Acts 2:43-47

The New Church

Through this passage God is showing a picture of what the church is like, so that we can be the same. The early church is like the blueprint which we are to follow as we build our communities of believers - a blueprint designed by Jesus.

There are four things the church was comitted to which we can easily replicate:

Teaching

They apostles taught the people regularly. If a church does not teach and grow as a result of that teaching, it is not a church. To listen to the apostles is to listen to Jesus, since they were direct witnesses and had instruction from Him. This was something they were to pass on, and that is what discipleship is.

Fellowship

This wasn't just a Sunday coffee, or a mid-week hangout. The church shared everything. They lives their entire lives with each other and supporting each other. They gave all their possesions for the common good of the church. Jesus said that those who lose things for His sake will receive more. The church is part of that fulfillment.

Breaking Bread

This is both the Lord's supper (as directed by Jesus) and a continuation of the previous point - they also shared meals regularly. This is the perfect way to build relationships. There's a reason most dates are dinner!

Prayer

The church shows it's dependance on God by regularly praying together. In this case it was both set prayers and informal prayer. We can use the words of the Bible and other things like the Apostle's Creed to help us pray - ths includes hymns and songs too! But it is also essential to pray prayers that are specific to each group's needs.

All of these things are the key parts of regular worship. They are things that we can control and so we must be motivated to do them with our christian family.

The results

While we can control the former things, their results we cannot. These come as a result of the Holy Spirit and God blessing us as we worship.

Favour

This can be seen in outsiders as they look into our communities. They sees how loving and caring we are and commend us for it. This is what can draw interest into people seeking the Lord.

Faith

The witness we have in our worship will eventually lead to people seeking God and receiving His forgiveness. Then our family will grow!

Fear

Our faith is serious. People will see it that way, and will notice the fear of the Lord. There is great power in the church and that can be frightening.

Pray for these 4 things to become easy and common is the church, and pray that we see the results in those around us who are not christians.