42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
The early church, beginning with the three thousand (Acts 2:41) began to function as a body. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to fellowship with one another, the breaking of bread, and to prayer. This wasn’t just passive listening, attending on a Sunday, communion every now and then, and the occasional prayer. They were devoted, steadfast, and persistent in these things. These things are the lifeblood of the church and the indication is that they embraced them all wholeheartedly. Fear and awe came upon them as they witnessed God’s work through the signs and wonders of the apostles. Everyone who had believed was together. They had taken a stand against the nation and identified with Jesus through baptism. They were unified and began to freely share their material possessions with one another. They weren’t living where everyone owned everything. Individuals were selling their possessions and then distributing the proceeds to those who had need with the idea that “there will be no poor among you” (Deut 15:4). Daily they attended the temple. They retained their Jewish heritage but the temple was also a place where crowds gathered and they would be able to witness (Acts 3:11-12). They also met in each other’s homes where they shared the Lord’s supper and meals together with glad and generous hearts. They praised God for what they received and what they were able to give. They also had favour with those unbelievers around them. God grew the church daily through those who came to saving faith.
This is a beautiful picture of how the church can be. It’s not a model for how every local church must be, but it has all the markings of what the church should be. As the church is made up of individual believers, consider how you are doing in these areas. Are you devoted to the teaching of God’s word, to fellowship with your fellow believers, to sharing in the Lord’s supper and other meals, and to prayer? What about being open and generous with your material possessions? Do you have a glad and generous heart? What can you do to move closer to this ideal?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
The Problem of Sin: Romans 7-8