Better Together in Community
A sermon for National Baptist Memorial Church on Acts 2:42-47
National Baptist Memorial Church has been gathering in Washington, DC, for 100 years. They have been meeting in a beautiful building one block away from the school where The District Church (the church I serve at) meets. While the building undergoes significant renovation and restoration, NBMC is meeting in one of the classrooms of the school. In an effort to foster friendship and unity between the two churches, Pastor Lisa of NBMC invited me and a few other staff members to preach at their church as part of a series on Acts. It was a beautiful Sunday, and I was grateful for the opportunity. I hope you enjoy the sermon as much as I enjoyed preaching it.
Well, good morning everyone. First of all, I’d like to say thank you to Pastor Lisa for inviting me to speak to you all today. I feel quite honored and more than a little intimidated. As Pastor Lisa mentioned, my name is Jenson Metcalf.
Just to give you a little bit more background on myself, I grew up in Arizona, raised by two pastors. After graduating high school, I went to college in central Florida to study communications. After a tumultuous year of school, I dropped out and moved back to Arizona. I spent two years serving at my family's church as a worship director, when I started to discern a call from God to go into full-time ministry. When a prophetic word confirmed that call, I returned to the small Christian school in Florida to study theology and pastoral ministry.
I graduated in May of 2020, right in the middle of COVID, and after four months with little direction, I was offered a fellowship at National Community Church here in Washington, DC. I was at that church for a year and a half, during which I met my now wife, Hannah, who is sitting right there. At the end of the year and a half, I was a month away from getting married with no job in front of me, but a lot of trust in God’s plan.
I met Pastor Aaron through a mutual friend, and discovered TDC was hiring. So I applied. Then on February 2nd, 2022 (1 day after my honeymoon), I was the Services Producer at The District Church. Since then, God has brought me to my current role as the youth and college minister, and I could not be more grateful.
I love what I do. We have a youth filled with kids from all over the city, from different neighborhoods and backgrounds. Our college ministry, District College, started as a small group of 4 Howard students and has exploded to a group of sixty-five students who come together to eat a meal and worship God every Monday night. We have about forty Howard students, ten GW students, and a mix of students from other universities, including Georgetown, American, and Catholic.
There are hard days. There is drama, spiritual warfare, and a lot of administrative work, but these are offset by the fulfillment of seeing a youth baptized, a college student freed from depression, or someone who was once isolated and lonely discover the profound grace of Spirit-filled community.
In fact, most days, my job doesn’t feel like a job. You see, God does the work; I simply point people to him. I can plan, prepare, talk, write, order food, and so on, but at the end of the day, if I try to build my church, it will fail. It is only Christ’s Church that will persevere.
And if there is one thing I’ve learned throughout my short career in ministry, it’s that doing this alone is not an option. Isolation is a recipe for failure.
Life was not made to be done alone. God knew this at the beginning of creation: “It is not good for man to be alone.” Without friendship, community, relationship, we would not be able to experience the rich conversations with a friend that last till 2 am… Or the hug from your favorite family member… There would be no team sports or parties. We couldn’t argue with our spouse (maybe Hannah does want to be alone for that one).
There would be no rejoicing for others' triumphs or even grieving another’s tragedy…
It is not good for man to be alone…
We find ourselves in Acts 2:42-47 today. If you have your Bibles, will you turn with me to that text?
I love this passage of scripture. In fact, when Pastor Lisa asked me to preach on it, I immediately opened my Bible and found the entire section had already been bracketed with a big star next to it. And maybe it’s the Pentecostal in me, but I love the book of Acts. I’ve heard it said that Acts is to Pentecostals what Romans is to Baptists.
I’m not sure how much context Minister Yemi gave you all last week, but I’d love to do a quick review of Acts before we move on.
Scholars widely agree that the author of Acts was the same author of the Gospel of Luke. So, I like to think of the book of Acts as a sequel or a 2nd volume in a set. In fact, the majority of the time, I would refer to both books instead of just one as “Luke-Acts.” That’s because it appears that the author, Luke, did not intend for the narratives to be completely separated, but to work in tandem with one another. This becomes clear if you compare the structure of the books and their thematic elements.
One of the core thematic elements, and why our Pentecostal siblings love it so much, is the emphasis on the Holy Spirit. In the historical narrative of Christ in the gospel, Jesus repeatedly foreshadows the coming of the Holy Spirit and what that will mean for his followers. In Acts, Luke describes exactly what Jesus meant by all this! Luke is obsessed with the Holy Spirit!
He is not content with finishing the story when Jesus resurrects because, frankly, it’s not the end of the story. There’s more to say, more to tell. The proof of Jesus' resurrection is not eye-witness testimony, but the effects of the actual event where God defeats death. Acts is not a manual for Christian living, feel-good storytelling, or historical fiction. Acts is the account of real people whose lives were really changed by the real resurrected Christ. Luke captures this grassroots kingdom movement, not spurred on by a sole charismatic entrepreneur, but by the wind, the fire, the rush of the Holy Ghost.
