“The Church’s Job Description” - Fr. Pete's Sermon for April 26th, the Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:42-47

A few years before the end of my 22-year career at the Day1 radio ministry, the board of trustees wanted me to update my job description, because in a few years they would have to find my replacement. So I pulled out my original job description from 2001… and I was shocked. So much had changed! As we’d lost staff over the years to save money, a lot had been added to my responsibilities over the years.

I realized I had no idea my job had become that complicated. I was like that frog in the pot of room temperature water, with the temperature rising, and slowly getting boiled to death! Well, praise God, I have an entirely different job description now as Vicar of St. Timothy’s!

But that got me to thinking: What is the Church’s job description? Not just what we believe, but what we do together.

In our reading today from Acts, Luke gives us a picture of the very first church, right after the Day of Pentecost. Thousands have been baptized. The church is growing fast. These are Easter people, filled with the Spirit, trying to figure out what it means to live the resurrection life. Luke says:

“They devoted themselves…” That word “devoted” means being committed to, holding fast, giving yourself over to something. So this is their job description. And what are they devoted to?

First, they are devoted to the apostles’ teaching. They are learning the stories of Jesus. His life, his words, his way of seeing the world. Remember, many of these people were new to all of this—they didn’t walk with Jesus, never saw him. They are learning, being formed as followers.

So the church is, at its heart, a learning community. Are we fulfilling this part of our job description here at St. Tim’s? We have Sunday school for keiki and regular adult classes (Daughters of the King, and Confirming Faith class right now), and a weekly Zoom Bible study… but what else?

Second, they are devoted to fellowship—to shared life together. Not just showing up for worship, but actually being present with one another. Caring for each other in real, tangible ways. I’d say you all are doing this very well! What more could we do in the way of hospitality and welcome?

Third, they are devoted to the breaking of the bread. And we hear an echo of last week’s story on the road to Emmaus. There, the risen Christ is finally recognized when he takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it.

Here in Acts, that same action becomes part of the church’s regular life, a sacrament, a pattern of life. The breaking of the bread—both in worship, and in shared meals—becomes a place where Christ is known.

Fourth, they are devoted to prayer. They are praying for one another. Praying together. This was a community that brings its whole life before God. Oh we have some wonderful pray-ers here! Many of you can attest to that.

And then, flowing out of all this, they are devoted to generosity. And here, Luke gets very concrete. “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.” This is not just being nice. This is not just putting a little extra in the plate. This is a radical reordering of how they lived together.

They hold their resources in common. Those who have more are sharing with those who have less. The goal is simple: no one is left behind.

Now, we might hear that and think, “Well, that sounds kind of extreme.” Or maybe even, “That sounds a little like socialism.” And in a way, it does.

But this isn’t an economic theory being imposed from the outside. It’s something that emerges from within—from hearts changed by the resurrection, from lives shaped by the Spirit.

It’s not about ideology. It’s about love. It’s about recognizing that what I have is not just for me. That we belong to one another. That the well-being of my neighbor matters just as much as my own.

And yes, it’s different now. We don’t all sell our homes and pool our resources. But the question still comes to us: how seriously do we take this call to generosity?

How willing are we to let our lives be shaped not just by what we need or want—but by what others need? Because for the early church, generosity wasn’t an add-on. It was part of their core identity. I honestly believe it’s part of St. Timothy’s core identity too, but it’s something we should always keep asking ourselves how well we’re doing!

Then, beyond all of this, Luke tells us their life was marked by praise, by joy, and—interestingly—by attractiveness. “They had the goodwill of all the people.” People were attracted to them because they knew and respected how they lived their lives as followers of Jesus.

There was something about their life together that others could see—and wanted to be part of. Something was happening there! And day by day, the Lord added to their number.

So that’s the job description from Acts 2. And, if we’re honest, this sounds a little idealized. A church that is always joyful, always generous, always unified—really? And if you keep reading in Acts, you’ll see pretty quickly that reality sets in. There are conflicts, disagreements, struggles.

So this is not a perfect picture. It’s a vision. A glimpse of what the church can be—a kind of north star for our life together. Something to aim for together.

And maybe the question for us is not, “Do we measure up perfectly?” A better question, given this job description for the church, is: "How are we doing, really?"

​Because, look at that list—teaching, fellowship, breaking of the bread, prayers, generosity, praise— it feels mighty familiar, doesn’t it? Because we see it all in our own life together right here. We see it…

​In the ways we learn and grow.
In the ways we show up for one another.
In the breaking of the bread, week after week.
In the prayers we offer for one another, for our community and the world.
In the ways we give—of our time, our resources, our compassion.

We may not always see it clearly. But something is happening here. And that’s really the deeper point. Because what Acts is describing is not just a list of activities. It is a way of life in which the risen Christ becomes visible.

Jesus, in the Gospel, speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd. A shepherd knows his sheep. A shepherd calls them by name. A shepherd leads them, protects them, provides for them. And the sheep—if they are wise—learn to recognize the shepherd’s voice and follow him.

So if the church is a community where Christ becomes visible, it is also a community that is being guided. We are not just figuring this out on our own. We are being led. Led toward lives of learning. Led toward deeper relationships. Led toward generosity. Led toward care for one another.

And sometimes, if we’re honest, we resist that. We like to think we know where we’re going. We prefer our own plans.

But the image of the shepherd reminds us: we are at our best not when we go it alone, but when we listen—when we follow—when we trust that Christ is leading us into life… Into abundant life.

So maybe the Church’s job description is not just a list of things to do. Maybe it’s a way of living together under the care of a shepherd. Learning. Sharing. Praying. Giving. Following.

So that, over time, others might look at this community of St. Timothy’s and say: Something is happening there. Not because it is perfect, but because it is alive.

Perhaps, without even fully knowing how to name it, they begin to see that the Shepherd is at work, right here on Moanalua Road.

Amen.