DEFINING MARKS
Chuck Hill, D.Min.
chuckhilltoday.com
Acts 2:42-47
Introduction
Have you ever considered the unique marks that define who you are? Perhaps you have a birthmark—a small spot or pattern on your skin that distinguishes you from others. Or maybe it’s not a physical mark at all, but rather a characteristic or personality trait that sets you apart. In the earliest days of the Christian church, the believers also had “defining marks”—spiritual characteristics that identified them as the people of God. These marks weren’t mere outward symbols; they were living realities that flowed from hearts transformed by the Holy Spirit.
Today, we’re going to look into Acts 2:42–47, a passage that gives us an intimate glimpse of the first-century church’s life together. Not only did the Holy Spirit come and fill them with power, but He also shaped their daily practices and priorities. In the hustle of our modern world, these timeless principles still apply to us, calling us back to the foundational elements of Christian living. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are as ships without the wind, branches without sap, and coals without fire; we are useless.” So let’s invite the same Spirit who empowered the early church to empower us as well.
Tonight I want to read through this passage, and focus specifically upon the end of the chapter where Luke (the author) provides us with an inside look at how that 1st century church functioned and did life (both inside and outside of the confines of their community if faith).
In this passage we read,
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Probably everyone of us has a BIRTH MARK — something that is unique to us and sort of sets us apart. Maybe it’s a beauty mark — does that sound better? Well, for the early church — there were a few defining marks, birth marks, that pointed to them and helped people to recognize them.
The Activities of a Healthy Church
The four activities of the earliest church are introduced to us as priorities of the church. These are the four things to which these saints devoted themselves. These were not options. These were the fruit of a genuine conversion and of life in Christ.
Transition: Let’s step more deeply into the heart of this text and see the core habits that marked the earliest believers. The passage in Acts 2:42–47 reveals four clear priorities that shaped their communal life and spurred them on in mission.
1. The Apostles’ Teaching
The four activities of the earliest church are introduced to us as priorities of the church. These are the four things to which these saints devoted themselves. These were not options. These were the fruit of a genuine conversion and of life in Christ.
We would suppose that “the apostles’ teaching” was the same subject matter that we find in Peter’s sermons in Acts 2 through 4. In other words, the content of the apostles’ teaching was the gospel. The fact that Jesus was the Messiah — the long awaited, promised one. He was the answer to their greatest need. He came, lived a sinless life, was crucified and died, buried, and rose again — victorious over sin and death. But this gospel message was just beginning to be proclaimed. And many aspects or points of theology were yet to be defined; they would become more defined and refined in the centuries to come. However, at this point in the church’s history — I believe that Luke wants us to focus on one aspect of the apostles’ teaching: their proclamation of the gospel was recognized as authoritative, due to the authentication of God through miraculous works. These miracles, performed by the hands of the apostles, served to accredit the apostles as those who spoke for God with full authority: The Word of God is the foundation and starting point for every aspect of the Christian life.
Transition: The teaching of the apostles wasn’t just information; it was living truth that became the cornerstone of the church’s identity. Next, we see how this teaching propelled them into genuine relationships.
2. Fellowship
The term Luke uses for “fellowship” in our text is a much broader term than our English word. Essentially, “fellowship” means “joint participation” or “sharing something in common.” It is thus a kind of partnership.
- In Philippians 2:1, the term is used of a common sharing in the Holy Spirit.
- In Philippians 3:10 and 1 Peter 4:13, it is used of sharing in Christ’s sufferings.
- In Galatians 2:9, it appears to be a sharing together in ministry.
The bottom line is that they did life together.
Transition: This deep relational connection naturally overflowed into shared meals and heartfelt communion with one another.
3. The Breaking of Bread
This expression, “the breaking of bread,” used here in Acts 2:42 may refer directly to the observance of the Lord’s Table, or Communion. But it may also speak of the overflow of the act of fellowship and the sharing of a meal together.
Luke may not necessarily be calling attention to the believers’ remembrance of our Lord’s death, as much as to the simple sharing of a meal with one another.
Even if Communion was observed, this text is emphasizing something more. And we should recall that in the New Testament the Lord’s Table was celebrated as part of a meal.
The sharing of a meal was perhaps the most intimate form of fellowship one could have with fellow believers. In the ancient Near Eastern world, when a guest was invited to a meal with his host, it was incumbent on the host to provide protection for this guest.
Transition: Gathering around the table broke down barriers and fostered real unity. But none of this would have flourished without a vital connection to God Himself.
4. Prayer
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42, NIV).
Prayer — probably the Jewish practice of daily prayers at the temple. But for the early church in Jerusalem, prayer defined them. They spent time daily talking with God and hearing from Him.
This aspect of prayer was another defining mark of the early church.
It was like their life line to experiencing the best and the fullest that God had for them.
Thanks brought prayer; they found faith developed.
Their prayers led to the evidence of God’s work among them.
Transition: These four habits—teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer—laid the groundwork for the church’s extraordinary fruitfulness. Let’s see how that impacted their witness to the world around them.
The Early Church We’re Known As A Witnessing Community
Transition: The next verses reveal that the early church’s evangelistic impact was not a tacked-on program but a natural outflow of their authentic worship and community life.
