: we love because we have been loved. This love covers a multitude of sins and confronts some sins in meekness (1 Pet. 4:8, Gal. 6:1). Therefore, root out all bitterness, all grumbling, all gossip, and put on the gladness and simplicity of Christ (Acts 2:46).

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