Priorities of the Early Christians
Have you ever asked yourself what brings you to a house of worship each Sunday?
Put a different way, imagine every church building in the US suddenly vanished. No more live music from a lighted stage. No more coffee shop lobby. No more celebrity pastors. No more kids’ programs.
Instead, you are now among a small gathering in someone’s home. The aforementioned comforts are gone. You may even end up in jail should local authorities find out what you’re up to. Would you still go?
While this is a lot to answer in one word, it ought to make us consider what our hearts really seek in joining a faith community. In the United States, it is easy to get lost in the benefits and conveniences modern churches have to offer.
This week’s scripture shows us the mindset of the early believers and how they defined church.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)
Notice how there’s no mention of preaching styles or music genres. They weren’t tuning into a livestream on Sunday mornings. There wasn’t even a New Testament yet. Instead, Verse 42 lays out four key priorities of the churches. Let’s take a look:
The apostles’ teaching: Prior to the formation of the church in Jerusalem, Peter delivered the very first sermon and altar call (2:14-41). He proclaimed Old Testament prophecy and the death and resurrection of Jesus. He called all to repent and be baptized. 3,000 did just that. The whole movement was born out of the truth and power they had become aware of. They heard the Gospel and it instantly transformed their lives.
Fellowship: The Greek word used for “fellowship”, koinōnia, has been found elsewhere in scripture to refer to “sharing”, “partnership”, “participation”, and “communion”. This is not a passive word that says we like each other. It is an active word that says we, the Church, have a shared purpose and a need to participate. Verse 44 paints a clear picture of this, as the Christians were of one mindset and offered the extent of their resources as needed to benefit the body. Ruminate on that for a moment.
Breaking of bread: Verse 46 says they “broke bread from house to house”. Eating with one another is a sacred act of worship. It is the very nature of the Fellowship Offering in Leviticus 3, where worshipers and priests would prepare and eat the best part of the animal in the presence of the Lord. Jesus followed this discipline with His disciples at the last supper. And in the early church, many meals were shared.
Prayer: Jesus showed His disciples how much He valued joint prayer in the Garden at Gethsemane as he stared down His impending crucifixion. After His ascension, the apostles spent several days in prayer (1:13-14) before beginning their ministry. And here we see that members of the early church met with each other daily to pray with, and for, one another.
Bonus - Adding to their number: In Verse 47, we see the end goal! The early church was not a country club; it was the start of a search and rescue operation for a world that needed to know Christ.
As you ponder what church - what living in community - should look like, I encourage you to put aside your upbringing, your personal preferences, and anything else that may distort your view.
Why do you attend church? Is it the truth of the Gospel and a desire to commune with other believers - or something else?
How often do you serve your church with your time and talents? Are you a participant, or a mere consumer?
When was the last time you shared a meal with other believers?
Do you pray for your brothers and sisters?
Finally, are you actively partnering with your faith community in the Great Commission?
What are your priorities?
~Jared Grenfell and his wife Grace have have been active members of the LIFE Fellowship community for several years and lead a young adult LIFE Community. Jared has served in various roles on the LIFE Worship team including Music Director.