Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
Acts 5:42
In the early church, the Apostles devoted themselves to prayer, teaching, fellowship, and the “breaking of bread.” The results of their lives together celebrating the Kingdom of God turned the world upside down.
Their lives were radically devoted to Jesus and to each other, and the church grew rapidly. Miraculous signs and wonders were commonplace, and most importantly, The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42) If we are willing to experience our faith together, modeling the early church and proclaiming the Kingdom, I am convinced we will see the radical power of God at work and people giving their lives to Christ in ways we have not seen before. The key elements that were catalysts for growth were: devotion to the teachings of Christ, fellowship, sharing bread, and prayer.
This describes groups of people who were willing to “do life together.”
They were a community that shared the gospel, had meals together, and were dedicated to prayer. Christian community is essential to the development and nurturing of our faith. We need the body of Christ to help us grow through studying the Word, prayer, and fellowship. Are you a part of a body of believers that offers you this kind of community? Attending church is essential to our spiritual growth, but the real work is done in community and fellowship within a small group of devoted followers of Jesus Christ where you have accountability in the working out of your faith.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the model of the early church – a body of believers who were devoted to You and to one another. Help me to find a small group of believers to encourage my spiritual growth and enable me to see the demonstration of Your kingdom on earth today.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
