Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: Acts 2:42-45

These first 3000 believers in Jerusalem were the earliest expression of a local church. Led by the Holy Spirit, they dedicated themselves to the most important elements of basic discipleship. They were committed to being taught by the apostles, sharing deep fellowship with each other, worshiping at the temple together, eating together and praying with one another – all with joyful and sincere hearts.

Luke, the author of Acts, records that the apostles performed many awe-inspiring signs and wonders. We might miss it because of our immediate assumptions about signs and wonders, but the particular wonder/sign that Luke expressly reports is that the whole community opened not only their hearts but also their hands to each other and “had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” This truly is a sign and a wonder!

This sharing of property and resources was not a short-lived, failed experiment in socialism. Rather it was a Holy Spirit inspired season of the life of the early Church. The vast majority of the 3000 new believers had not followed Jesus in the flesh and thus had not heard His teaching; so the Holy Spirit put them into a season of intense discipleship and growth in the truth as taught by the apostles. But, many of the 3000 were visitors to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. They had no homes or livelihoods in Jerusalem. So the locals extended their hospitality, sacrificing their own meagre resources to support these sisters and brothers in Christ who were in need during this season.

Here was a community that was led by the Holy Spirit to express the love of Jesus to one another through generous sharing of their resources. A simple test of our hearts is, “What would I have done?”

Lord, their generosity convicts me of my own selfishness with my resources. Please forgive me. Help me to express Your love to my fellow believers in Spirit-inspired ways, through generously using my resources to further their discipleship and growth in You. Amen.