Our

passage for today has been used in countless settings not only to

encourage but also to warn. The warning sinks in when we recognize

the distance between this picture of the early church and some of our

own church practices today. The encouragement comes when we

understand that the church is still alive, thanks to the Holy Spirit.

There are principles to be noted, explored, and followed.

The

key element we see in this picture of the church is devotion. We see

devotion toward God and toward building community, in following

Jesus’ teaching and in calling on the Lord in prayer. This devotion

is seen; it is visible. In the Old Testament, God called his people

together to display his blessing and care to the nations (Genesis

12:3; 28:14). This continues in the New Testament.

Then

and now, the church is to display God’s love and grace to a world

that wonders who God is and what God is about. In Acts 2 we see a

church that has open hands, hearts, and homes for others. Their

praise to God and enjoyment of one another is contagious and

­attractive.

I

imagine it was also messy. Can you imagine going from 120 people in

fellowship to more than 3,000 in one day? And then growing more and

more as time went on? In the midst of the mess of being together, God

keeps building his church—one life at a time.