If we want to build our faith on a solid foundation, we need to know the Scriptures and make them a central component in our Churches.
Read: Acts 2:42-47
There are several overarching themes worth considering when reading through the Book of Acts. We can explore the expansion of the gospel from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Luke 1:8). We can note how the gospel was presented differently in various contexts. We can observe the testimony of the Apostle Paul as he goes from persecuting the Church to become a missionary to the Gentiles.
Ultimately, the Book of Acts showcases the beautiful, and sometimes awkward, development of a community of believers as they discover what it means to be the Body of Christ and keep in step with the Holy Spirit.
Right after Pentecost, with over 3,000 people being added to the Church, they devoted themselves to four key principles (Acts 2:42-47). These have often been called the pillars or the marks of a healthy Church. By examining them, we will discover the practices of the first century believers that led to the success of the early Church.
THE APOSTLES’ TEACHING
This community of believers was born out of the preaching of the gospel. The Apostle Peter opened the Scriptures and showed how the Old Testament pointed to Jesus as the Messiah the Jews had long anticipated.
This was, in fact, how the disciples were taught to read the Old Testament. From the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, we saw Him teaching from the Scriptures. Then, after the resurrection, Jesus further trained His disciples over the span of forty days (Acts 1:3).
The Apostle Paul would later write about the important role the early disciples played in laying the groundwork for the Church, “Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:20-21). The prophets represented what we have recorded in the Old Testament, while the apostles’ teaching is recorded in the New Testament.
In Chapter 17, we are introduced to a group of Jews in Berea who closely examined the teaching of the apostles by searching the Scriptures for themselves, only to arrive at the same conclusions about Jesus and become faithful followers of Christ. If we want to build our faith on a solid foundation, we need to know the Scriptures and make them a central component in our Churches.
FELLOWSHIP
The transformation that was taking place in the hearts of the first followers of Christ began to radically change the way they lived their lives. The excitement of the apostles’ teaching that Jesus would soon return prompted them to live each day as though it was their last. But as time began to drag on, they realized that they needed to cultivate perseverance in hope.
Not everyone would withstand the test of time. This is what Jesus was referring to when He told this parable, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold” (Luke 8:5-8).
In those early days, they had all things in common, they were selling their possessions and distributing the proceeds to the needy. In their combined effort they were able to gather in the temple every day and eat in each other’s homes every night. However, they would soon run into problems. By the end of Chapter 4, we see a man called Barnabas who sold a field and brought the money to the disciples. But in the next story at the start of Chapter 5 we see Ananias and Sapphira who lied in order to keep back a portion of the proceeds from the land that they had also sold. This story, coupled with a complaint raised by the Hellenists (Greek Jews) in Chapter 6, and later the Judaizers' rejection of Gentile believers in Chapter 15, showed that their unity and bond was not as strong as initially presented.
Yet, at the core of their new found identity in Christ was this principle of fellowship as an element of worship. At times, it would come easily, but over time, it would take work. And in this there is a demonstration of how perseverance and dedication are crucial for spiritual growth. Being a follower of Christ means loving others as He first loved us.
BREAKING OF BREAD
After the resurrection, in the story of the two disciples who were walking with Jesus on the road to Emaus, it says that they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. For the earliest Christians, the Last Supper would become a central focus of their corporate worship. The fact that they devoted themselves to this in the early days of the Church demonstrates how important it was for them to hold on to a tradition that would help them consider the gospel.
In Acts 20:7 it says that the Apostle Paul was gathering with other believers on the first day of the week in order to break bread together. This not only shows that they had begun to move away from meeting daily, but that they had already made Sunday their primary day of worship.
The gospel, for the first century Christians, was not simply for the unconverted. It was for the Church. We need to preach the gospel to ourselves every day, and if we need to hear it, so do the people sitting next to us in the pews. The gospel needs to infuse every act of worship from the Lord’s Table, to the songs we sing, the sermons we preach, the prayers we make, and the fellowship we share.
PRAY
Prayer is the most prominently and frequently displayed discipline in the Book of Acts. We see the disciples gathered and praying together in the first chapter as they waited for the Holy Spirit. They prayed for boldness in Chapter 3 after the Jewish Council told them to stop preaching Christ. They prayed as the gospel made inroads into Samaria in Chapter 8. When Peter was thrown in prison, the Church was found praying together in Chapter 12. Before Paul and Barnabas set out on their missionary journey, they fasted and prayed in Chapter 13.
Needless to say, prayer, and in particular corporate prayer, was a central part of the community of believers in the first century. Years ago, I wrote an article on the case for corporate prayer. I find myself referencing it more and more as I observe less and less participation in group prayer. For the sake of brevity, I would encourage you to request a copy of that article and we will send it to you for free.
DIAGNOSING AN UNHEALTHY CHURCH
Throughout my years of ministry, I have found that when a Church is unhealthy, it is struggling in one or more of these key areas. I have yet to see a Church in decline that is faithfully devoting themselves to these principles. Some Churches can function for a time without one or more of these pillars, but eventually the cracks in the foundation will be exposed. Real progress is proven over time, as the Book of Acts bears forth.
As I look across New England and the greater Northeast, I am reminded of the many Churches that represent the light of the gospel. Sure, they are fewer and smaller than they have been in times past, but they are still vital in carrying out the mission of God. With a little bit of work, a willingness to be honest in our self-evaluation, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I believe that we can and will see great things done to advance the Kingdom of God on earth, even as it is in heaven.
Adam Miller is the President and host of Songtime Radio and serves as the pastor of South Chatham Community Church.
You can hear his teaching on our daily broadcast on the radio or online, watch his preaching live on Facebook, and read his articles on our website.
