Made For More: Week 2 (Acts 2:42-47)
Acts 2:42-47
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Made For Community
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Acts 2:42-47 〰️ Made For Community 〰️
This week, we’re jumping into the book of Acts, in 2:42-47. Before we dive too deep, it’ll be helpful to get a little context on what exactly is going on at this point in Scripture. We most commonly go through an entire book of the Bible in order, but occasionally, we’ll be in a topical series like this and need to get up to speed for the context of the book we’re in.
Quick Context:
The book of Acts picks up right where the Gospels leave off, and we even see some red letters in the first chapter of Acts. Formally, the author of Acts is anonymous, but the long-held church tradition is that Luke, the author of the Gospel of the same name, wrote Acts. The central focus of Acts is the spread of the Gospel of Jesus through the world by the power of the Holy Spirit, working in His church. One of the central figures of Acts is Paul, a former “Christian hunter” and a zealot for Judaism turned Christian. A central theme running through Acts is the accessibility and forgiveness offered by the Gospel. Christ’s gift is available for all, even murderers and Gentiles. Paul’s most common pattern of evangelism was to visit a city and first preach to the Jewish people present, preparing them for this extension of grace to those outside of God’s chosen people.
Made For Community
And so now we come to this week’s passage in 2:42-47. By this point in Acts 2, those present had come to saving faith in Jesus through repentance and baptism after hearing Peter’s sermon (v14-41). And here, in v42-47, we see the response of this new community of believers. The author of Acts tells us that the people responded in four ways, devoting themselves to: the teaching of truth, the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. We could spend weeks honing in on what these four responses look like and how they can be expressed in the contemporary church today, but our heart and focus for this passage during this series is how we are made for community.
The continuation of this passage gives us such a beautiful picture of what a Christian community can look like when the people are devoted to the Word of God. Before we begin dissecting this passage, it’s healthy to remember that some passages are descriptive, not prescriptive. This passage tells us what the newly formed community in Jerusalem did, not necessarily what we are required to do. As with anything, we take these things and hold them in tension and with an open hand before the Lord. We can ask questions before we get too deep and ask: Is this something God is asking me to do? Should I devote myself to my community by living life alongside them and commit myself to prayer? Yeah, probably. It’s likely that few, if any, believers are not called to this. Am I also called to sell all my possessions and distribute the proceeds? Maybe, but not likely. Things like this can all come down to biblical wisdom and holy discernment. Not everything in God’s Word is a direct command, as much of Scripture is telling a story, rather than giving a list of instructions to follow. The important bit for us, 2000 years later, is to seek to understand what God is teaching us through His Word (in this case, the account of the early church).
So as we read a passage like this, we can ask ourselves (and each other) some questions that hopefully provoke some thought as to how we’re living in community. Is the way I live (I mean, really live, not just float through or exist amidst) in community reflective of what we see here in Acts 2? What would it look like for me and my immediate community (your CG, family, close friends, etc.) to live like this? How can we live in genuine community, caring for the needs of each other? What might change, and how might we grow deeper together by breaking bread (sharing meals and lifetogether, not just in a Bible study once a week) regularly?
As we enter into discussion in our groups, I would challenge you to challenge your people: what is something we can do in our endlessly busy lives to grow closer together in Christ? Maybe we can share a meal together more often. Maybe we can offer to bear each other’s burdens by serving each other. (Some great examples: babysitting so someone in your group could go on a much-needed date night, helping rake leaves, bringing a meal for someone when you know their week has been heavy). In the end, it’s not at all about doing something to earn brownie points with God, but caring for those in our immediate community to grow deeper in our love for each other. In the digital age, it can feel like we’re asked to bear the burdens of the world, but in truth, God didn’t design us for an endless feed of suffering and paralyzing fear. We were made to exist in community with those around us and to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15).
Discussion Questions
Could someone read Romans 12:1-2 for us?
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
How are the people in the church described in this passage? (v42)
How is this depicted in detail in v44-47?
What do you think “all things in common” means? (v44)
How might it look for our community group to hold “all things in common” like in the early church? What could change? What could stay the same?
What are some practical ways we, as a community group, can grow in more depth together?