The Essential Question (Part 1): The Church Is BornSampl

The New Testament Church

Prepare: Spend a few moments thanking God for your church, its leaders, ministry and congregation. Ask God to increase its impact in the area where you live.

Read: Acts 2:37-47

Reflect: I went to a Christian college in the mid-1970s, and sometimes the "radical" students on campus would vent their frustration with the college church. "Why do we have to go there?" they'd say. "Why can't we just get back to being a New Testament church?" It all sounded very spiritual, but over time I realized that for some the real concern wasn't to recover the original vision of the church, it was to sleep in on Sunday mornings. So what was the New Testament church really like?

In some ways the answer is easy. Luke mentions four defining activities: teaching, fellowship, eating and prayer (2:42). But hold on- aren't all of those present in most churches today, especially the third one? So why does the church in the West continue to experience decline? Maybe the answer is that we have all the right activities but we've lost touch with the deeper realities that made these first Christians successful. Let's take a look at four of these realities from this passage.

Priority. There was no question that Jesus was the church's main focus (2:36-39). They had seen and heard him "live" for three years; many were eyewitnesses of his resurrection. What could be more important than continuing to follow him? The starting point for any group of Christians that wants to make a difference today is laser-like alignment with Jesus.

Power. The spectacular growth of the church (2:41, 47) wasn't a human phenomenon. God was at work in very clear and powerful ways (2:43). We must be careful not to package or sensationalize the work of the Holy Spirit today. But we should also not assume he isn't still active. The best attitude is one of humble openness to whatever God chooses to do in his church.

Community. Luke highlights the togetherness of these believers, a theme he mentions three times in six verses (2:42-47). Today there are many sophisticated strategies for helping churches grow, but certainly one of the simplest is for congregations to do more things together. Perhaps worship, fellowship, and prayer that involve all age groups are more important to the spiritual health of churches and families than we realize.

Responsiveness. When the people heard the good news preached, they gave a response that evangelists today dream about: they asked, "What shall we do?" (2:37). A healthy church is one where people know they need forgiveness and are quick to repent (2:38). That opens the way for even greater blessing and effectiveness.

So today when we say, "Let's just get back to the New Testament church," we need to remember it will require a combination of the right activities and the right underlying motivations. But that's what will cause the church to grow and make a difference in the world.

Apply: Sometime today, send a note or an email of encouragement to the pastor(s) at your church and let them know you are praying for them.

The Essential Question (Part 2): The Church Begins to Grow

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