29 Sep, 2011
There is Something Different About Them...
They joined hearts and hands to talk with Jesus.
Yesterday morning thousands of teenagers gathered around the flagpole of their school. It wasn't just a gathering for fun, it served a far deeper purpose. It was an opportunity to join together with peers and spend time in prayer. Still further down, it is a chance for students to connect with the tradition of the church. It is a time to put aside differences and focus on that which matters most, Father God.
Many would gather a second time, yesterday evening, to celebrate the time spent in the morning. In my own community over 300 students converged at our local girls club to spend the evening in worship through song and further prayer. It was a day of celebration for the work God is doing in and through young people. It is a celebration of the unity we can have in the Body of Christ.
(Art work provided by: syatp.com)
Acts 2:42-47
New International Version (NIV)
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47
New International Version (NIV)
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.What does God's Story scripture teach us about being together?
When we find the early church sharing everything together in Acts 2, we are awestruck by the selflessness of these people. We forget that they are in fact people like us. The only difference, a chapter before they had seen the work of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They were excited by what was happening around them. There was very real sense that God was standing among His people again. This sense left a small, but growing, group of people desiring to know more of Jesus.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
Special days like "See You at the Pole" day make it easy for us to connect scriptures like this to our lives, but what do we do the other 364 days of the year. This passage gives us some great ideas...
- "They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching..." spending time each day in the bible is important, how can we tell people a story we don't know ourselves?
- Prayer is a foundation point throughout the book of Acts. We find lots of people in prayer alone and together. We need to be in communication with Jesus.
- They also didn't try and live life alone. Through these verses it is apparent that the early church was living life together. We try and do a lot on our own, but we miss the encouragement and strength that comes from community. We can chase after Jesus alone, but the road is better when we share it.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and our story to others?
One of my favorite statements about the early church was this, "people were drawn to them because of the difference in their song." There was something different about the way people lived life for each other and with each other. People outside the church took notice of that and wanted to be a part of it. Here are a couple of connections for your friends...
- People often use the churches inability to get along as an excuse, SYATP is an event you can point to and say, "when it comes down to it, we can share a common love."
- Just living life differently and deeply with your christian friends can draw people to you. You can also always invite others in. A simple "join us" might be all it takes to alter a person's life for eternity.
- If nothing else, take the time to pray for your lost friends.
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