Acts: Is It Possible? | Josh Harrison
Is It Possible? Wrestling with the Vision of the Early Church
It’s not unusual for a passage of Scripture to both inspire and frustrate us, but Acts 2:42–47 seems almost custom-built for this emotional tug-of-war. This week, Josh revisited this well-loved – and often elusive – description of the first Christian community, inviting Citizens Church of Orange County not just to admire it, but to wrestle with whether such a vision could be realized in our own context. More pointedly: is this compelling portrait of shared life just a thing of the past, or could we, too, experience something like it today?
A Picture Both Beautiful and Frustrating
The passage itself is simple, almost utopian: the first followers of Jesus devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to “the breaking of bread,” and to prayer. Awe and wonder filled everyone; radical generosity flourished; unity trumped differences; and, remarkably, “the Lord added to their number daily” (Acts 2:42–47). Josh is honest about his perennial frustration: as beautiful as this portrait is, doesn’t it seem impossibly out-of-reach for today’s church? Like many, he wonders – and sometimes doubts – if such a devoted, transformative community is even attainable in a world as disjointed and fast-paced as ours.
The Parable of Soils and the State of Our Hearts
Reflecting on Jesus’ parable of the soils, Josh recognizes that the “good soil” needed for the seed of the kingdom to take root is not a permanent condition, nor is it exclusive to a certain kind of person. Instead, all of us experience seasons in which we’re rocky, thorny, or hard. Yet, it is possible – through intentional spiritual disciplines and honest community life – to clear stones, cultivate the soil, and make room for something new. Acts 2 isn’t just a pipe dream to be “snatched away” by life’s worries; it’s an invitation to fight for a different kind of community, even if it feels unlikely.
Revisiting Devotion and Practices
Josh briefly summarized what set this early community apart. Their devotion was not half-hearted or circumstantial; it was a giving of themselves to Scripture, fellowship (or, more deeply, “koinonia” – holding life in common), the breaking of bread, and persistent, expectant prayer. They regularly saw signs and wonders, practiced breathtaking generosity, and expressed their worship both in large gatherings and around everyday tables. Most tellingly, their love and unity were so palpable that they gained favor in the eyes of outsiders – and people were drawn to Jesus because of it.
Obstacles in Our Context
But isn’t it different now? Josh readily admits the reality of our context: our cities are sprawling, our lives overscheduled, our culture saturated with entertainment and distraction. The simplicity of “life together” seems light-years away from the modern suburban hustle. Some even argue that the Acts passage is merely “descriptive” (what their church happened to be for a season) and not “prescriptive” (what all churches must strive for).
Facing the Hard Questions
Despite all these objections, Josh resists the temptation to file Acts 2 away as unattainable nostalgia. Instead, he asks: Even if this vision must take new shape in our context, aren’t we still drawn to it? If we lined up every possible way of being church, wouldn’t we all choose the kind of community described in Acts? Perhaps such seasons of deep devotion and togetherness don’t last forever, but their impact lingers for generations. Is it possible our current circumstances – chaotic and busy though they may be – are all the more reason we should seek this kind of shared life?
Ultimately, this week’s sermon was not about quick fixes, grand strategies, or copying the early church verbatim. It was a call to honest reflection, courageous hope, and the willingness to ask: How can we, here and now, express the undiluted potency of the gospel in our life together? What might devotion, generosity, prayer, and radical welcome look like in this city, with these people, at this time?
Key Lessons from This Sermon
Acts 2:42–47 offers both inspiration and challenge, inviting us to continually wrestle with whether this vision is possible in our context, rather than settling for nostalgia or cynicism.
The “soil” of our hearts and communities can be cultivated; transformation is possible, even if it requires intentional, often difficult, effort.
Genuine devotion is demonstrated not through half-hearted participation, but in a deep commitment to Scripture, prayer, fellowship, and sacrificial generosity.
While our context may look vastly different from the early church, we are still called to seek expressions of communal life, unity, and devotion that display the reality of Jesus to the world around us.
