A True Community

Acts 2:42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

A church fellowship is a very unique group of people called a community. In Acts 2 all the believers, ALL, devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the fellowship with other saint. They shared meals in including the Lord's Supper and of course, they prayed. In our modern day "communities" some of those community characteristics are present, like sharing meals, the Lord's supper, but the important parts of a community many times are missing. Prayer is a vital part of a true community because they really believe God answers prayer and that they cannot stay a true community without praying together. Following the teaching of those who are leaders is vital to the growth as a group, and a group vision for ministry is many times established around a praying, growing group of believers will become a "church." Not all Christian communities are churches because they become more like a club than a community. In those clubs they all try to think alike and do what is trendy at the time, instead of keeping the main thing the main thing.

The result of a community becoming too inward thinking is found in Acts 5 where Ananias and Sapphira were trying to keep up with all that was going on and they brought money from a field they had sold and kept some of it for themselves. When Christian communities have headed down the wrong road competition seems to become the norm. Satan had filled the heart of this couple and they were trying to "one up" everyone else and they said they were giving all the money from the sale of that field. It all sounded good, but the fake offering was soon found out. God hates fakes. A real genuine community is made up of Godly people following God as best they learn how from God's Word. A True Community. If you ever find a community like that you should join them and help them do the ministry they are called to do. Don't the "club" mentality be your stimulus for joining a community, also called a church. What can you contribute is vital and that contribution needs to come from a pure heart.

The community in Acts 2 soon began to miss the point of who they were and God did something unexpected. He scattered them. No more knowing all of the latest gossip in the group or following fake leadership. They had become content and "safe" in their community "club" and it was time for God to shake it up, and shake it up He did. Acts 8:A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. This was precepitated by the killing of Stephen, and it was attributed to a man named Saul. More on Saul in future messages.

Be the originator of A True Community, one that keeps the mission of the gospel at it's heart, and God will do great things in that fellowship. There you find your place in service to a church that is built on the right things, instead of pride and judgment.

Today's Message,

David Warren