The Church: A Community of Believers in Jesus Christ
And fear came upone every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Praising God, and having fovour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
When we gather together in our designated place of worship and/or praise, we need to understand that this is a sacred assembly. It is a time and place to honor God, and give Him the respect He is due. It is not just a time of ritual and custom. It is a time to truely be one with the living God. It is not waisted time, for it is His time. And no time truely spend with God is waisted.
The Core of the people who meet at these gatherings are ones that believe. Not just people who come to gaulk or watch from a distance. They are regular members of a body of believers. And they are together like a family. It is, in fact, a family gathering. The family of God, our father; brought together in His name, and the spirit of His son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Like all families, we care for each other. We love each other. We help and encourage each other. We pray with and for each other, asking for blessings for individuals and the whole family. We carry one another's burdens. And, when one falls down, we all pick him up.
Like the fingers of a hand, we are all part of the same body. The body of Christ.
Nothing will destroy a church faster than a congregation which is uncaring and devided by petty, personal wants and quarrels.
But one that is “Together” will touch it’s community and generation. The spirit of Jesus will truely shine brightly in it for all to see. It will be like a shining city upon a hill which the lost will flock to.
A Church family that knows how to show love will turn it’s would upside down with the Gospel!!!
They did what?!? They sold some of their possessions and goods? How Bizarre!! Why - we are far too busy buying and going into debt to even think about selling some things off!!! We wouldd rather go into debt keeping up with the Jones’ than sell off some things to help out someone in need.
Here is a mind set that our American wealthy rationale cannot begin to understand.
But here was the thinking of the church that turned it’s world upside down for Jesus Christ.
They weren't bound up by money. They were not in bondage to the religion of self. They knew how to GIVE. They knew that when it came time for the offering, it was time to PART with something.
Now, don’t get me wrong. A church cannot exist with simple offerings. But, if it is going to prosper, if it is going to be a blessing to those in need, if it is going to adequately and properly spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is going to take a people who know how to give up the goods and GIVE to the Work of God.
CONTINUED!!!
They didn’t loose interest after a couple of weeks.
• They continued the Prayer.
• They continued the worship.
• They continued the fellowship.
• They continued the work of ministry.
• They continued bringing people to church.
• They continued witnessing.
• They continued!!!
!!DAILY!!
That’s all some people’s burden last..one day! But these people kept it going. Day after day after day. They knew what it was going to take. And they weren't constantly looking for some new program to change their direction. They didn’t loose interest after a week or two. It became a constant way of life for them. They did the same thing today that worked for them yesterday.
And so daily they continued!!!
In ONE ACCORD
A true church family, the family of Jesus Christ, is truely together. Their lives are intertwined with one another. Each one's life rapped around the other's in the family. They hold onto and hold up each other. They are together in fellowship, in prayer, and in His love and spirit.
They didn’t mind inviting one another over for dinner once in a while. These people loved to fellowship with each other. Their houses became portals of the Church. Their homes became places of Bible Study. Their homes became places of Fellowship. Their homes became places of Worship!!!
• BE Glad!!!
• Be Happy!!!
• Be Joyful.
• Not a prune face.
• Not a stick in the mud.
• But someone who is truly GLAD to be a part of the family of God!!!
• This kind of personal attitude is attractive to the one who is lost!!!
Praising God,
The early church were a people who knew how to worship God!!! They were not ashamed for the world to see them praise the Lord. They sang with all their hearts. They clapped their hands. They stood to their feet. They danced. They shouted. They worshipped!!!
and enjoying the favor of all the people.
People liked them!!! They were kind to the man on the street. They didn’t get mad at the waitress. They talked kindly to people at the grocery store. They visited their sick neighbors.
They were “LIKABEL” and all the people had favor towards them.
We’ve got to ask ourselves, "Do people like me??? Do I act in a way that would cause people to like me?"
We need to understand that when it’s all said and done -
It’s God that convicts the hungry heart.
You might have taught the bible study, but it was Jesus that died on Calvary.
Don’t get the bighead when someone you witnessed to gets the Holy Ghost.
The early church understood that it was not their organization that caused the growth. It was God that gave the revival.
The contemporary Christian rock group Petra has a song lyric that says, "Send Revival, Start with me." If your church needs a revival, ask God to send you one. And let it flow from there.
Be bold. Be Brave. And the grace of God and the Lord Jesus be with you.
Thank you for stopping by. Please email any comments you might have. Peace.