I've started to read the book of Acts again.
Here's a passage that gives an account of the fellowship of believers in Acts 2.
" 42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he 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
I consider this passage a paradigm for what the 'church' should be. I believe that Christians should long to experience unity, togetherness, and community as these believers did in the early years. Imagine if we cared for each other. Imagine if we considered each other's lives so valuable that we would do anything for them. Imagine if Christians cared for the needy instead of organizations and if our love for each other was so profound that it attracted others to enter into relationship with the living God. This is how I think the church should operate. We should devote ourselves to Prayer, the Word, each Other, and Communion (simply being together, being in relationship - things that we were created to have). If we did this, wouldn't we be filled with the Holy Spirit? It says, "all the believers were together and had everything in common" so that means we need to practice community rather than individuality. We need to shift our minds so that we focus on others. "Selling their possessions, they gave to anyone as he had need." WOW! Are we even aware of the needs that our brother's and sisters have? Are we in tune with the needs that people have around us? Can we begin to think about how our resources could be used to meet the needs of others? And I believe this is a collaborative effort- we can't just let one Christian care for their neighbor in need... We need to all rally around those who are lacking and give generously as one body made up of many people. These believers met daily to fellowship, worship, and commune with each other and God and their lives were a loud testimony. "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." WOW! I have recently been thinking that non-Christians should see Christ as they meet with us, as we invite them over and share life together. If we expect them to turn to Christ by entering the Church doors (the building), then we neglect the fact that the early believers came alongside of those who didn't know Christ and met them where they were at. Christ meets us where we're at, so we should meet others where they're at. By the witness of their lives, people came to Christ. That is significant and shouldn't be forgotten by the modern church
I am so challenged by this passage. These verses capture what it means to be a follower of Christ and join in Fellowship with other believers. Oh God show today's church what it means to live in this sort of fellowship. Show us how to be a community where you are at the center. Teach us how to care for each other. God place a desire within our hearts to change our ways and live together. You desire us to be one; help us God.
