Community & Discipleship
The Fools for Christ Movement (Act. 2:42~47)
Believers are called to become fools for Christ, intentionally choosing the path that blesses others as Jesus did, and living devoted lives that make Him visible to the world.
Be an intentional fool, not a natural one
Erasmus divided fools into two kinds: the natural fool and the intentional fool. The intentional fool has good discernment and knows which choices bring blessing to others, even when those choices cost oneself something. Most people hesitate to make such choices because self-centeredness and selfishness are hard to overcome. Jesus is the greatest example of an intentional fool. The incarnation, in which God set aside his glory to become human, was the most foolish-looking choice, made to save us.
God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom
Paul calls the foolishness of God wiser than men in 1 Corinthians 1:25, and the cross looks foolish in the eyes of the world. God's wisdom is beyond human understanding, so it often appears foolish to us. In 1 Corinthians 3:18, Paul tells us that if anyone thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool so that he may become wise. The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's eyes, and we are invited to choose God's way over our own.
Stay hungry, stay foolish
Steve Jobs, who founded Apple, told the 2005 Stanford graduates about the hardships of his life, including adoption, poverty, dropping out of college, and cancer. What kept him going was a phrase he read in the final issue of a book, The Whole Earth Catalog: 'Stay hungry, stay foolish.' Many people become satisfied too easily and lose that hunger. They do not want to look foolish, and they prefer to look cool and wise. Paul's call to foolishness speaks to the same heart.
Devoted to teaching, fellowship, the Lord's Supper, and prayer (vv. 42)
The believers in Acts 2 were devoted to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to breaking bread, and to prayer. They were intently gazing at Jesus. Prayer means being in Jesus' presence and in conversation with Him. Breaking bread is more than eating together; it is the Lord's Supper, in which the church remembers Jesus' death. These practices helped them to see Jesus clearly, and this devotion is what made them look like fools for Jesus to the world.
Sharing possessions as God's entrusted gifts (vv. 44-45)
The believers shared all things in common and gave to those in need. This was not a call to communism, where private property disappears. The problem being addressed was selfish living, not private property. They recognized that their possessions were entrusted to them by God, and they gave as God led them. The sermon challenges the church to share more willingly and freely, and to respond more faithfully to poverty, need, famine, and other challenges people face.
Awe, favor, and the Lord adding to the church (vv. 43, 47)
The people responded to the believers with awe, as they saw wonders and signs done through the apostles and saw the power of God at work. They also praised the believers, and the believers had favor with all the people. Today the church faces a crisis of cynicism, as young people say they love Jesus but do not like the church. The result should be the opposite. The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved, and this was the work of the Lord, not of human recruiting.
Apply to Life
- Let us choose the path that blesses others, even when it costs us, as Jesus did.
- Let us devote ourselves to the teaching of God's Word, fellowship, the Lord's Supper, and prayer.
- Let us hold our possessions as God's gifts and share them willingly with those in need.
- Let us stay hungry and be willing to look foolish for Christ, so that others may see Jesus in us.
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