Community Life

Daily Reading: Exodus 14; Acts 2

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, 

and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. Acts 2:42

Wow, what a day! After the preparation of chapter one the Lord saw that the people were ready and the Holy Spirit came in a BIG way! The people spoke in other languages, so that everyone could understand them. Peter preached the first sermon of the church and 3,000 people were added to the church through baptism. It was truly a momentous first day of the Holy Spirit filled church.

While I love the story of God’s grace flowing like a mighty river out of the lives of newly Spirit filled people, I am drawn to this one little line following the first day story. It gives us such a beautiful picture of authentic community life within the church. It calls us to look at the whole by examining the parts.

The first word is “all.” All the believers, not just some, not just those who didn’t have golf games or dinner appointments, or pickle ball matches, or those who felt like it. All the believers! I have had people (actual members of my church) tell me that I didn’t have a right to tell them that they needed to devote themselves to anything. All the believers “devoted themselves.” In the context I would define devoted as joyful surrender. The believers joyfully surrendered themselves to something other than themselves. What did they devote themselves to? 

They devoted themselves to four things: the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, sharing of meals (including the Lords Supper), and to prayer. The apostles’ teaching is the Word, they devoted themselves to studying the Word, to living a life of spiritual growth. Fellowship is coming together with a few other people to live out christian life. These 3,000 people were forming smaller communities where they became close to one another. They were creating places where they could be transparent. It is in transparency that I am putting myself in a place of surrender and growth. When my friends can know me, the real me, they can both give me acceptance and they can give me challenge where I need it. At the heart of fellowship is the sharing of meals, but this is not just any meal they were sharing the common meal, but they were also sharing the Lord’s supper. This means they were as small communities centering themselves on Christ, around the table. Yesterday I experienced a day of Len Sweet and he talked extensively about the need for the table and that the table is the most important piece of furniture within a home. It is here that we really can share our hearts and become real people and here where we impart the depth of our faith to the next generation. Lastly, they participated in prayer. Just as we witnessed in chapter one, at the foundation of christian community is prayer. Our personal as well as community strength comes out of our prayer. 

As we have launched small groups within the Lake Deaton Campus at New Covenant we have tried to center our groups around these basic practices, believing that by living these practices out within a small group community we will put ourselves in a place of surrendered growth in Christ. Literally, we will live as disciples!

Lord, give us small group communities where we can join with others to grow as disciples.  Amen.