A, Easter 5 - Acts 2:38-39, 41-47; 7:55-60; John 14:12-14 "The Good Old Days"

We all like to remember the “good old days”. And we usually remember these days at a time when things seem to be not as good as they once were.

There is a temptation to do the same with the events of the Early Church. When we read what happened in these days from the book of Acts, as the church was growing rapidly, at the time when there seemed to be an exciting edge to everything happening amongst the believers, perhaps we might yearn for things today to be like the “good old days” of the Early Church.

In Acts 2 we hear the most important things for believers in the days after Jesus was glorified from his seen presence into his unseen presence was to: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

After Peter said this those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Once baptised into the community of believers they considered it of upmost importance to devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as they 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 favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:38,39,41-47)

To some today the lifestyle of the believers in the Early Church might seem too good to be true. Perhaps we might think there’s no way things today might return to way they were in the good old days of the Early Church. Maybe some might think for us to even contemplate capturing the essence of the Christian life recorded in Acts 2, is irresponsible or unreachable because of our society and circumstances today.

These Early Church believers were full of gladness and sincerity, there was a buzz in this community — a community of rapidly growing believers. Why was this so?

It’s really quite simple. Firstly they were believers. They followed Christ at a time when believing would cost a whole lot more than just coming to church for one hour each week on a Sunday morning. These folk risked everything to believe. After all, the one in whom they believed was not visibly present amongst them. First up, they literally risked their reputations following someone who didn’t even appear to be living since his crucifixion. There were also others out in the community who were willingly pursuing these believers of Christ and arresting them or having them killed. And because of this, many of the Jewish believers had to give up their heritage and inheritance for the sake of what they believed.

Yeah, these were the good old day!

In the Early Church the believers, devoted themselves, or tied themselves, to the Apostles’ teaching having been baptised and receiving the Holy Spirit. They consequently came together in the fellowship; this is the gathering work of the Holy Spirit. And once together they shared not just their physical possessions, but also the faith they had received.

We’re told they were filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous things were done by the disciples. This awe was not just a bubbling feeling of wellbeing, but in fact it was deeply reverent fear.

This fear can be seen in Stephen as he became both the victim and the victor of his faith. Stephen had cause to fear the situation in which he found himself, yet he didn’t fear what he saw could hurt him. Rather Stephen feared God who was unseen, but seen through the Apostles’ teaching, seen in the fellowship of the believers, seen in the breaking of bread, and consequently who was prayed to, out of reverent fear — because he and the other believers trusted the Risen Lord to be present. Stephen feared God more than the short-lived earthly pain that he was to suffer.

How could Stephen do this? Is this something that just happened in the “good old days” of the Early Church?

When Stephen was set upon by the angry mob of Jews, we hear he looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at his right hand. How did he see this extraordinary vision? We are told he was full of the Holy Spirit. And throughout his stoning it appears that he was less aware of the stones, the throwers, and the pain, but increasingly more aware of salvation’s joyful heavenly fellowship with our Lord into which he was being stoned.

As we hear about the good old days of the Early Church, Stephen and other fellows of great faith, we might be tempted to think those days were then and not now. But these good old days are here with us today, right now.

Surprisingly, we find ourselves in a social climate very similar to the Christians of the Early Church. Things really are not that different between the persecution then and now, especially amongst those who persecute the church. We may not be arrested and murdered for our faith at the moment, but social dissatisfaction with the church and our claim that Jesus is the only way, the only truth, and the only life, that allows a person to come to God the Father, is certainly irritating those who do not believe — inside and outside the church.

We also find there is nothing different between us and the Early Church in relation to believing in Christ. That same reverent fear of the first Christians, is ours too who see God in the apostolic teaching of God’s Word; who see the hidden Christ in the breaking of the bread; who realise we are gathered before Christ in the one true fellowship with him, by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Today is the best day of your life, and tomorrow will only be better, because we will be one day closer to our eternal home, where we will stand gathered around Christ at the right hand of God. Today is one of the good old days because we have the God of old, risen and walking with us. The power of the resurrection is ours for the believing, the life of Christ is ours for the living, and the peace of God is ours for the resting. This is what Stephen saw as he was beaten to death with rocks.

Our living Lord makes a promise to us today and we heard that promise in John 14. Our Risen Lord Jesus Christ says to all of us in these good days, I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:12-14)

Jesus’ promise to us is that we won’t just do wonders and miraculous things as the disciples did. We won’t just do what Jesus himself did. But that we will do even greater things. Why? Because we do things in these good old days, by the power of Jesus’ resurrection and hidden presence, caused to be seen by the Holy Spirit, so that we join in with Christ doing greater things in prayer as his faithful children.

Just as the Early Church reverently feared God above all perishing things, we too can celebrate these same good old days, by also trusting that Jesus is present with us.

Yeah we live in the good old days too, Amen.