Doubter or Disciple? What a disciple does.
The seven things a disciple does.
Introduction
Books about church planting, church health, and church growth are popular. Seminars about the church abound, with pastors and church boards eager to copy the techniques of a successful pastor or a fast-growing congregation. The following paragraph is a snapshot of the church a few days old. At Pentecost, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, the gathering of 120 exploded! In one day three thousand people came to faith in Christ. Now what do they do? This handful of verses provides a concise summary of what the early church was about; it provides a model that can be applied to the modern church, as well.
At various times in Acts, especially in the early chapters, Luke gives summary reports of how the church is doing. Here we have the first. In it our author describes what a biblical church really looks like, not only in the first century, but in every century from the Lord’s ascension until his second coming.
At various times in Acts, especially in the early chapters, Luke gives summary reports of how the church is doing. Here we have the first. In it our author describes what a biblical church really looks like, not only in the first century, but in every century from the Lord’s ascension until his second coming.
Unity affords the greatest identifying mark of the people of God. That’s why Luke emphasizes, all the believers were together and had everything in common.
The seven things a disciple does.
fellowship (koinonia) means association and close relationships.
The fellowship (koinonia) means association and close relationships. This was more than just getting together, certainly more than just a religious meeting. It involved sharing goods, having meals together, and praying together.
2:44–45 Of the thousands of Jews who had made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Pentecost, many may have come as early as Passover (fifty days earlier). Now they were extending their stay in Jerusalem even longer to learn the basics of this newfound Christian faith. Many would likely need financial or physical help from those who lived in Jerusalem to be able to remain this long. When a need arose, believers would sell their possessions to help those in need. This practice of sharing everything they had was likely a response to that specific need.
The Four Core Practices
The Two Significant Results
Two final statements reveal two significant results of the presence of this regularly meeting, money-sharing, miracle-working, Bible-studying, God-praising group:
1. The watching community was favorably impressed (the believers were enjoying the goodwill of all the people).
2. The watching community was coming to faith (and each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved).
These are two measurable results of any church that is living like the early church. Note, too, that the credit for the salvation of souls is not given to Peter’s preaching, the apostles’ miracles, or the Spirit’s manifestations—it was the Lord who was adding to their number daily.
Two
What happens to believers who worship, work, and witness for their Lord? The Lord grows the church. Let’s not miss the order—first godly relationships with each other, then growth.