A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS

 *23/01/2022*

*FOURTH SUNDAY SERVICE*

TOPIC:

*A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS*

"Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

*Psalms 133:1*

Text:

Acts 2:42-47

Acts 4:23-37

This newly constituted community managed to live together by devoting themselves to four activities:

1. Learning from the apostles

2. Doing exploits for Jesus

3. Serving one another

4. And sharing their goods

Acts 2:42

Their lifestyle was so attractive that it drew others into the faith. These new believers were willing learners and the apostles were willing teachers, for Jesus had also commissioned them to teach those who would become his followers.

Matthew 28:20a

A faith that is not understood is shaky and has poor foundations, and that is why the new believers had to know what and why they believed. The church in Africa needs to develop the same devotion to teaching. The African church is sometimes described as a mile long and an inch deep, meaning that it has many  members but that these members have only a shallow understanding of the word of God. 

Pastors must be willing to teach, and congregations must be enthusiastic to learn the important tenets of their faith.

This new community was devoted to the *fellowship*, meaning that the believers were in a friendly partnership. Believers of today, who tend to be individualists, need to be reminded of our need for another as we seek to serve and worship our Lord

The third activity to which they were devoted cannot exist without the other two: only a community that has understood its calling and that is characterized by close partnership is able to break the bread of life together. Celebrating the Lord's Supper without close mutual fellowship is a mockery of what was achieved on the cross. The church was instructed to continue to celebrate this meal until he returned.

Last, but most certainly not least, the early disciples were devoted to prayer. The same verb is used here as for the other three activities: the believers were just as devoted to prayer as they were to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship and to the breaking of bread. In the same way, the church of today must be devoted to prayer. If 'prayer moves mountains', one wonders why so many mountains continue to hinder the development of the African continent and to blight the lives of African believers.

Perhaps we need to be as devoted to prayer as the early church was. The prayer of faith will help to bring peace to this beloved continent. But it will not be enough on its own. We also need to be devoted to the other three things: *to teaching, to fellowship and to the breaking of bread*

*The changed lives and unity of the community of believers were evident to others in their community*

The NIV says that everyone was filled with awe, but the literal translation is 'fear came upon every person'

Acts 2:43

Those who had earlier mocked them were now gripped by fear. There was something extraordinary about this group of Christians, *for many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles*.

We are not told exactly what these were, although we can make some deductions from events later in Acts. 

*But what is important to note is that when a community of believers is united, wonders and signs will be associated with them and will have a positive effect on the wider community*

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