Our world of many churches has become sort of like a shopping mall with every style, type, color etc. available to those who are searching for just the right fit. I wonder as I ponder the question above, what has the church become? I will not go deeply into what the church is, but it is not a building. It is the people who come together in faith and a belief in the One True God and His Son Jesus Christ. We come together to worship Him and to bring Him Glory. Of course we are there for each other to help one another through the struggles of this life. But our purpose is to worship and glorify our Saviour.
But the question begs...What has the church become? It is miles from where the early church began. In reading through the Book of Acts some descriptions of the early church are spoken of.
They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching(Acts 2:42)so they were a learning people. Are our churches today dedicated to teaching the Word? If so then people should be growing in their relationship with Christ.
They devoted themselves to fellowship (Acts 2:42)so they were a loving people. I feel they strongly valued the fellowship with other believers. A church must provide an environment for fellowship among believers. A great pastor and wonderful music etc. are just not enough. We must have fellowship with other believers in order to grow in Christ. It is such a blessing to have fellow believers to share our hurts and burdens with. It is a joy to share our victories together. It is just wonderful to be surrounded with like minded people that will let you be you. It is essential that you have a group that you can tell anything to and know that it is kept in confidence and that they are praying and pulling for you.
They broke bread together (Acts 2:42) so they shared life together. What one thing draws people together more than sharing a meal together? I think it allows us to share in the food that God blesses us with but also to share in a time of getting to really know one another. What is it about good food and good friends that not only fills our stomachs but also fills our hearts with love one for another. This was a common and frequent practice of the early church.
They prayed together (Acts 2:42) so they were a praying people. What is more important than praying together? It is a time of sharing our hurts, our needs, our burdens but most importantly it is a time for praising God together. I can think of nothing that Jesus was more devoted to than prayer. Why should we be different. I know in my own small group we are slowly learning to pray together but I feel it is delayed until the end of our meetings when we are all tired. I would suggest that this be how we begin our fellowship and I would bet that the fellowship, the study etc. would be much richer as a result.
They were together and had everything in common (Acts 2:44) so they were a united people. They were together much like a band of brothers. A close knit group that were very dedicated to one another. They had a deep love one for another. They left knowing that the others had their back so to speak or that they were in the hearts of the others always. They had everything in common. I think this speaks to their unified love of Jesus and each other. They loved being together and coming together.
They gave to anyone as he had need (Acts 2:45) so they were a giving people or a gracious people. They recognized needs and met them. They did not depend on the government to care for those in need. The grace that brought them to Christ was present as they were gracious in their gifts to the hurting, the helpless, the poor, the widows and the orphans. This is one area that I feel woefully short in my own life and I feel the church is the same.
This particular passage closes in verse 46 with these words:"They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." I ask the question....is this the church of today? Many churches today use every method or trick in the book to add numbers and I think they have missed the mark. The early church described in a few verses in the Book of Acts the way to grow as believers and add to the church.
Let me close today with what prompted this post. Last night in our small group meeting a question was asked as to whether we could share communion together in our group? Would we need an ordained pastor, etc. I feel that without a doubt this early small group shared communion and I doubt they had any ordained pastors. I think they had such a love for the Saviour that they remembered Him at every gathering with grateful and loving hearts. So yes I think it is OK to share the sacrament together and we are remiss if we do not do it often.
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