Acts 2: 42- 47
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
There was an ATMOSPHERE that was so powerful that it formed a CULTURE that was insatiably attractive.
Acronym of ATMOSPHERE
A - ALIGNED ATTITUDE
Vs 42 “They (All of Influencers Church) devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching”.
They allowed the word to renew their mind.
Devoted – de vote.
· I now no longer have a vote.
· I de vote my own ideas.
· I allow the teaching of the apostles to reprogram my thought processes.
· I align my thoughts and attitudes with the word of God.
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Proverbs 3:3 Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you]; Bind them [securely] around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart 4 So find favour and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
· Devotion is focusing on what you believe and denying any other arguments
· Devotion is an ALIGNMENT to the WORD of GOD.
Ephesians 4:4 (message) You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction.
You can be on the same road but travelling in the opposite direction.
Favour follows Devotion.
Favour follows a renewed mind.
Favour follows faithfulness to the Word.
T - TRANSPARENT TOGETHERNESS
Vs 42 “ They devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching and to the fellowship”
Vs 44 “All the believers were together and had everything in common”
Vs 46 “Everyday they continued to meet together in the temple”
Vs 47 “...enjoying the favour of all the people”
Our openness of relationship is far more important than what we do.
John 13:34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.”
Ephesians 4:4 (message) You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together both outwardly and inwardly.
.....so stay together - a command we need to obey.
• Don’t just love them out of duty but outwardly show your affection and approval of who they are, their value to God and the valuable contribution they make.
“They’ll know you are Christians by your love.”
How do we cultivate this?
· Be prepared to trust people.
· Believe the best in people.
· Set people up to succeed not fail.
· Trust peoples motives don’t judger their actions.
Col 3:13-14 NLT 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
· It’s the beauty if diversity NOT uniformity
· The way to get along with each other is to understand you have to work at it.
Get over Offence quickly? - Understand you are going to get offended and make a decision before you get offended to forgive before you get offended.
Keep it Real. – Remember that the Lord forgave you. We only get offended when we think too highly of ourselves.
Choose to Love - God sees this action as “PERFECT UNITY”
M - MAKE MOMENTUM
In physics: momentum = mass x velocity
The greater the mass and velocity of that mass the greater the momentum.
MASS: here were three thousand believers added in one day to the original amount.
VELOCITY
Vs 42 They devoted themselves to the APOSTLES
TEACHING, FELLOWSHIP, BREAKING OF BREAD AND PRAYER
Vs 43 EVERYONE was filled with awe, MANY miracles were done
Vs 44 ALL the believers were together EVERTHING was in common
Vs 46 EVERYDAY they continued to meet together. The Lord added to them daily.
There was incredible momentum.
To get anything moving energy needs to be applied.
· Energy in the form of: work, process, strategy, action.
· Momentum is deliberate.
· Momentum requires Commitment
Favour followed the Early Church because there was a commitment to TURNING UP.
· They understood what was required to change their world.
· They didn’t attract favour by an optional commitment
· They employed the power of momentum.
O - OTHERS ONLY
Vs 45 “Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone who had need of it”
They were very cheerful, and very generous in the use of what they had.
Acts 4;32All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.
S - SPIRITUALLY STABLE
Vs 46 “Everyday they continued to meet together”
They understand the power in continuance.
· No matter the season CONTINUE
· Whether you are in the valley, on the mountain, in the dry season or the season of blessing. CONTINUE
Maturity is forged when we just choose to CONTINUE because we just KNOW it is the right thing to do.
Ephesians 4:14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.
Hebrews 10:25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do
P - PASSIONATE PRAYER & PRAISE
Vs 42 “The devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to PRAYER”
Vs 43 “Everyone was filled with awe”
Vs 46 .....ate together with glad and sincere hearts
Vs 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the
people.
AWE: a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.
· Praise is simply “faith in action”. Passionate praise is “passionate faith in passionate action”.
· They continued in their prayer.
H- HOLY SPIRITS HELP
ACTS 3 Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. 2 As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. 4 Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene,[a] get up and[b] walk!”
We have nothing but the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Vs47 ...and the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved.
E –ENERGETIC ENTHUSIASM
Psalm 100 .... I will enter his gates with ......thanksgiving in my heart.
Enthusiasm is a decision based on foreknowledge.
Hebrews 11.1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of things we do not see. Even though we haven’t been there yet God has revealed to us by his travel brochure (His word)
Faith without works is Dead.
R- Real Revelation
Vs 46 ...they broke bread daily”
You can’t live out of yesterdays revelation.
You can’t dish up stale food from the kitchen.
E – Excellence in Everything
Vs 47 “they enjoyed the favour of all the people”
The people found favour with ALL the people because they were operating with an excellent spirit.
“Excellence is doing your absolute best with absolutely everything you have.”