May 15 - The Early Church

Read Acts 2:42-47

Context: The Holy Spirit has come upon the believers at Pentecost and Peter spoke to the onlookers. About three thousand people believed his message and were baptized.

Text:
42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (NIV)

taken from www.biblegateway.com

We have one of the larger churches in our area, and we don't get 3000 people attending per week...can you imagine that many people congregating at St. Ferdinand park every day to meet, learn, and praise? They enjoyed each others company so much that they broke up into smaller groups to meet for meals after the lessons. There weren't any microphones or speakers, so they probably either listened to someone with a huge, booming voice or they broke into smaller groups each led by a different teacher.

All around them were new people who were being baptized daily. They brought their friends and neighbors, and the excitement of all these new believers was contagious.

Many of our churches today have gotten stale. There is a natural maturity and loss of enthusiasm as we grow in Christ over the years, but it seems that there is more at play. Across the country people attend church because it is their habit, or they feel obligated to go for some reason. I get the sense that many couldn't tell you the three key points of the sermon by the time they finish their lunch on Sunday.

What has happened to that hunger to learn more, that enthusiasm to share, the joy and excitement that comes from learning about our Lord? Are we just too busy???