Birth of the Church
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, we see the birth of the Church, which from its inception is an international movement. As God sends his Spirit to dwell among his people, they understand even more acutely their need for a Savior and come together with hearts full of worship, prayer, and generosity.
Study Questions
In this passage, we see the birth of the Church, which from its inception is an international movement. As God sends his Spirit to dwell among his people, they understand even more acutely their need for a Savior and come together with hearts full of worship, prayer, and generosity.Application
Everyone has a worldview—a lens through which they interpret and evaluate the world. When you read the Bible, do you find passages that support your way of thinking? Or do you realize you’ve been thinking wrongly about some things? Why is it a red flag to assume that you have a fully biblical worldview?
Acts 2:21 says, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” What is your natural response to the idea that you have no hope in and of yourself—that you must call on something outside yourself for rescue?
The first members of the Church were interdependent even though they were from vastly different backgrounds. They not only worshiped together, they also shared resources. How does that align with your view of biblical community? What do you think biblical community should look like? How have you experienced true community?
Consider why you are part of a local church. How would you try to convince someone else that joining a church is important?
Key Points
Although it rests on the shoulders of Judaism, from its first moment, Christianity is an international movement. This makes it unique from all other religions.
When Peter speaks the truth of the gospel, the people respond by asking for direction. So too should we look to the Word for direction and allow it to disrupt and form our worldview.
The first members of the Church were intimately dependent on one another despite their cultural differences. They not only worshiped, prayed, and took communion together, but they also generously shared resources.
While many of us view church and community as a place for like-minded people to affirm one another, that is not the case. These believers came together because they realized what they had in common was their need for Jesus.