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DNA is the fundamental and distinctive characteristics or qualities of someone or something. In Acts 2:42-47 Luke highlights four fundamental and distinctive characteristics of the Spirit-filled witnesses who made up the early church which should still identify us today.

Four Deliberate Noticeable Actions (DNA) of a Spirit-filled witness are:

1. A devotion to the Word of God (vs. 42a, 43)

- They were continually devoting themselves to listening and learning God’s Word as it came from the Apostles (cf. 2 Pt. 1:20-21).

- Spiritual growth occurs when there is a desire/hunger/craving for and delight in God’s Word (cf. Job 23:12; Ps. 1:1-3; 119:16, 47, 143; Jer. 15:16)

- God’s Word in conjunction with the work of the Holy Spirit impacts and changes lives (vs. 43)

Would others be able to testify that they see you and I continually taking Deliberate Noticeable Actions that reflect our devotion to the Word of God? At CBC one of our core values is we take God’s Word seriously!

2. A devotion to a ‘certain kind’ of fellowship (vs. 42a, 44-45)

- A “Bible-believing church” must also be a “Bible-living church.” Devotion to the Word of God and fellowship go hand in hand.

- The foundation of the early church’s fellowship was on giving (vs. 44-45)

- This ‘certain kind’ of fellowship comes as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives (sanctification, cf. 2 Cor. 3:18) and His empowerment to make application of the Word of God our top priority.

Am I a devoted contributor in fostering this kind of fellowship at CBC? Do we as a church think outside observers of our interaction and care for one another would be attracted to the message of the Gospel?

3. A devotion to be an active worshipper of God (vs. 42b, 46)

- Both corporately (in the temple courts) and as a lifestyle (in their homes) (vs. 46)

- Daily the believers devoted themselves to remembering Christ and his atoning work (cf. vs. 46;Ps. 103:1-4)

- An active worshipper shares their gladness, sincerity of heart and praise for God with others (Ps. 34:1-3; Heb. 10:24-25)

What are some Deliberate Noticeable Actions that would identify you as a devoted active worshipper of God? Is worshipping God a day to day, hour by hour reality for you or has it been relegated to a once a week routine. Are you taking full advantage to grow as a disciple by devoting yourself to both our corporate worship gatherings and our small group, DC gatherings?

4. A devotion to staying dependent on God through prayer (vs. 42b)

- A thankful, healthy, growing church is a praying church.

- “Prayer is as necessary to the Christian as breathing is to the human body - but it often doesn’t come quite as naturally” (John Onwuchekwa)

- Prayer is to be a continuous stream of calling and listening both personally and corporately.

If we desire to be effective Spirit-empowered witnesses and see God’s ‘mission possible’ advance in and through us then we need to be devoted to prayer like our lives depend on it. We must prioritize breathing both personally and together as a church family.

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