Community Created By The Spirit
To the ends of the earth - acts 2:42-47 (esv) - Pastor Tim Kroeker
Acts 2:42:
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Download bulletin
What do you look for in a church? Do you know a good one when you see it? Many Christians look for a church that fits their preferences: their preferred style of preaching, their preferred style of music, or their preferred demographic (age, stage of life, ethnicity, or culture). You might look for a thriving youth group or engaging activities for the kids. Perhaps you prefer a church of a certain size. It shouldn’t be too big or too small.
After Peter’s powerful sermon on the Day of Pentecost, which led to the conversion of 3000 souls, Acts 2 concludes with a portrait of the early church in Jerusalem. As subsequent episodes will show, it certainly wasn’t a perfect church. However, Luke’s summary presents it as a model for the kind of community the Holy Spirit creates.
First, Luke summarizes the church’s regular, ongoing activities. He then summarizes its generous and joyful character, which all led to dynamic growth as the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. This is what happens when people are bound together by a belief in the gospel and an understanding of its implications. This was a healthy church.
