Power in unity (Acts 2:1-21)
By Pastor Rob Smith
at House of Christ's Love
5/15/2011

What is Unity? What does it mean?

1. It means that we recognize the value of diversity within the church.
2. It means that If the church is to accomplish anything for Him, we must stand together.

Why was the Early Church united?

I. They were driven by Mission

  • The mission is the key objective and directive about who the church wants to reach and what the church desires to accomplish.
  • A mission provides long term direction and stability for the church
  • A mission declares the church’s core Biblical values
  • A mission captures the heart of a church’s ministry

 Their mission was already given to them in Matthew 28: 16 and Acts 1:8

Our motive and reason leads us to our objective unity. Our objective is given by Jesus. To go into all the
world and make disciples. That is the Great Commission.

The second area of unity for the early church was that

2. They had a great vision

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision the people perish;”

  • A vision is the dream of the church given by God, usually birthed in the pastor, but ultimately owned by the congregation.
  • A vision creates tremendous enthusiasm and energy in the present, about the future of the
  • church
  • A vision captures and maximizes the special uniqueness about a church
  • A vision draws people in and calls them to commitment and involvement

We read here in Acts 2:1 it says, “When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one
accord in one place”

A. They had different PURSUITS and VOCATIONS.
Acts 1:15 tells us that there were about 120 people present. Some were fishermen, like Peter, James
and John. Matthew had been a tax collector. Simon had been a political subversive. Jesus’ brothers were
present, and it is likely that they had been in the carpentry trade. These were people with different
backgrounds and different outlooks on life. There was no reason for them to be together. But…

B. They had a common REASON and MOTIVE to be together.
There was something deep down in each one of these people that kept them together for this extended
period of time. They knew that Jesus had promised them something, and they were waiting and praying
for it.

3. Their strategy was simple

Their strategy was to Change Their World!! And they did this by
1. Growing Spiritually - and we can find three ways in this scripture of how they did that

  • They took personal responsibility for their own spiritual growth (42 – The devoted themselves
  • to the apostles teaching).
  • They met together in large groups (46a –‘everyday they met together in temple courts’). They went to church!
  • They met together in small groups (46b – ‘they broke bread in their homes’) –

2. By praying

  • Philippians 4:6-7
  • Matthew 6:9-13

3. Doing Life together

  • They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship – (42)
  • They were together and had everything in common (44)
  • They met together and they broke bread in their homes (46)

4. Giving to others

  • They sold their possessions and goods and gave to anyone as they had need (45)
  • Message translation: “They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met”.

5. Praising God (vs. 47) “they were praising God……”) –

Praise to God is expressed outwardly through our everyday actions, as well as inwardly in our thoughts.
Praise is an act of Christian worship.

6. Sharing their faith (vs. 47) “and they had favor with all the people, And the lord added to their
number daily those who were being saved.)

Here’s a little formula that can help us share our faith….

  • invest in relationships
  • initiate spiritual conversations
  • inspire others by telling your story
  • invite them to community
  • include them in the life of the church