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

The Perfect Church

Prepare: Have you ever been part of a church that seemed successful? If so, what made it that way? What is a "successful" church? What are you looking for in a church?

Read: Acts 4:32-37

Reflect: Some people today are "church hoppers." They keep changing churches in search of the perfect one. The problem is they'll never be fully satisfied, because there is no perfect church. Anytime you have a group of people getting together, even Christians, there are issues and problems. I find it funny that the churches I've attended always seem better to me after I've left!

But that doesn't mean we should give up on the church. Maybe it just means we should restore the original settings from time to time, as we do with a computer that's gummed up. So let's see if we can identify some of the distinctive characteristics of this first-century church.

The first thing we notice is they were unified, "one in heart and mind" (4:32). That sounds really good, but what could it mean? This passage doesn't unpack it for us, but we've picked up several clues already in Acts. The church worshiped and prayed together; they made following Jesus their top priority; they relied on God's power, not their own. That's a pretty good foundation for any church.

Next, our passage introduces us to another important characteristic of the first church: radical sharing. Some readers may see in this a kind of Christian socialism, but we should be careful not to apply modern labels too quickly to biblical situations. The fact is, what motivated these followers of Jesus to let go of their resources was not their commitment to a political agenda. Rather, it was their commitment to God. They had an uncommon trust in God's sovereignty and ability to provide for them. How does your church express its trust in God?

The believers' willingness to give sacrificially was not just a passing fancy for wealth redistribution. They were reflecting God's concern for the poor and needy (see Psalm 140:12; Proverbs 31:9). Regardless of how we do it today, or even how much we give, all Christians need to care about "the least of these" (Matthew 25:40), because God does. Notice too the absence of pressure in their giving. We see this in the example of Barnabas: he gives with no strings attached. He simply places his major gift "at the apostles' feet" (Acts 4:36-37). Nice.

True, this may not have been the perfect church, but these Christians had the big things right. And, they were making a difference in their world -- or as Luke comments, "much grace was upon them all" (4:33). God blesses a church that operates like this.

Apply: Think of some ways you could make a sacrificial gift this week, whether financially or in some other way. Pray about your ideas, select one, and do it.

The Essential Question (Part 3): The Church Is Persecuted

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