Josh Hatcher

In this message from the Acts series at Open Arms Community Church in Bradford, PA, Josh Hatcher unpacks what it means to be “Devoted to the Fellowship.” Looking at the early church in Acts, this teaching challenges us to rethink what church really is—not a place we go, but a people we belong to, led by Jesus as our Shepherd.

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Who Are You Following?

In a world full of noise, voices are constantly competing for attention. Culture speaks. Fear speaks. Social media speaks. Personal impulses speak.

But Jesus makes a clear statement: His sheep know His voice.

The question isn’t whether people are following something. Everyone is. The real question is: who is leading?

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”6Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
7Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.8All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:1–10

If Jesus is the Shepherd, then His people are the sheep. That image might feel strange today, but throughout Scripture it’s a powerful and consistent picture of dependence, trust, and guidance.

Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 100:3

To follow Jesus is not just to believe in Him—it is to recognize His voice and choose to trust His leadership.

The Blueprint of the Early Church

After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the early church exploded with growth. What began as a small group quickly became thousands. But the real question isn’t just how many—it’s how they lived.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42–47

They were devoted to a few simple, but powerful things:

• The apostles’ teaching (the truth of Jesus)
• Fellowship (deep, shared connection)
• Breaking bread (life together, including meals)
• Prayer (a shared conversation with God)

This wasn’t casual commitment. It was devotion.

And that devotion produced something undeniable.

What Happens When the Church Is Healthy?

When the early believers lived this way, the results were clear:

• Lives were changed
• Miracles happened
• People were united
• Needs were met
• Joy was evident
• God was praised
• The community took notice
• People were saved daily

There was both power and presence.

There was both truth and relationship.

And perhaps most importantly, there was authenticity. Scripture describes their hearts as sincere—a word that literally means “without wax.” Nothing fake. Nothing hidden. Just real people, living real lives together before God.

What the Church Is Not

Somewhere along the way, especially in Western culture, the picture of church has become distorted.

Church is not:

• A building you go to
• A nonprofit organization
• A service you attend to be fed
• A personality you follow

Those things may exist—but they are tools, not the foundation.

The church is a people, led by Jesus, living in relationship with one another.

A Family That Takes Care of Each Other

One of the most striking parts of the early church is how they handled need.

They didn’t create systems first. They responded personally.

They saw a need—and they met it.

They gave, not out of obligation, but out of love.

This wasn’t about avoiding responsibility. Scripture holds both truths together:

• People are called to work and take responsibility
• People are also called to care for one another

When the church is healthy, no one is used—and no one is ignored.

It becomes a place where burdens are shared, not shifted.

Living in a Way the World Notices

Even in the midst of persecution, the early church experienced something remarkable: favor with people.

Why?

Because their lives were different.

They didn’t just talk about love—they lived it.
They didn’t just gather—they belonged.
They didn’t just believe—they embodied what they believed.

For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

22“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1 Peter 2:19–25

Jesus, the Shepherd, laid down His life. And those who follow Him are called to walk in that same pattern—humility, sacrifice, and trust in God.

The Call Still Stands

Jesus told Peter, “Feed my sheep.”

Not to replace the Shepherd—but to serve under Him.

That call still stands.

It’s a call to:

• Serve
• Care for others
• Step into responsibility
• Help bring people home

This isn’t about building a personal platform. It’s about participating in God’s work.

So… Who Is Leading Your Life?

Every voice is trying to lead somewhere.

But only one Shepherd leads to life.

The invitation is simple, but not easy:

• To stop just believing about Jesus
• And begin fully following Him

To trust His voice.
To surrender control.
To walk in obedience.

Because the church becomes what it was always meant to be when people choose to follow the Shepherd together.

Next Steps

The early church didn’t just believe—they lived this out together.

You’re not meant to do life alone.

If you’re looking for a place to belong, to grow, and to be part of something real, we’d love to walk with you.

👉 Plan your visit: https://openarmscommunitychurch.org/visit
👉 Find a microchurch: https://openarmscommunitychurch.org/microchurches/

As part of our Acts series at Open Arms Community Church in Bradford, PA, Melissa Robinson brings a powerful and personal message centered on a question that still confronts every believer today: “What shall we do?” Building on the foundation of the early church after the resurrection, this message walks through conviction, response, and what it really means to follow Jesus in everyday life.

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A Life Transformed… Again and Again

Last week, we stepped into this series by looking at the early church in the book of Acts, after the resurrection of Jesus.

We saw a group of people whose lives had been completely transformed—not once, not twice, but three times—by Jesus. And He wasn’t done yet.

