Making Room for More
Acts 2:37-47
According to Acts 2:42-46, when the New Testament church gathered – they learned – they worshiped – they found purpose and they connected. That’s wonderful, but that is not a complete picture. Acts 2:47 completes the picture: “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Without that verse, we would get the wrong impression. Without this verse we might think that the early church was just a Christian club, focused inward. But the church reached out to people and as they did, the Lord added to their numbers.
The Parable of the Dinner – Luke 14:16-24 – God wants His house filled. God wants heaven full. He wants every seat taken. “After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full” (Luke 14:22-23 NLT).
How do we open our doors to bring in more people to hear the most important message? Looking at Acts 2:47, we discover four components of evangelism.
Evangelism is God’s work.
God uses His people to accomplish His work.
Evangelism is dual work.
Evangelism is a daily work.
What can we do?
Learn to see people differently.
Learn to invite people naturally.
Discussion Questions
How did you feel about going to church when you were a kid? If you have children, how do they feel about attending worship? What do you like best about your congregation?
What made the early church so appealing to others? Their spiritual vitality? Their amazing love for each other? Their openness to others? Miracles? Great preaching? Advertising?
What’s the closest you have come to experiencing the kind of close fellowship that is described here? Why do you think the Christian community today does not have the early church’s depth of relationships? What aspect of life in the early church do you desire for yourself most? For your family?