The Acts 2 Church: the progression then and now

I started reading Acts 2 this morning and then set out to determine what the Acts 2 Church really looked like, or rather, what the progression looked like on and around the day of Pentecost into the first days of the Christian church. Below is what I observed:

1. The 12 Apostles were gathered together waiting for the Spirit of God. (vs. 1)
2. The Holy Spirit fulfills Christ's promise and fills the 12 Apostles. (vs. 2-4)
3. A crowd is drawn to the group of leaders because they recognize and experience something different. (vs. 5-13)
4. Peter addresses the crowd that has gathered around them. (vs. 14-36)
• Explaining (vs. 14-21)
• Teaching (vs. 22-35)
• Response/Call (vs. 36)
5. The crowd respond in question to Peter's message. (vs. 37)
6. Peter further explains and clarifies the needed response. (vs. 38-40)
7. 3,000 people accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are baptized into His family. (vs. 41)
8. The people became devoted followers. (vs. 42)
• They were devoted to the teaching of the Apostles.
• They were devoted to fellowship with one another.
• They were devoted to prayer.
9. The people were filled with awe and experience many miracles. (vs. 43)
10. The people developed Spiritual disciplines. (vs. 44-47)
• They were together and shared commonalities. (vs. 44)
• They gave to anyone as they had a need. (vs. 45)
• They met together every day. (vs. 46)
• They ate together with gladness and sincerity. (vs. 46)
• They praised God. (vs. 47)
11. God added to their number every day. (vs. 47)

Now, if you take Acts 2 as "prescriptive", than you believe that we, as a church, should follow the words and direction of the Acts 2 church to the letter and that the church today should look exactly like the Acts 2 church in order to be successful and reach others for Christ. On the other hand, if you believe that this passage is "descriptive" than you believe that it is merely describing a model of the church and that as times and society changes, we as Christians and as a church need to adapt in order to reach others for Christ. Further, if you believe that it is merely descriptive than you must decide how the church should adjust and adapt our methods so that we can reach more people for Christ and therefore fulfill the great commission as found in Matthew 28:18-20.

I take this passage as descriptive and therefore I feel it necessary to determine how our church must adjust and adapt to reach more people in our culture for Jesus Christ. Some of these listed below are foundational and must not be changed, others can be changed based upon the local church body and local culture. This is what I believe God is calling us to:

1. The church leadership must continue to gather together waiting for the Spirit of God.
2. The church leadership must not move forward until they are filled with the Spirit of God.
3. People will be drawn in to the church (attractional) but they also must be invited in (missional).
4. Through the explaining and teaching of the Scripture and the needed response, people will respond. 
5. The response is to be an acceptance, repentance, and baptism - nothing less.
6. As believers, we are to become devoted followers.
• We are to be devoted to teaching.
• We are to be devoted to fellowship.
• We are to be devoted to prayer.
7. As followers, we are to develop Spiritual disciplines.
• We are to give of ourselves and of our blessing as we see a need. (James 4:17)
• We are to praise God with glad and sincere hearts. (John 4:23-24)
8. God will add to our numbers regularly. (Matthew 21:43)