First, their lives were turned upside down when they chose to follow Him, leaving behind everything they knew. They witnessed His miracles, His teaching, His power.

Then came the crucifixion. One of the darkest moments in history. The One they believed was the Messiah was beaten, tortured, and killed. Their hope seemed lost, and fear drove them into hiding.

Then came the resurrection. Jesus defeated death. Yet even with the empty tomb and eyewitness accounts, doubt and confusion still lingered.

In most of these moments, they didn’t immediately recognize Him. It often took hearing His voice or seeing something familiar for their eyes to be opened.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1

Unbelief can blind us to what God is doing. Faith requires us to trust beyond what we can see.

And through it all, one question remained:

What shall we do?

The Tension of the Question

Hope and belief always demand a response.

You cannot encounter the truth of Jesus and stay the same. At some point, you have to decide what you’re going to do with it.

That tension shows up clearly in the story of the road to Emmaus.

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus(E-May-Us), about seven miles from Jerusalem.
14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.
15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;
16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast.
18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?”he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.
20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;
21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.
22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning
23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.
24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”
27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther.
29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.
31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together
34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”
35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Luke 24:13–35

Two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem. They’ve seen the crucifixion. They’ve heard about the empty tomb. They know something has happened—but they’re confused, discouraged, and unsure.

They say it plainly:

“We had hoped…”

Their expectations didn’t match reality.

And while they’re walking in confusion, they’re also walking in the wrong direction—away from where God is moving, away from community.

That’s what disappointment does. It isolates. It pulls us back when we most need to lean in.

And in that place, it becomes easy to miss Jesus—even when He’s right there.

When Understanding Is Missing

Jesus responds by taking them back to Scripture.

He shows them that the cross wasn’t a failure—it was the plan all along.

The problem wasn’t that they didn’t know Scripture. It’s that they misunderstood it.

They interpreted it through worldly expectations—power, control, dominance.

And that’s still happening today.

But in God’s kingdom:

• Greatness looks like humility
• Leadership looks like service
• Victory comes through sacrifice

Then in a familiar moment—breaking bread—their eyes are opened.

Everything changes.

They turn around and go back.

Back to community.
Back to where God is moving.

A Changed Life Doesn’t Stay Isolated

When focus shifts to disappointment and frustration, it becomes easy to withdraw from the very people and places where God is working.

But when eyes are lifted and attention turns toward Jesus, even familiar moments become powerful.

Sometimes it takes seeing Him clearly.
Sometimes it takes something simple—like shared bread—to recognize Him again.

And often, it takes the presence of other believers to help us see what we’ve been missing.

A New Kind of Boldness

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd.”
Acts 2:14a

Peter stands up and speaks—and this is not the same man.

This is the one who denied Jesus.
The one who failed.
The one who fell short.

Now he is bold.

Because God doesn’t disqualify people for their failures.
He restores them.
Redeems them.
And uses them.

The Moment of Decision

Peter declares the truth:

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Acts 2:36–41

Jesus is Lord.

And the people are cut to the heart.

They ask the question:

“What shall we do?”

Conviction without response leads nowhere.

Feeling something is not the same as doing something.

What It Means to Respond

Peter gives a clear answer:

Repent.
Be baptized.
Receive the Holy Spirit.

Repentance is not just feeling sorry—it’s a turning. A change in direction.

Baptism is identifying with Jesus and His people.

The Holy Spirit empowers the new life that follows.

Three thousand people responded that day.

And what did they do?

They stepped into community.
They devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, and prayer.
They didn’t isolate—they engaged.

The Kind of Witness We Become

5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

Luke 8:5–8

The parable of the sower shows that the condition of the heart determines the outcome.

Some hear and never understand.
Some receive it but fall away.
Some are distracted and choked by life.
Some take root and produce fruit.

The question isn’t just how we hear the Word.

It’s how we live it.

What kind of witness will we be?
What kind of disciple maker will we become?

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8

Faith That Moves

Faith isn’t just belief—it’s action.

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[a]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[b] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

James 2:14–26



For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8–9

Grace saves.
Faith responds.
Action follows.

The Christian life isn’t powered by self—it’s sustained by the Holy Spirit.

Living With Purpose

7 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.
23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

1 Peter 1:17–23

This life is not the final destination.

There is a call to live differently—to love deeply, to walk in reverence, and to reflect the reality of what Christ has done.

This isn’t about empty effort.

It’s about a transformed life marked by obedience, love, and purpose.

The Question Still Stands

So the question comes back again:

What shall we do?

For some, the answer is to respond for the first time.