And that’s where we find ourselves in Acts 2:42-47. The Spirit of God has descended upon the people of God. “Descend” might be even too light a word; it flooded their lives and haunted their very beings. All of a sudden, they are speaking in other tongues, and the fire of God spreads from a tiny upper room to 3,000 people in what feels like an instant.
Now often, when we talk about the effects of the filling of the Holy Spirit, we stop here… the tongues, the miracles, the salvation… We are struck by the power of God to do the miraculous (as we should be). BUT Luke doesn’t stop there. He goes on to describe just how powerful the Spirit is, to not just express itself in the spectacular, but also in the mundane… the normal… the fabric of our very lives. Will you stand with me as we read this?
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 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, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
The Word of the Lord.
This passage is not a step-by-step guide on how to achieve the ultimate community of God. It is a description of how the Spirit of God transforms a group of people into the likeness of Christ. Luke is writing about what sets Kingdom people apart from the world around them. These marks of Spirit-filled community are not accomplished through their own efforts, but by the work of God and their willingness to receive His grace. I would argue that the distinguishing elements of the early church are actually reflections of God’s own character.
And so, there are three qualities I want to discuss that stamp the people of God in the early church:
Humility
Unity
Hospitality
When I was a sophomore in college, I was taking a class on the Gospel of Mark. I had taken a New Testament survey the year before, a theology 101 course, and Hermeneutics, or the study of scripture, so I came in ready to impress with my one year’s worth of training. It was a small class of about 10 students and our professor. Because of its size, the class was pretty intimate, and it was fairly discussion-oriented. On the first day of class, our professor went over the syllabus and discussed some expectations for the course. After getting through some of the boring stuff, he stopped and said, “One last thing I want to tell you all. Don’t be a sophomore…”
Immediately, I thought, “Well, that’s going to be hard because that’s what I am…” But he went on to explain how sophomores go into their second year of college with one year’s worth of study under their belt, thinking they have the answers to every question, the right thoughts, correct methodology, and the most well-formed opinions, instead of entering classes with the heart of a learner who knows there is always room for growth.
Our world is full of sophomores. Sophomore theologians, sophomore businessmen & women, sophomore parents, sophomore friends, pastors, Christians, who all so desperately want to prove ourselves. Who wants to be the best, know the most, and shine the brightest. I feel this regularly as a minister. I have friends my age planting churches and leading movements. The sophomore spirit sprouts in the soil of comparison.
But those marked by the Spirit of God have nothing to prove and everything to learn.
Luke describes the members of the early church as those who
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.
They were not devoted to arguing doctrine or proving the apostles wrong, or being the best in the room, but to learning and growing with each other in love for God and for neighbor.
They didn’t do this out of their own effort, but as a reflection of a humble God. A God who could have incarnated on earth without the long process of human maturing. Who could have been reciting scripture and proving the scribes wrong right from the manger… But no. He came in humble infant birth, just like you and me. He spent hours in the temple reflecting on his own Word. And finally, humbly accepted the cross.
The humility of the early church was not a value written on a website, but a fruit of the grace bestowed upon them.
We are better together in humility.
We are also better together in unity.
A professor of mine once told a story about a church in a small town. Like the town, the church was also small. Everyone knew each other's names; there were no strangers among them.
One night, two teenagers from the church were driving and were hit by a drunk driver. Tragically, one of the teenagers died, while the other survived. Both families regularly attended the church and were well-known.
When the following Sunday came around, the air was heavy, and tension was felt in the room. Two families attended church that Sunday with two very different stories. In that small church, shaken by tragedy, Romans 12 took on new meaning.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.
The difference between these families went beyond social class, skin color, or political affiliations. Their differences were defined by mourning and rejoicing. One family wept with tears of grief for the tragic loss of a son, while the other wept with tears of joy for the salvation of another.
What other community on earth could rally around such great canyons of difference? It is only God who knows our suffering and knows our triumph so intimately that he could stand with us on either side of the canyon, binding his people together, not through uniformity, but by the power of the Spirit.
Luke says, “All the believers were together and had everything in common.”
We know the early church’s commonality was not ethnic by nature. Three thousand people were saved because they heard the gospel in their own tongue, which was probably different from the person standing next to them.
Their commonality was not defined by feeling safe or comfortable, culture, or gender… It’s a commonality not achieved by our own understanding, but by a move of God in our midst. All we can do is open our hearts to the will of God in HIS church and seek first HIS kingdom, not our own.
This is not a New Testament vision, but a Biblical truth. The Psalmist writes a prayer about the unity of God’s people in Psalm 133
How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
We are better together in humility and in unity.
