Fan the Flame - A Journey Through ActsSample

Day 4 - New Community

I imagine many people reading this have read this passage many times before, some may have even preached on it. What we read here captures the fresh move of God and the outworking of that move. There is a sense of something new and exciting. At the risk of being overly familiar with this text, I want to invite you to stop right now and read it again, but this time, as you read, imagine that you are one of the new believers.

How did that go? Did you feel the sense of excitement at what God was doing? Were you able to picture yourself in those scenes - sharing meals, praying together, learning and growing? Did you catch the deep sense of awe described in verse 43?

So what set the scene for what we read? What initiated this new unity, awe, and wonder? Two significant contributors stand out. The first, the incredible promised gift of the Holy Spirit, God’s presence and power dwelling in his children. The second, the large number of new followers of Jesus. We know of 3000 from the day of Pentecost, and then we read that every day the number grew (2:47).

For any church leader, the Acts 2 church stands out through both scripture and history as the ultimate faith community. What’s not to like? We see God moving in power, beautiful unity between believers, extravagant generosity fueled by love and compassion, discipleship, and multiplication. If Galatians 5 reveals the fruit of the Spirit when it comes to character, perhaps Acts 2 reveals the fruit of the Spirit when it comes to faith and community.

I remember sitting with Brad after church one Sunday. Brad had come with no church or faith background; he had ongoing struggles with addiction, been in and out of jail, and had lived a life full of challenges. Recently, he heard about Jesus, and his world was turned upside down in the best possible way. As I sat with Brad, he told me how grateful he was for church and how much he looked forward to Sundays. Then asked me a serious question, “Why does this only happen once a week?”. Of course, there were other opportunities throughout the week - connect groups, bible studies, prayer meetings etc., but I think I heard what Brad was saying. He was saying, “I want to be a part of a faith community where God is powerfully at work and there are people who love him and love each other and that love is evident in the way they live, not just once a week but EVERYDAY.”

If you are connected to a faith community take a moment today to give thanks for all the great things you have experienced in that community. Maybe send someone a message of thanks for how they have impacted you.

If you aren’t connected to a faith community, can I encourage you to find one? These communities aren’t perfect, but God has good things waiting for you there. You will be blessed and they will be blessed by you too.

Written by Dan Perkins