Bible Text: Acts 2 : 42 – 47 | Preacher: Christof Spies | Series: Acts | The Acts 2 community

1. Diversity in the community
Acts 2:5 and 2:14 shows us that this community of believers were from diverse backgrounds, yet they were together in heart and mind (2:46). If you believed in Jesus and had decided to follow him by repenting and being baptised, you were welcome in the community. If not, you were not. What about our community? What are the walls and divisions that keep us apart as believers in church? And how can we build bridges over these?

2. A distinctly devoted community
What made the early church community distinct was their devotion to living the life of God’s new kingdom. Devotion means that we continue to do something with intense effort, constantly and diligently pursuing what we have set our hearts to do. How are you doing with your devotion to Jesus and the heaven-on-earth life that you are called to live in? How is busyness and distraction causing you to drift in your devotion?

3. How do we follow Jesus?
The Acts 2 community were devoted to the apostles teaching, the fellowship and corporate worship. How can you grow in your devotion to learning from Jesus through the Bible and corporate worship (prayer, breaking of bread)? How can you grow in being more vulnerable as you give yourself to share life together (fellowship) with other believers?

4. Why did the people get saved?
Did people get saved because of the preaching of the gospel, or because of the way the Acts 2 community lived? My feeling is that it is probably more of the latter than the former. When the government of God is over a community, his life shines through us, causing the world to see and stand amazed and ask us, “What is so different with you?”. The light shining out of lives authenticates or dis-empowers the message we speak to the world. What about your life? What areas of darkness is God calling you to work on?