Finally, we are better together in hospitality.
In the last portion of this passage, Luke writes,
45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 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, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
I went to the country of Jordan in 2023 to work with one of our outreach partners, Questscope, which helps support Syrian refugees. It was an absolutely incredible experience. I left a piece of my heart in that country.
One of the cultural pieces of Jordan that stood out to me was the constant hospitality and acts of service. While we were in Jordan, we were NEVER hungry. Even the refugees, who had nothing, served us a meal while visiting them.
One particular moment that stands out to me is when I was at lunch with some of our Jordanian friends. I was there with Taek, who will be preaching next week, who’s on staff at TDC.
We were eating a traditional Jordanian meal called “mansaf.” Mansaf is a huge plate filled with rice and roasted goat meat on top, and then they give a big gravy boat of yogurt sauce to pour all over it. A part of the custom is that you eat the dish with your hands. You form these little balls of rice filled with goat meat and stuck together with yogurt sauce, and you eat it while standing. It was delicious and insanely rich.
So four of us were standing around eating this, and after quite a few servings, I was stuffed. So I sat down, defeated by the mansaf. But the other guys kept going, and our brother Taek was NOT slowing down. After countless rice balls, I noticed the two Jordanians starting to tap out… finally, they said to us. “Traditionally… The host of the meal is supposed to keep eating until the guest has finished, but we cannot keep up and must stop.” And Taek was still going; that man was a machine.
Hospitality looks vastly different across cultures. Some are much more generous than others, and some are perhaps overwhelmingly hospitable. In the early church, hospitality had a certain flavor. It was a hospitality that followed the example and teachings of Jesus. The people of God didn’t just share meals, but shared everything. They put into practice Christ’s command to the rich young ruler to sell everything they own. They were a prophetic witness of God’s intention for Israel, as it says in Deuteronomy chapter 15:
However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.
Hospitality was not just kindness or warmth for the people of God, but a fierce love of their neighbor. In the same way God had provided for them, they hoped to provide for others, caring for each other's needs and burdens.
And I love that second-to-last line, “praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.” How beautiful is a faithful community that enjoys one another… what if Spirit-filled communion was delightful? What if happiness were less about our achievements, our status, our money, fame, pleasure, and wrapped up in the delight that comes when you love your neighbor as yourself?
The people of God were better together in…
Humility
Unity
And in Hospitality.
And it wasn’t because of their ability to organize, to create, or to force it their way. I’m sure each person had a separate vision or preference for what healthy fellowship looked like. It was all a work of God. It was his hand that molded His church to be an embodied work of the gospel. Tenderizing their hearts to love across differences, to listen to one another, and to share all things.
The world is full of counterfeit communities. Social clubs that divide us by our neighborhood, status, wealth, race, you name it. We run to quick fixes for loneliness: drugs, sex, alcohol, and fame. Even AI! Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Facebook, said this in a recent interview with the New York Times on Facebook's research into AI and what is called “superintelligence.”
“I think that if history is a guide, then an even more important role will be how superintelligence empowers people to be more creative, develop culture and communities, connect with each other, and lead more fulfilling lives.”
It sounds like a new gospel, but it’s the same old lie the world tries to tell us. “Take your salvation into your own hands.”
But the Christian community, the community given to us on that beautiful day of Pentecost, cannot be built with tired human hands. It is built by the enduring steadfast love of the Holy Spirit… It is built when we turn our faces to the God who has already looked upon us… When we are liberated by the God who defeated death, hell, and the grave, so that no shadow of difference can hold us back from the unity of Christ’s church.
In the 1920s, William Seymour, a one-eyed Black preacher, started the Azusa Street revival in California. At this revival, men and women, black and white, prayed together with a zeal for the Spirit that sparked a fire across the nation for a move of God. It was remarkable for the time.
As the Pentecostal movement grew, there was a hot debate about what THE initial evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit was, many arguing it was speaking in tongues. But William Seymour wrote,
“Tongues are one of the signs that go with every baptized person, but it is not the real evidence of the baptism in the every day life. Your life must measure with the fruits of the Spirit. If you get angry, or speak evil, or backbite, I care not how many tongues you may have, you have not the baptism with the Holy Spirit.”1
According to Seymour, the evidence of the Holy Ghost's haunting was not tongues, but the outpouring of divine love.
May we be a church marked by humility, unity, and hospitality. May we be a community that doesn’t seek power for power's sake or division for the sake of comfort.
May we, and I mean we, because the Church is much larger than National Baptist or The District Church, may WE be God’s church. A church so filled with the Spirit that loving like Jesus is not a response, but a natural outcome. May the Spirit of God breathe on His church again.
Will you pray with me?
Seymour, William J. “To the Baptized Saints.” The Apostolic Faith 1, no. 9 (June–September 1907): 2.
Love it bro! Beautiful sermon (per usual)