“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
O = When we are devoted to a teaching, we do more than agree
with it in our heads. We seek to apply it to our lives. Their devotion to the
apostles’ teaching led to a community of shared purpose. They worshipped
together, prayed together, learned together, and ate together. Their sharing
wasn’t some kind of hippy commune, but what we would call a missional community.
Their life was about living out the love of Christ together as witnesses in the
world. What did this do to their attitude? They did what they did “with glad
and generous hearts,” not under compulsion or merely out of duty. Without true
relational community, they could not have accurately represented their
Trinitarian God.
A = In our culture, we over-value individualism and
self-effort. In other cultures, there is more emphasis on the group and
collective mission of the community. Such was the culture of the New Testament
church. It seems that we need to think, feel, and function more as a community,
a family, a whole body, rather than as a voluntary association of individuals.
Perhaps we could even begin to look for collective applications of our Bible
teachings, “What should we do as a
result?”, rather than just, “What will I
do?” So collectively are we devoted to following Christ, and sharing life with
glad and generous hearts? If so, then our witness in the world will draw many to
Christ.
P = O Lord, may I hear you speak through the teaching of the
Bible and through the true community of your people. May I have the courage to
be authentic and honest with you, and the wisdom to stay connected with a growing
community of believers who are devoted to following you together. May you fill
my heart with gladness, and may your generous love overflow from my heart to
others as we share life, learning, and the table in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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