So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.—Acts 2:41–47

Outline

Introduction: The Beauty of Redemption

1. The Waters That Welcome
2. The Worship That Works
3. The Warmth That Witnesses

Application: The Beauty of a Redeemed People

Introduction: The Beauty of Redemption

There is something beautiful about lights shining in the darkness, isn’t there? Some of you go all out for your Christmas decorating and others of you are more subtle. Kids, you are noticing the lights, aren’t you? We can all agree that there’s something compelling and attractive about it all, right? Our family has this tradition every year that we make a point to grab some hot chocolate, hop in our vehicle, and then drive around and search for the most beautiful lights in the surrounding neighborhoods.

And in the Advent season that is really what we are doing together: We are searching for beautiful and compelling light in the midst of the darkness of our day.

Luke, the author of the book of Acts, wrote in Luke 1:79 that Jesus would come into the world as a baby to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Mankind was in darkness. Jesus came to bring true light. Mankind was sentenced to the shadow of death. Jesus came to lead us into the way of peace. Isn’t Advent beautiful? 

In Advent, we are on a search for hope in the True Light, the King of kings, Jesus Christ, who brings the light of life flooding into the darkness of death. The world has been dark with death since sin entered in Genesis 3—but in that same chapter there was a promise that One would come and bring the light of life, crushing sin and death for all who would trust him.

We saw this in our text last week. It looked like darkness had won when the Son of God who entered the world lying in a cradle ended by hanging on a cross. But then he rose again. He took sin on that cross. He rose again to conquer death. And redemption from the slave-yard of sin and into the family of God is available for all who see their sin against the King of kings and repent. Isn’t redemption absolutely stunning?

We bring nothing to the table. We are born into sin. It is most natural to us to rebel against our Savior. We don’t need to teach children to sin. It’s built into us. And not only us, but as we look around us there is sin and chaos everywhere. This world cannot save itself. Yet before the foundation of the world a plan was made to send the Son of God, the King of kings, into the world to die for sins and be raised from the dead so that all who would turn from sin and run to him would be saved! And not only that, but one day, he will come again and make all things new. Not only does he redeem and calm the sin and chaos inside of us, but there’s a day coming soon when he will calm the sin and chaos all around us and make all things new.

And today, in our text, we get to see how this repentance and redemption begins to work its way out in the people of God.

1) The Waters That Welcome

Last week we saw the apostle Peter finish his sermon and call people to repentance. They had rejected the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus and were guilty of his crucifixion. What was the answer for this treason against the King of kings? “Repent.” And that’s still true for us. Let the word of Christ do the painful surgery of seeing our sin, turning to our Savior, and then receiving the gift of forgiveness and the help of the Holy Spirit. Let’s resume with verse 41 and see the results of that sermon and repentance:

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

This is a miracle. The Holy Spirit, through the word of God, cut to the heart of 3,000 souls to receive his word, receive forgiveness, and come into the family of God. Amazing. Now, why were they baptized? Well, probably a few reasons.

First of all, they were baptized because Peter told them to be. Second of all, Peter probably told them to because Jesus had told him to do that. You remember the Great Commission, right? So then we need to ask the question, What is the significance of baptism?

I want to do that by answering two questions: Where does this baptism come from? Who is it for? These questions are related, but we’ll try to answer each quickly in a way that ties them together. 

Where Does Baptism Come From? 

Many scholars see a reference to the Old Testament symbolism of the waters of judgment. In the Old Testament, especially following the story of the flood, we see water as a symbol of judgment and the chaos of sin. In the book of Revelation, we read in 21:1 that in the new heavens and earth, “the sea will be no more.” That seems odd until we realize the sea’s symbolism of judgment and chaos. The hope of Revelation 21 for those in the new heavens and earth is the judgment and chaos that comes, for the infection of sin will no longer be there.

We see Jesus bring up this symbolism of baptism and judgment in Mark 10:38. The disciples are arguing about who gets to sit at his right and left hand. And here’s how he responds:

Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”

What was he talking about? He was talking about his suffering and death on the cross. He was talking about the moment where he would take on the judgment for sin. He talks about it as a baptism. In a sense, he knows he will be passing through the judgment waters soon—he will die and then he will rise again.  

Then Jesus calls his disciples to baptize all who trust in him in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, picking up on the theme that we are united in his death and resurrection and pass through the judgment waters with him.

Who Is Baptism For?

Now the answer might seem obvious from what we’ve already said, but baptism is for those who have trusted in Jesus and are united in his death and resurrection. It is an outward symbol of what has happened internally. Let me show that to you explicitly from Acts. 

Who is baptized in Acts 2? Look at verse 41: those who received his word. We will see a similar thing throughout Acts. It is those who receive the gospel preached, those who have repented from sin that are baptized. Preaching always precedes dunking. Receiving the word always precedes receiving the waters of baptism. In other words, baptism is not the same as repentance or part of repentance. Instead, it is the outward sign and seal of that repentance. 