This passage — and the entire book of Acts — tells us that the early church was a witnessing community; totally involved in reaching the lost.
But notice — their evangelism flowed out of their faith and worship.
Acts 2:47 sums this up — noting, they were:
“47 …praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
From this single verse, we gain a powerful glimpse into how evangelism functioned in the early church—and how it should continue to function in ours. There are three key characteristics here that define Spirit-empowered evangelism:
— It’s a Divine Thing
(A Sovereign Thing… or let’s say, a “God Thing”)
We don’t win people to Jesus by our clever arguments or well-crafted events. Salvation doesn’t come by our persuasive ability—it comes by the Spirit’s power. Our part is to share Christ. His part is to save. That’s exactly what happened earlier in Acts 2 when Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost:
“With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” (Acts 2:40–41)
But don’t miss what’s said a few verses later in Acts 2:47:
“And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Who did the adding? It wasn’t Peter. It wasn’t great marketing. It wasn’t a new program. It was the Lord. He is the primary actor in every true conversion. He draws. He convicts. He regenerates. He saves. Paul makes this abundantly clear in Romans 8:30:
“And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
Our words matter. Our witness matters. But the weight of salvation doesn’t rest on our shoulders.
And let me just say—what a relief!
Salvation is His job. Witnessing is ours.
As Leonard Ravenhill once said, “The early church was married to poverty, prisons, and persecutions. Today, the church is married to prosperity, personality, and popularity.”
We must return to the simplicity of Spirit-led evangelism—where Jesus is the message and the Spirit is the mover.
— It’s a Double-Work Thing
(Supernatural Mathematics — A Work of Addition)
“The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
This is a double work. Notice the progression:
He saved them. Then He added them.
Salvation and church involvement are not disconnected realities—they go together. This tells us something important about how God sees His church:
- He doesn’t just save individuals into a private relationship with Him.
- He places them into a community—into a body.
In a culture that promotes isolated spirituality, Acts reminds us:
True salvation includes incorporation into the people of God.
Let’s be clear—not everyone who attends church is necessarily saved. But every person who is truly saved becomes part of the Church—the body of Christ.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it this way: “Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this.”
When people come to faith, they aren’t just converted in belief—they are connected in belonging.
— It’s a Daily Thing
(An Everyday Obedience, Not an Occasional Event)
“And the Lord added to their number daily…”
Let that word sink in: daily.
The early believers didn’t treat evangelism like a scheduled event or an annual program.
It wasn’t a Saturday outreach. It wasn’t just for a team of extroverts.
It was a lifestyle.
Every day, they were living their faith, sharing their hope, and walking in the Spirit.
Evangelism wasn’t a strategy—it was the overflow of their love for Jesus.
It’s as if they truly believed Jesus when He said,
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel…” (Mark 16:15)
“Go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19)
They lived as if every day was God’s day—a divine appointment waiting to happen.
They shared Christ in the marketplace, in the home, in the synagogue, at dinner, and on the way to prayer.
They didn’t compartmentalize their faith—they carried it everywhere.
But let’s be honest—just talking about evangelism won’t move us. What changes our urgency is when we start seeing people as eternally lost without Jesus.
Jesus saw them this way:
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest…’” (Matthew 9:36–38)
He didn’t just see crowds—He saw souls.
He didn’t just see need—He felt compassion.
And what did He say?
“Ask the Lord to send out workers…”
God is still looking for workers. For day-laborers. For faithful witnesses.
He’s not looking for perfect people—just available ones.
So the Question Is…Will you care about this?
Will you open your eyes to see the lost around you?
Will you open your mouth to speak the name of Jesus?
Will you open your life to live as a daily witness?
Evangelism is a Divine thing. A Double-work thing. A Daily thing. So, let’s step into it.
Closing Encouragement and Prayer
We see from Acts 2 that the early church modeled the heart of God by devoting themselves to His Word, caring for one another in genuine fellowship, sharing meals with open hearts, and continually seeking Him in prayer. As they lived out these marks, God Himself drew people into salvation every day. The same Holy Spirit at work then is at work now.
As A.W. Tozer wrote, “We go astray when we attempt to do spiritual work without spiritual power.”
Let’s rely on the Spirit’s power to be a church that bears these marks in our generation.
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the picture of the early church that we see in Acts 2. Thank You for the power of Your Holy Spirit who equipped them to be faithful witnesses, loving neighbors, and dedicated followers of Christ. Teach us to devote ourselves to Your Word, to build genuine fellowship, to share in meals and communion with grateful hearts, and to pray with expectation and confidence in Your mighty hand. We ask that You stir our hearts for the lost, reminding us that You alone do the saving as we go forth to share the good news. Make us bold, compassionate, and faithful, just as those first believers were. Empower us to be day laborers in Your harvest field, ready to serve You each and every day. We surrender ourselves to the leading of Your Spirit. May our lives and our church display the same defining marks of true discipleship, that the world around us may know that You are the Lord who saves. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, Amen.
May these timeless truths shape us into a community that carries on the mission of Jesus every single day.