The Spirit Unites Us
Acts 2:42-47, 1 Thessalonians 5:11
If you’ve been a part of Resonate for any amount of time you know that community is important, and community has the power to tangibly reflect the Gospel in ways people haven’t experienced it before.
Our church talks a lot about being an “Acts 2” church. But we have to be careful and understand that this is a narrative, it's descriptive not prescriptive. Meaning that this text isn’t telling you that you need to sell everything you own and give it to your site pastor, but it’s pointing to a richness in fellowship that is more than just “being together.” What we see in this section is that these believers were completely unified, they had everything in common. The early Christians, motivated by love, voluntarily gave their belongings to one another, recognizing one another as true brothers and sisters.
My sister has the worst luck in the world. I don’t know why, but I regularly get calls from her needing me to bail her out of the strangest situations. She once called me from a pay phone needing me to change my phone settings so I could order her an Uber in NY because the one she called never came and she couldn’t cancel it because her phone had died. Now, if she wasn’t my sister I would probably get really annoyed, but because she’s my family I would do anything for her.
When you think about your fellow owners, village attenders, and staff, do you see them as your brothers or sisters? I don’t know if I do.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak.” If we are honest, it’s easy to become frustrated with other believers. We want people to mature at our pace, and when people struggle or have a hard time keeping up with us, patience and tenderness isn’t usually our first response.
The believers we read about in Acts 2, lived this verse out. Their belongings were distributed to all so that everyone was on an even playing field and all needs were met. There is no mention of the rich or the poor in this section of scripture, just one unified body of believers who had all in common.
A healthy Christian community attracts people to Christ. The Jerusalem church’s zeal for worship and brotherly love were contagious. A healthy, loving church will grow in numbers. What are you doing to make you church the kind of place that will attract others? What gifts, talents or skills can you use to strengthen and unite the body at your site?
We are all important to the body and we all have a role to play in the mission. As you reflect on this passage today, spend time repenting of not loving your fellow believers as brothers and sisters and ask God to reveal to you how you can better serve the family of Christ.
