They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47 (NLT)
PART ONE – COMMUNITY
Acts 2 is an incredible account of the power of the Holy Spirit and the Gospel. After the disciples had received the Holy Spirit and had astonished the crowd; and following Peter’s incredible message and the salvation response it received – in the aftermath of that amazing day, we see the ‘gathered’ followers of Christ begin to take shape.
And what I find beautiful about this account and description of what those early days looked like, is that it was built around family and community. Of course, there were many signs and wonders, the miraculous, the unbelievable coming to pass. But the early church was not a display of power, it didn’t draw a crowd to amaze people with great feats of strength and wisdom. Everything flowed from this state of community and togetherness. The amazing and impossible didn’t drive the connection, but their connection to God and each other fostered an environment and atmosphere that birthed and nurtured the miraculous.
And it thrived.
The people only went to Temple to mark occasions on a spiritual calendar and to seek sacrifices for sins – it was a religious practice. But now, they gathered there daily to pray and encourage one another… moving from a life of ceremony to one of devotion. Faith became personal and inclusive, instead of law-driven and exclusive.
The Gospel is personal. It values individuals and compels them to value others. And as this personal faith started spreading from house to house, people began to open up to one another. A society where reputation and association was very important was being transformed into a generous and open community. One where they shared not just their meals, but their lives with one another.
Jesus said in Matt 5:16 “Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand – shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God…”
It wasn’t signs and wonders changing the world, but authentic and genuine community…
Love.
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