In fact, in the very next chapter of Acts we will see Peter preach a sermon and call people to repentance without mentioning baptism (3:20). If baptism were necessary for repentance, that would have been a really significant omission on Peter’s part.

The New Testament church would have thought it was an oxymoron to be a believer who wasn’t baptized, but that’s not because baptism made you a believer. It was simply because baptism was the obvious first step to mark yourself as someone who was trusting in and identifying with the death and resurrection of Jesus as your only hope.

In fact, as we see people baptized and as we baptize people here at the South Campus, quite a statement is being made! We are declaring whom we trust as a people! We are declaring that we are a people united around the life, death, and resurrection of King Jesus! We are declaring our citizenship in the kingdom of heaven as our deepest identity. We are declaring our hope for salvation and life and joy in Jesus Christ alone!

Baptism is this moment where we joyfully declare that by faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we have passed through the waters of judgment with him! It is a moment where we joyfully declare that we are “all in” with Jesus, his kingdom, and his people. It is a declaration of freedom from sin and judgment. It is a declaration of war against our sin. It is a declaration of family with the people of God. And it is a declaration of unity around our King. 

Kids, we could compare this to how a sports team wears a jersey. The jersey doesn’t make them a part of the team. But when you put on that jersey it says something to everyone around you. It says whose team you are on and says that you now share a commitment to see that team thrive.

In other words, the waters of baptism are the waters of a “welcome to the family” or a “welcome to the team” of King Jesus as well as a commitment to help each other follow our King until the day he keeps his promise to return. 

2) The Worship That Works

So we see these people repent and pass through the welcoming waters of baptism. This is the redeemed people of God—forgiven by God and filled with the Spirit of God to carry out the promise of their baptism as they live for their King! 

And as we see this people gathered in verses 42–47 we see a people primarily marked by worship. Look at verse 42 for example: 

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

We’ve seen this word before in chapter 1 about their devotion to prayer. Here we see they are devoted to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship with one another, sharing life together, and praying together. What is all of this pointing to? Devotion. To what? Christ and his kingdom and his people. This is a people who have been saved by King Jesus and who now has the Holy Spirit, who gives them an unquenchable thirst for more and more of Jesus!

The theme of worship runs through these verses. Look at verses 43 and 47: 

And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles …  praising God and having favor with all the people. 

We’ve already seen a devotion to prayer in Acts, we’ve already seen the word of God work as Peter constantly quotes the Bible as he speaks, and we’ve already seen the power of the Spirit. This is what the redeemed love to give their lives to. The word. Prayer. Asking for the power of the Spirit. Why? Because they want more of Jesus. They can’t help but worship and the best way to honor the King who has saved you is to ask to see more about him in his word, to ask for more of his help in prayer, and to experience more of his power by the Spirit. 

Kids, have you ever tasted a really good dessert or had a really fun day with friends? When something is really good, what do you want? More! That’s what this was like, only so much greater! These people had been saved from their sins and finally saw Jesus as their good and perfect King and they couldn’t get enough of his presence and power.

And notice that this worship changed things. Now, we don’t get to choose what God does as we worship, we simply seek to be devoted like the early church was, but notice that worship changed things. It produced a holy fear. Even though they knew they had passed through the waters of judgment they still trembled in fear before the holiness of their King. When was the last time we trembled before the holiness of God as he worked his power among us? What would that look like? Notice it produced praise! In the midst of persecution and uncertainty it produced praise, and glad hearts as they gathered. We are in the midst of uncertainty—do you have a glad heart of thanksgiving to God? Notice it produced graciousness toward all people. I think that is how we should read the last phrase here—not that they had favor with all people—but that they were gracious toward all people. Are you prone to be gracious with your words, with your stuff, and with your heart toward all people? 

I want these things for us. Holy trembling. Praise. Glad hearts. Graciousness toward all. Imagine a people devoted to these things here at the South Campus with these kinds of outcomes. Dive into memorizing Acts 4 with us in 2021. Hop into our Wednesday Night class. Come to worship every Sunday one way or another. Join us for Friday prayer in the morning or at noon.

Those who have repented and been welcomed into the kingdom by the waters of baptism are those who have an unquenchable thirst to experience more of the presence and power of the King and to see others experience it with them. Imagine experiencing redemption in Jesus and then getting together for the first time with a bunch of other sinners who just realized they had been saved by grace and welcomed into the family. Try to remember that like it was brand new. Could anything have been more awesome than radically pursuing the presence and power of the King together? I want that for us here. We have been redeemed. We are welcome in the family. We have the Spirit. Let us be devoted.

