Look at What Amazing Things the Good Shepherd Does!

4th Sunday of Easter, 4/30/23 Acts 2:42-47 Look at What Amazing Things the Good Shepherd Does! I. He fills his sheep with love for him. II. He fills his sheep with love for others. What’s the reputation of the Christian church on earth today? Do you think it’s favorable? And how does its reputation today compare with its reputation 50 years ago? 100 years ago? According to a Gallup study from a few years ago, the reputation of the church has been in decline since the 1980s and in a steep decline since the turn of the century. In this study, only 38% of the people had a favorable opinion of the Christian church. And I’m guessing you’re not surprised. Some of its poor reputation is self-imposed. The church has been rocked by scandals of the worst kind and countless media outlets make sure the world knows as many details as are available. Some of the damage comes from the outside as people take the clear teachings of Jesus and twist them into doctrines that spew hatred and judgment. So, does this description of the Christian church on earth here in Acts 2 fit the church today in any way? Is this model of Christian congregational life a pipe dream for churches today? Is it unrealistic to hope and pray that our church would come close to resembling this church? I don’t think so. I still see this description of the church on earth today, at least to some degree. And, if you think about it a little, so do you. Now, is there work to be done so that this description fits the church on earth more closely more of the time? Absolutely! And I’m confident it can. I’m confident it will. Because my confidence—your confidence—is not in ourselves to make this happen. It’s in the Lord, our Good Shepherd! On this Good Shepherd Sunday, join me in looking at what amazing things the Good Shepherd does! Let’s do that together. Part I. The word “love” isn’t found in any of the verses of Acts 2 before us this morning, but I see “love” splashed all over the page here. Before we talk about that further, what’s the definition of love? A standard definition is that love is an intense feeling of affection. If we’re talking about love for another person, that emotion fills us with enjoyable thoughts and memories connected with that person. But that’s not all. Love also translates into action. Love simply must show itself by what a person thinks, says, and does. And that’s exactly what we see going on here in the church at Jerusalem right after the Day of Pentecost when the Lord Jesus brought 3,000 to faith in him. Listen to the description once again, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.” Sitting on their hands at home? Not at all. The church on earth was a beehive of activity. First and foremost, our text tells us that the Christians were devoted. What does that mean? Well, it means that they didn’t take their Christianity and put it on the “to do” list of their daily lives with the hope that they’d have the time and energy to pay attention to their Christian faith that day. No, their Christian faith was front and center in their lives. Instead of letting all the other things in their lives affect the way that they practiced their new Christian faith, their Christian faith affected everything else in their lives. And notice again what they devoted themselves to. Several things. The first of which was the apostles’ teaching. I imagine them gathering in the large outer rooms of the Temple, sitting on the stone floors, listening to one or more of the apostles connecting the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. They devoured what the apostles fed them. And as they devoted themselves to the word of God they also naturally devoted themselves to the fellowship. They realized that being out on a Christian island by themselves is not what Jesus intended for them. He wanted them to be with one another, supporting, encouraging, and advising each other on the basis of God’s word. Next, they devoted themselves to the breaking of bread. There’s some debate as to what exactly is meant by that term, but I think it’s a reference to the Lord’s Supper. Jesus told them to celebrate the Lord’s Supper often, and that’s what they did. It was a marvelous expression of their fellowship. In other words, they came together for word and sacrament, the means of grace. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? And naturally, their time with each other involved prayer. Prayer for themselves, for their fellow Christians, for the apostles, for their families and friends, for the spread of the gospel. No doubt they prayed for the Lord to keep them all strong in their new Christian faith. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Lastly, they were amazed by the miracles the apostles performed by the power of the Lord Jesus. Most of them were probably miracles which involved healing and the exorcism of demons. Wouldn’t that be something if Jesus, the Good Shepherd, still gave us that power today? Bottom line, the infant church on earth was a mature church. It had all the marks of the church we see today and more. They may not have met in grand cathedrals. Their worship might not have had the blessing of outstanding music. But they possessed what mattered most—a devotion to the Lord Jesus and his word. But they couldn’t pat themselves on the back for all they were accomplishing. They knew it was the power of Jesus, their Good Shepherd. His love for them filled them with love for him. Look at the amazing things the Good Shepherd does! He fills his sheep with love for him. How well does this description of the church on earth fit us? Me? You? Trust me, I’m thrilled that we are gathered here today to devote ourselves to the apostles teaching, to the Lord’s Supper, and to prayer. But how much devotion or priority is there in it for you? Would you say that you are obsessed with Jesus in a good way? I know for myself that, too often, my relationship with Jesus is cool when it should be red hot. How about you? What does this all mean to you, our gathering together? Are there times when you feel it’s only one option for you on a particular day? I realize that you can connect to Christ and his word with the click of a computer mouse and receive solidly biblical teaching and worship, but it’s not the same as this, is it? Rubbing sinful shoulders with your fellow Christians. Hearing their confession of sins as they hear yours. Letting the words of absolution or forgiveness wash over your heart and mind. Joining your voice in words and hymns of praise to the Good Shepherd. Receiving his very body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. These are the things that Jesus created us to do together when he brought us into the Church by faith in him. He fills us with his love so that we love him in return and show it by our devotion to him. Look at what amazing things the Good Shepherd does! Part II. It's been stated that people don’t care what you know unless they know that you care. Look at how the early church cared! “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” They used what they had to care for one another. “They had everything in common.” No, this wasn’t an early form of Communism. It simply means that they shared what they had for the common good of all. Some of those who were wealthy sold what they had—some of it or all of it—and gave the money to the apostles to use in helping the poor. “Every day they continued to meet together.” They made it a priority to spend time with one another. Their new relationships with other Christians took precedence over their former relationships. And by their Christian behavior, they reached out to others. They were the salt and light of the earth that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, had made them to be. And the Jews in Jerusalem took notice. They enjoyed the favor of all the people. Non-Christians were impressed by their love for one another and for those who were not members of the church. And their compassion ministry was blessed abundantly. “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” The Lord, the Good Shepherd, did amazing things. He empowered his people to show love for others and it played a huge part in drawing others into the Church. Look at what amazing things the Good Shepherd does! He fills his sheep with love for others. I’ve often wondered if people look at me and see love for Christ. Do they look at you and see love for Christ? Or, do they see something else, something even far different? God forbid! But we know how that is. We live in a sinful world that is perversely bent in on itself. Intentionally or not, too many people tell you how wonderful they are. Do I do that? Do you? Jesus fills his sheep with love for him so that they can be filled with love for others. Only Jesus did that perfectly. Only Jesus died for all the times in our lives when we’ve been bent in on ourselves. Now let his love for you fill you and motivate you to love others. Find someone who needs your help and do what you can to help them. Pray for them. Love them with the love of Christ. And then watch for amazing things to happen. That’s what the Good Shepherd always does when his sheep love him and love others. Amen.