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Steve continued his exploration of emerging questions at our July Gathering.

Acts 2 talks about communication, prayer, the Word and fellowship. The outcome of this was to make disciples.

What is making disciples supposed to do? What does a disciple look like? Could be called a student, trainee, apprentice - you are learning how to be a disciple.

In Acts, believers met together, there was a deep sense of awe. Is there that same sense when we meet? Can you still have it amid the laughter, eating and sharing that is the Junction? Acts - when this happened, God added to their number daily.

Church can be all-consuming with activities etc. Is that what God wants? Church can spend a lot of money on “appearance management” - is this what God wants?

Jesus spoke about caring for the poor, widows and orphans, loving one another - put it all under the Kingdom of God.

There is a lot of effort being put into church related activities, which is not necessarily wrong, but is it what God wants?

As far as God is concerned, Sunday 10am-12pm is just as important as Monday 10am-12pm. It’s about balance, Jesus spent time in prayer, with his disciples as well as healing and preaching.

God became a man, to turn creatures into sons, not simply to produce better men of the old kind, but to produce a new man. God wants a new man who will be involved in prayer, missions, giving, ministry and worship, all week round.

“Therefore the old has gone, the new has come.” (2 Cor 5:17 NIV)

God is after a new Kingdom and a new race to inhabit it. “Thy Kingdom come.” Not a new paint job over the old. A new person, in Christ, with Christ in them, every day, every hour, not just Sundays. A new kind of person.

We learn how to do better in all areas, but its not enough. It has to relate all week around, with everyone you interact with. The Kingdom of God is not like church - “Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

Ecclesia - people who are called out to be the representatives of the Kingdom. How is society structured in relation to the Kingdom of God?

Paul was the first person in human literature to argue that all people are equal. Here is how we know Jesus rose from the dead - we help the poor, we save the weak, we assist the neglected. It is the way I live, every moment of my life, not just church on Sundays.

How do we outwork this as a group? What is my responsibility in this?