Too Many Mimosas

How could they be speaking everybody's language all at the same time? It was so outrageous that many people assumed they were a few mimosas deep after breakfast and a bit tipsy. Then Peter stepped towards the crowd and, for the first time, started preaching.   

Captivating the audience, he laid down his message so clearly and so directly that over 2,000 people joined the church and were baptized that very day. The people were in awe. Jesus’ apostles were preaching so powerfully and performing so many miracles that the number of believers just kept growing. But now what? Where do they go from here?

"All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer." (Acts 2:42)

Like all of us who go to a conference and hear a motivating speaker, a meeting where we are moved to do something, or even a church service where our hearts are stirred to change, the emotion fades into useless mist unless action is taken. And that action is reinforced and developed over time. 

This one passage in the book of Acts lays out a game plan for implementing change and growing as a team.  

Devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching: They committed to being the experts, continuous learning, studying, and understanding on a deeper level of what they were being taught (and they were open to being taught).

Devoted themselves to fellowship: They did it together. They discussed what they were learning, how to apply it, and taught one another.   

Devoted themselves to sharing meals together: They built deeper relationships with one another. They realized that they needed each other, and there's no better way to connect than over a meal.  

Devoted themselves to prayer: They humbly asked God for direction and encouragement.  

Think about your team. Are you learning together? For that matter, are you learning at all? Do you have a direction you want to go, and are you committed to learning what it takes to get there?  

Are you talking about it? Are you sharing vision, offering different perspectives, and helping one another grow?

Are you getting together outside of work to get to know each other better, deepen your connection, and build trust?

Are you asking for God's blessing and direction on your work and each other?

If you want to effect change with your team, the early church lays out a pretty good roadmap.

Be teachable, do the work, honor the team, build trust, and pray for wisdom. And back to the earlier part of the message, if you want people to listen, you need to speak their language; otherwise, they will look at you like you have been pounding mimosas at breakfast.