Do You Have the Proof of the Resurrection? Part 5 – Acts 2:42

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42

We have been looking at this section in the book of Acts to think deeply about the effect Jesus’ resurrection had on the lives of early believers. The church lived with an absolute conviction that Jesus Christ was Lord of all, and they suffered and died for His name’s sake, counting it all as joy in the light of His resurrection. As we continue to consider the biblical repentance, conversion, and devotion of the early church, let us examine our lives under the light of Scripture to answer, Do I have the proof of the resurrection?

Saving faith begins with genuine repentance. (Acts 2:36-38) Repentance is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The sinner fully convicted by the Holy Spirit understands he sinned against God and heaven. He knows he deserves nothing but God’s wrath, and so he is fully content and thankful to simply be saved. He no longer cherishes self-love, self-worth, or self-will, but instead practices self-denial. The repentant sinner comes before God and confesses his sin, believing in his Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of his sin. (Acts 16:30-31) Without a starting point of this kind of biblical repentance, everything you do amounts to nothing. If you have been struggling in your sanctification, questioning why it is so difficult to change, it is necessary to examine whether you have truly repented to God.

After the early church repented, they continually devoted themselves to the Word and to fellowship. They loved Christ, and therefore loved the church. In addition to these, the church was devoted to the breaking of bread. They knew the significance of the Lord’s Supper, knowing that Jesus had commanded it before He was delivered over to be crucified. (1Cor 11:23-26) Communion was not a mere ceremony- it was directly related to Jesus’ resurrection. The church was to continually practice two things- remembrance and declaration. They took the Lord’s Supper to declare and remember that Jesus was Lord, and they went out to declare the gospel to the world.

What do we remember as we participate in the Lord’s Supper? We remember the bread. We remember who Jesus Christ is. He is the eternal God, by whom all things exist, who became flesh and dwelt among us. (Jn 1:1-4,12) We remember the blood. We remember what Jesus did. He came to die on the cross. This is the power of sin- it requires a sacrifice to satisfy God’s wrath and to remove our guilt. As God and man, Jesus was the only one able to give the perfect sacrifice for our spiritual healing. (Is 53:5) We remember the new covenant. Instituted by Jesus’ death, the new covenant has no remembrance of sin. We are now the children of God in Him. (Heb 8:8-12; Gal 2:20) We remember Jesus’ obedience. Jesus obeyed to the point of death, even death on a cross. As Apostle Paul imitated Jesus’ obedience, and so must we. When we come to the table, we must remember how Jesus obeyed. (Phil 2:8; Acts 20:24) We remember that Jesus is the only Savior. We live in a pluralistic society based on relativism and idolatry. We must always remember and declare there is salvation in no other name but Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12) We remember the unity of the church. We come to the table believing in the same Lord who died and rose again. To come to the table with factions is sin. We remember to give thanks and praise. We know who we now are because of Jesus- children of God who are forgiven and loved.

As we remember these things, we speak out in truth and love. The early church went out to share the gospel, unable to contain the grace they had received. If you find yourself different from the ways of these early believers, you must once again trace back to your repentance, asking yourself, have I properly repented? Did I- by the Holy Spirit- properly repent of my unbelief? Do I have idols in my heart? (Jn 16:9) If we fail to repent, we will go nowhere in sanctification. We must examine ourselves every day- especially before coming to the table- by the Word and the Holy Spirit. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1Jn 1:9)

The early church strived to remember and proclaim Jesus’ death and resurrection because they were fully convinced of Jesus’ imminent coming. (2 Pet 3:3,10) We must likewise set our minds on the things above, where Christ is. Set your hope fully on Christ and His unfailing promises. As we devote ourselves to the Word, fellowship, and the breaking of bread, our hopeful expectation of Jesus’ return will become the foundation to support our daily life of giving glory and praise to God.