The Book of Acts/Community at it's Best

Today's Reading:
Acts 1, 2

ACTS
The book of Acts, also known as "The Acts of the Apostles", is the second volume of Luke's Gospel. Also written to Theophilus, Acts provides a link to the other writings of the New Testament. Acts also provides a record of history of the early church from the Ascension of Christ and the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (the 50th day after the Sabbath of the Passover week, also called the Feast of Weeks (Dt. 16:10), to the travels of Paul and the other Apostles as witnesses of Christ to the people of "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth" (1:8).

Community at it's Best
Today's Christian community has come a long way since the founding of the church in the 1st century. Since then, there have been a plethora of books written and various techniques introduced as to how the church can live in true community. But centuries later, the church is still struggling to function well in community. In Acts 2, we are introduced to how the early church modeled community (2:42-47). They devoted themselves to four things, the apostles teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer. They were devoted and loyal to these four functions. Let me propose a question: "How devoted to these four things do you think we are as a church, and if we are lacking in our devotion to any one of these, what can you do to change that level of devotion?" Think on that question a moment. Secondly, these early believers were in complete unity (vs. 44). They spent alot of time together and they helped one another. Now remember with me for a moment Christ's priestly prayer in John 17. When Christ prays for all believers, the one thing he asks for is unity (John 17:20-23). The early church was so unified, that no one considered their material possessions to be their own, but freely gave away their "things" to those who were in need (vs. 45). Interesting. Makes you wonder why we might be lacking in Christian community today?

In the summer of 1992, I traveled to Uganda and Kenya for an entire summer to do ministry. While I was there I met a brother in Christ who I had the honor of getting to know. Upon leaving Uganda, this brother brought me to his home to meet his wife and children. His home was a grass hut and it was obvious that this family was indeed lacking in material possessions. The clothes his family wore were torn and in need of mending. This brother wanted to give me a gift of appreciation for the time he spent with me in Christian fellowship. The gift he gave me was a live chicken. I graciously accepted the gift and took it back to the place where I was staying. I think the ladies who were cooking our meals for us most likely cooked it for us. But as I reflected on what he had given me as a gift, I came to understand that if he were to come to the United States to visit me and I were to present to him a gift of similar value, I should give him my car!

Community at it's best will come when we devote ourselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, prayer, unity and the ability to meet the needs of others in our community in a sacrificial way. What's your opinion?

PrayerPoint:
Ask God to bless our church.

ActionPoint:
This week, devote yourself to the function mentioned above that you are most lacking in.