忠心的表现
今天这段经文，曾多次在各种情况下被引用，人们不单用它来激励人，也用它来提出警告。看到初代教会这幅图画，与今天我们有些教会的做法，有很大的距离，我们便领悟到其中的警告了。然而当我们明白教会今日仍然是有生命的（感谢圣灵的帮助），我们必然得到激励。所以，这段经文有我们应该留心、查考，和遵循的原则。
初代教会这幅图画最重要的特质，就是他们的忠心。我们看到他们对神、对建立团契、对遵守耶稣的教训，和以祷告求告主，都表现得恒切忠心，这都是有目共睹的。在旧约圣经的时代，神招聚祂的子民，向万国彰显祂的祝福和眷顾（创世记12:3；28:14）。这个使命，在新约圣经时代中仍然继续下去。
无论是当年抑或今日，教会的使命都是要向这个不认识神的世界，彰显神的爱和恩典。在使徒行传第二章，我们看到一个向别人张开双手、心灵，和家庭的教会，他们赞美神并享受彼此交接，他们的表现能够感染和吸引其他人。
我相信他们也有混乱的地方。想想，一天之内，从只有一百二十人的团契，增至超过三千人，你能想像得到是怎样的吗？而人数还随着时间不断增长。虽然在混乱当中，神就是这样逐一招聚每一个生命，来建立祂的教会的。
亲爱的神，我们为今天接触到的每一个人感谢祢。惟愿我们能让我们遇到的每一个人，看见我们对祢的忠心和喜乐。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。
使徒行传 2:42–47
42 都恒心遵守使徒的教训，彼此交接、掰饼、祈祷。
43 众人都惧怕，使徒又行了许多奇事神迹。
44 信的人都在一处，凡物公用，
45 并且卖了田产、家业，照各人所需用的分给各人。
46 他们天天同心合意恒切地在殿里，且在家中掰饼，存着欢喜、诚实的心用饭，
47 赞美神，得众民的喜爱。主将得救的人天天加给他们。
Devotion Displayed
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. — Acts 2:42
Our passage for today has been used in countless settings not only to encourage but also to warn. The warning sinks in when we recognize the distance between this picture of the early church and some of our own church practices today. The encouragement comes when we understand that the church is still alive, thanks to the Holy Spirit. There are principles to be noted, explored, and followed.
The key element we see in this picture of the church is devotion. We see devotion toward God and toward building community, in following Jesus’ teaching and in calling on the Lord in prayer. This devotion is seen; it is visible. In the Old Testament, God called his people together to display his blessing and care to the nations (Genesis 12:3; 28:14). This continues in the New Testament.
Then and now, the church is to display God’s love and grace to a world that wonders who God is and what God is about. In Acts 2 we see a church that has open hands, hearts, and homes for others. Their praise to God and enjoyment of one another is contagious and attractive.
I imagine it was also messy. Can you imagine going from 120 people in fellowship to more than 3,000 in one day? And then growing more and more as time went on? In the midst of the mess of being together, God keeps building his church—one life at a time.
Dear God, thank you for every person we can connect with today. May we show them a joyful devotion directed to you and displayed to all we meet. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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