For others, it’s to turn back after drifting away.

For others, it’s to stop striving alone and begin relying on the Holy Spirit.

The early church didn’t just ask the question.

They answered it.

They acted.

And everything changed.

The Call

Jesus is not passive. He is relentless in His pursuit.

He meets people in their doubt.
He meets people in their failure.
He meets people in their confusion.

He opens eyes.
He softens hearts.
He calls people forward.

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:16–20


But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8

Believe.
Be baptized.
Be a witness.
Make disciples.

And then go and live it out—in love and in the power of Jesus.

Take Your Next Step

If this message challenged or encouraged you, don’t stop here.

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Open Arms Community Church meets Sunday mornings at 71 Congress Street in Bradford, PA. If you’re looking for a church in Bradford PA where you can grow, connect, and take your next step in faith—we’d love to meet you.

As the Listen to Jesus series comes to a close, everything comes to a head here. For seven weeks, the focus has been simple—listen to Jesus. Not just hear Him, but actually pay attention to what He says and what He does. Now the story reaches Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, where everything starts moving toward the cross. In this message, Pastor Zoe Hatcher from Open Arms Community Church in Bradford, PA walks through Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and what it reveals about the kind of King He is. The crowd celebrated Him. They shouted His praises. But they didn’t fully understand Him.

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The King Who Came — and What It Means for Us

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

⁵ “Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”^[a]

⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. ⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna^[b] to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[c]

“Hosanna^[d] in the highest heaven!”

¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

¹¹ The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Matthew 21:1–11

Jesus doesn’t just show up in Jerusalem—He arrives in a way that had already been spoken about centuries before.

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
    Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
    righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zechariah 9:9

This moment isn’t accidental. It is the fulfillment of what God had already promised. Every detail points to the truth that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be. And if those promises came true, then His promises about what is still to come can be trusted as well. When He says He is coming again, it will happen.

The people in Jerusalem were expecting a certain kind of king. They were looking for power, for a leader who would overthrow their enemies and restore control. But instead of arriving with force, Jesus comes riding on a colt. No war horse. No display of strength. Just humility. This is where the tension begins—because the King they received was not the king they expected.

As the crowd gathers, they respond with excitement. Cloaks are laid on the road. Palm branches are lifted in the air. They shout out, “Hosanna!”

Lord, save us!
Lord, grant us success!

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.[
Psalm 118:25–26

But this isn’t just a shout of praise. “Hosanna” means “Save now.” It’s a cry for rescue. A desperate call for help. They are not just celebrating a king—they are asking for salvation. And yet, they are asking for it on their own terms. They want deliverance, but they want it to look a certain way. When Jesus doesn’t meet those expectations, their praise won’t last. The same voices that shout “Hosanna” will not be far removed from shouting “Crucify Him.”

In the middle of all of this, Scripture reveals something deeper about who Jesus is.

The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;

Psalm 118:22

He is the cornerstone. The cornerstone is what holds everything together. It supports the entire structure, aligns everything else, and without it, the whole building collapses. Jesus is not just part of the foundation—He is the foundation.

And almost immediately, that reality begins to confront people. Jesus enters the temple and begins to cleanse it. Tables are flipped. Corruption is exposed. Access to worship is restored. This is not the quiet, passive king some expected. He confronts what is broken. He challenges what is false. And not everyone is willing to receive that.

So Jesus makes it clear.

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’^[a]?

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
Matthew 21:42–44

There is no neutral response to Him. He is the stone, and every person will either fall on that stone and be broken or have it fall on them and be crushed. Truth always demands a response. It either humbles or it hardens.

But even in that warning, there is mercy. To fall on the stone is to humble yourself, to repent, to surrender. That kind of breaking is not destruction—it is the beginning of transformation. When someone is willing to be broken by God, that is when they can actually be used by God.

This message doesn’t end in Jerusalem. It carries forward through the early church as well.

Jesus is

“‘the stone you builders rejected,
    which has become the cornerstone.
Acts 4:11–12

There is no other name. Salvation is not found in anything else—not in effort, not in religion, not in trying harder. Jesus alone is the way. That truth may be uncomfortable, but it is clear.

And the reminder continues:

For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
1 Peter 2:6–8

Some will see Him as precious. Others will reject Him. But either way, He remains the cornerstone. Without Him, there is no church, no salvation, no foundation that can hold.

Palm Sunday isn’t just a moment to remember—it’s a moment to respond. The crowd had their chance, and many of them missed it. The question that remains is the same today: what will be done with Jesus?

Because the cry still echoes—Hosanna. Save now.

And He still answers.