"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42-47
Probably like you, I have been following the various hearings on the variety of scandals plaguing our administration. It has been discouraging and disillusioning.
What I have found even more demoralizing are the responses of the man on the street Americans. Many of them are totally unaware of any of the scandals. Of the ones who are aware there is such moral ambivalence it is disheartening. Only a very few have knowledge of the scandals and register outrage.
Confronted with such ignorance and indifference I wonder, as a Pastor and as a church how do we reach a culture like this?
My answer came from the last several verses of Acts 2. The Church of Jesus Christ was launched into a culture very much like ours - perhaps even worse. As witnessed by this account and much of the entire Book of Acts, the Early Church not only reached their culture, they revolutionized it!
So, it begs the question, "How did they do it?"
Without going into an extended or exhaustive study, let me make a cursory observation of what helped them grab the attention of their culture and what I believe will help us do the same!
They had great community!
"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles"
They had great generosity!
"All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need."
They had great joy!
"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
Community, generosity and joy was the perfect tri-fecta for the Church in Jerusalem. They combined to make the faith of these early believers nearly irresistible to a pagan culture! So, much so that people were converted and baptized on DAILY basis!
Don't you long for a church like that?
Want to let it begin with you?
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