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How would you describe the church twenty years ago? We
might be swept by a wave a nostalgia recalling the good
old days of the church. Perhaps the first thing we
would note is that twenty years ago there were more
people active in the life of the church. There were
more adults in worship and more children attending
Sunday school each week. We might remember specific
people who worshiped here who have now gone on to
glory. Their memories continue to inspire and push us
to greater faithfulness. Church life years ago might
have seemed effortless; simply open the doors on Sunday
morning and people would come. Much has changed in the
last twenty years. We have to be more intentional about
inviting our friends and neighbors to church. If we
fail to offer spirit-filled worship, quality programs
and classes people will find another church.
Luke, the writer of the Acts of the Apostles was looking
back over twenty or thirty years to the beginning of the
church. Perhaps much had changed in the life of the
church since its formation. Luke might very well have
been writing with the hope of rekindling the flame that
once burned brightly in the life of the early church.
The church was born on Pentecost when God dramatically
sent the Holy Spirit to all the believers. The apostles
were meeting inside a house when the Spirit arrived.
The first act of the Holy Spirit was to send the
believers out to address people on the street. Showing
much courage, Peter stood up and preached his first
sermon. People were “cut to the heart” by his message
and responded by being baptized and the church was
formed. On Pentecost three thousand people responded
and the church was born.
Our lesson provides us a portrait of the first days and
weeks of the church. In many ways it was the church at
its best, not tied down by tradition or conflict
within. Obviously the people were excited about their
faith. Luke lists four aspects of the church which I
believe are prescriptive for us today to revitalize our
church. First, “They devoted themselves to the
apostles' teaching.” The church was more than just an
outburst of emotion and enthusiasm. The apostles took
the lead in teaching the people about Jesus. They told
of their personal experiences with Jesus as well as his
teachings.
Throughout the gospels over and over again the disciples
do not seem to understand Jesus and his message. They
try hard but they just do not get it. Peter was the
leader of the disciples who just six weeks prior to
Pentecost denied even knowing Jesus, not once but three
times. Following the resurrection and the coming of the
Holy Spirit Peter and the others understood and taught
with authority.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching.”
The teaching ministry of the church remains important
today. It is through Sunday school and Bible studies
that we learn about the faith. As people of faith, to
live our lives, we need to be firmly rooted in the Word
of God.
The age when children and youth begin to lose interest
in Sunday school keeps getting younger and younger.
Imagine how hard it would be to live today with just a
fourth or fifth grade education. Such a person would
have an extremely difficult time not only finding
employment but functioning in today’s hi-tech world.
Unfortunately that is the age when youth lose interest
in Sunday school.
The church has to do better and continue to provide
quality Christian education for people of all ages. We
never stop learning and growing in our faith.
The second key from our passage is “fellowship.” At the
church’s birth the believers devoted themselves to
“fellowship.” The believers met daily to learn and
spend time together. Fellowship is a difficult word to
explain to people who do not have a church back ground.
To be in fellowship with other believes is to be part of
the community of faith. Our faith is strengthened by
being with other Christians. We need each other. We
cannot be good Christians in isolation from other
believers.
One day last month I was watching one of the morning
news programs. The host was interviewing a celebrity
who represents one of the weight lost programs. This
particular actress lost weight using the program. She
told of the support she received from her family and
friends that helped her lose the weight. Then she said
something to the effect that anything worthwhile in life
needs the support and encouragement of family, friends
and others in the community. That sounds a lot like the
church; we endeavor to live our faith with the
encouragement and support of each other in the church.
It is here in the church where we love, support and to
encourage one another.
Derek reflects that in our country
we value individuality almost too much. We claim that
we are self-sufficient. We stand on our own two feet.
We can do everything on our own. This attitude finds
its way to our faith when we claim that faith is a
private matter. Faith is between me and God.
“Christian faith,” Derek says, “finds its strongest
expression in community.”
Every Wednesday evening, Derek is part of a small group
of men. Their ages range from 30 to 70 and spiritual
maturity from infant to profound. They all have the
desire to grow closer to God. In their small group they
made a covenant that includes trust, confidentiality,
faithfulness, commitment, prayer, and accountability to
one another. Derek explains, “We pray with and for one
another; we call one another during the week to follow
up; we know where to turn when the journey becomes
rough. These men who hold me accountable constantly
nudge me closer to God.” (1)
We have a responsibility in the
church, when we see a sister or brother doing what is
wrong we need to intervene out of Christian love. Here
in the church we are accountable to each other.
The third ingredient that Luke lists from the early
church was the believers met on a daily basis to share
meals together. The believers participated in the
“breaking of bread.” Scholars are pretty much in
agreement that what Luke meant was sharing in meals
together and not the Lord’s Supper. The need to be with
other believers was so strong that they met on a daily
basis. When they finished working they would meet in
each other’s homes and share a meal together. “They
broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and
generous hearts.”
You might fondly recall “covered dish dinners” at the
church where everyone brought a dish or dessert to
share. Unfortunately in our fast pace stress filled
world we no longer take the time or view such
opportunities as worthy of our time. Last Sunday many
of us participated in brunch following worship. It was
a wonderful experience sharing a meal together with
plenty of goodies. People enjoy being in each other’s
company. The conversation grew louder and louder at
each table, and laugher was heard.
The early church was obviously strengthened by the fact
that the believers ate together on a daily basis.
The fourth and final aspect of the early church life
that Luke lifts up is the believers spent time in
prayer. The apostles taught the believers that prayer
was important to Jesus. There were times when Jesus
would slip away from the crowds and even the disciples
to find a quiet place for prayer. Jesus, our Lord and
Savior, needed time away to pray and so do we. They
might have cited the Jewish practice of prayer and
expanded that to include all believers.
The early church was a praying church. We continue that
practice today, spending time in our worship service to
pray as well as encouraging everyone to spend time in
prayer at home.
The church at its best is when believers devote
themselves to teaching, fellowship, sharing meals
together and prayer. The church at its beginning was
contagious as believers gathered and lived out their
faith. “Awe came upon everyone,” Luke writes, “because
many wonders and signs were being done by the
apostles.” “Awe came upon everyone,” even upon people
outside of the church. Luke did not write that people
within the church were filled with awe, but included
people outside of the fellowship filled with awe as a
result of what was taking place within the church.
Imagine people who are not part of our church taking
note of what we are doing! Faith was contagious, with
the many signs and wonders people wanted to be part of
the church! The same is true today, it may take more
effort to catch and keep the attention of people outside
of our church, but when the church reaches out and helps
others –people are bound to take notice and will be
drawn into the fellowship. The people were “praising God
and having the goodwill of all the people.”
We
remember those good old days of yesteryear, but our
faith is always pulling us to the future. May the
example of the church that Luke presents inspire us
today to work on strengthening our church following the
example found in the second chapter of Acts. “They
devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
And the Lord blessed the early church by adding daily
“to their number those who were being saved.”
Amen.
1.
“Accountability” Derek Maul, The Upper Room, February
27, 2008, p. 68
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