3) The Warmth That Witnesses 

And this worship and awe and thankfulness and holy fear produced a family that radically loved each other. We see the idea of fellowship in verse 42. The next time we see it is in verse 44. Read verse 44 with me: 

And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

The word for “common” here is the word for fellowship. They had fellowship even in their stuff. What does that mean? Look at verse 45: 

And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

It means they took care of each other. They realized they were a family. They knew they would be persecuted and outcasts of society. But they would take care of each other. And it wasn’t just looking to see where they had excess money in the budget. The Spirit worked to unite them as citizens of heaven and as a true family so much that when there was a need they would sell their stuff to provide for others. Have you ever thought that way? “Oh I heard about this medical bill—I should go sell my car to pay for that.” And we see later on in 1 Corinthians that Gentile churches raised money to support other poor saints in Jerusalem. We see churches pour out generosity for the sake of ministry for Paul and others. 

In the end, there is a blood-bought family who has put on the jersey of King Jesus and they want to make sure the family is cared for and the ministry goes on so that others can know their King and be a part of the family. There is such awe and wonder and praise and thankfulness and devotion that the Spirit works to loosen their hands on their stuff and their comforts for the sake of each other and the spread of the gospel.

We are behind on giving right now at Bethlehem for the year—perhaps this would be a moment where the Spirit would loosen your hands on your stuff or ask you to sell something for the sake of his name. Almost 30% of our members have not given at all in 2020. Perhaps today would be the day where the Spirit would cause your heart to rejoice and give. Today we will take a Helping Hand offering, which goes directly to those in financial need among us. Perhaps today the Spirit would cause you to give to that cause.

And finally notice in verses 42 and 46 this idea of fellowship and breaking of bread. Most commentators think this refers to meals together that also included the Lord’s Supper. In other words, there was a gathering around the table that was marked by thankfulness and glad hearts together as a family. And when they gathered as a fuller family together, they would often include the Lord’s Supper as a way to remember their King and remember they were to be united as a family around his death and resurrection. 

These verses are really where the idea of blood-bought family comes from. Some of you have really loved this idea—others have said sometimes we don’t feel like a family yet. I get that. I don’t say it because we are perfect. In fact, we will see there were problems with the church of Acts as we go along. I say it because I want this kind of gospel warmth among us. The kind that is for each other because we know how Jesus is for us. We can’t manufacture this or fake it. All we can do is be devoted to our King together and pray that the Spirit does this. And I praise God that I have a front-row seat to all kinds of behind-the-scenes acts of love and giving that God is doing.

Application: The Beauty of a Redeemed People

As people see this joy amidst persecution, as they see this graciousness toward all people, as they see this holy living and this holy loving of one another—they are drawn to it. Deep down the world knows it is broken and sinful, and it deeply wants to experience true, self-giving love. That can’t happen apart from Jesus. And so as beautiful as redemption is in every individual case as the light of life breaks into the darkness of a dead heart—how much more exponentially beautiful is a redeemed family?

How much more beautiful is a family of people united around the most important things and devoted to the most important things in such a way that they love each other this deeply and serve each other this sacrificially? How beautiful is a family that acts out the gospel as they forgive each other? How beautiful is a family that loves as they have been loved? How beautiful is a family that is alive, thankful, gracious, trembling before God, and eager to lay down their rights for the sake of others? 

This is what the gospel does. This is what the Spirit empowers. We don’t plan or program for this. We give ourselves to the word, prayer, and fellowship—and the Spirit fills our cups with the power and presence of King Jesus so that it overflows and starts to run out over other members of this church and around our neighborhoods and to the nations. And notice the beautiful result, not because of the numbers but because of the reality of people moving from death to life forever: 

And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. 

As we devote ourselves to our King, the Spirit works and creates an imperfect but beautiful, gospel-drenched, fear-filled, self-sacrificing, gracious-hearted people who love each other and are desperate for others to know him. And the light shines in the darkness through the blood-bought people of God. And God adds to their number. South Campus, I’m praying for this kind of Spirit-empowered life together for us. This is what Jesus purchased by his first coming. This is what Jesus is doing until he comes again.

Sermon Discussion Questions

Introduction: The Beauty of Redemption

1. The Waters That Welcome
2. The Worship That Works
3. The Warmth That Witnesses

Application: The Beauty of a Redeemed People

Questions

1. When was the last time you paused to reflect on the beauty of your redemption? How could thinking on such things in this season bring deeper peace and joy? 

2. What is baptism?

3. Why is baptism important as a mark of our identity and a welcome to the family? 

4. Why is worship primary in the life of the church from the very beginning? Why is prayer important? What about the word of God? 

5. Why do we say that “worship works?” What is worship meant to do? Why does God seem pleased to meet his people with power in worship? 

6. Why does redemption and worship lead to warmth for the blood-bought family of God? What should you do if you don’t feel that warmth? 

7. How does our warm love for each other witness to the world? How could that change your perspective in this divided time? 

8. Why is there such beauty in a redeemed people? What is the purpose of this redeemed people? How can we reflect this better as a family at the South Campus?