Today's Scripture: Acts 2:37-47
"They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
Welcome to Reset: Connect in Community, week 2 of the Reset Easter experience! I am so glad you are taking part, and I pray you will find greater fulfillment as you discover, or re-discover, connecting in the community of church.
In today's passage, we see the Church in its infancy. It wasn't long before this passage that Jesus was raised from the grave. After that wonderful event, he gave his followers some final instructions and then returned to the Father. Following that, the disciples spent time in prayer until the coming of the Spirit of God, and then Peter stood up to preach.
Upon hearing of Jesus, about 3,000 people turned to him in faith, and the Church was born.
Those exciting early days of the Church were marked by sharing. Verses 43-47 provide some insight into how the believers were practicing the things mentioned in verse 42.
They shared an identity. Only one person could bring all these people together to the point they had all things in common, as it says in verse 44. That person is Jesus. He's the only one that can reach across socio-economic, racial, or ethnic lines and bring people together as Jesus did.
They shared possessions. Can you imagine selling everything you had and sharing the proceeds with those in need? Can you imagine more than 3,000 people doing that? It boggles the mind, yet that's what the Church was doing.
They shared meals. Ahhhh, food! Going on a diet is difficult. Losing weight is hard. Add a church potluck to that mix? Many say it's impossible. And they might even be joking when they say it. Yet, those first believers did just that. And it probably wasn't a once-a-month or –quarter thing, either. But still, they shared meals with joy and a sincere heart.
They shared worship. They were continually praising God. Everything about this suggests their praising God wasn't just when they gathered. They praised God as they did community together. They praised God in the marketplace. They praised God in their homes. If you could see all that praise going up to God in some sort of visual way, it would have to be a beautiful thing.
The result of all this sharing in Christ? God kept building his Church by adding others who were being saved.
That is connecting in community.
Think about it …
How might you connect to your church to invest yourself, if you're not already?
Is there some way you and a small group of others might reach out into our community together?
How can you model sharing and connecting in community for others?
