The Real Church...

Just a couple quick thoughts on Acts 2:42-47. This passage comes just after Peter's sermon at Pentecost and describes the way the church was at the beginning, just after the coming of the Holy Spirit. This passage describes a different church than what most Christians are used to today. It describes a church focused on community and relationship. Most of us today only see our local body two to three times a week in our "church building." I put this in quotes because the word church refers not to a building, but to just that, a group of people! The greek word for church, "ekklesia" literally means "called out ones"... "ek" meaning "out of" and "klesia" (from "kalew") meaning "to call." So, when one joins a church the literally join a group of people. The passage uses the words "they, every, all, their, and together" 11 times in these 6 verses. It focuses on relationship! It says that they met together every day! They literally acted like a family! Another aspect of the church that this passage emphasizes is how these believers were devoted to the apostles' teachings. In today's church most people yawn there way through church and, if they have quite time at all, they hurry their way through that to check it off some kind of personal to do list. The people of the early church were "devoted" to the teaching of the apostles. They were all about learning more and growing in their relationship to Christ! They didn't trudge through it, they loved it! They desired to learn about their Savior! The pasage also emphasizes that the early church was selling what they had in order to give to the poor. We never see someone these days selling what they have just so that they can give to the poor. Sure people make donations and tithe, but this passage says that these early church members were selling their possessions specifically for the purpose of giving to those in need! One more thing that this passage talks about is found in the first part of verse 43. It's big! It's huge! It says, "Everyone was filled with awe..." This word "awe" can also be translated "fear." Reading the Bible literally I read that EVERYONE (refering to Christians) was filled with awe and fear of God. This is crucial! They realized how BIG God is! They saw how glorious He is! As Christians we MUST fear the Lord! We must see Him for who He really is! He is God! He is Savior! And as Christians He is ours! That's one thing that is truly awesome! This huge God, the creator, is ours! He knows our names!
I guess this is just challenge to the body of Christ, the church, the people to change... I don't know how this looks and I don't know how this change begins. Prayer is crucial! Knowing God is key! Also, please reallize that some of the things I said in this entry were generalizations. I realize that not all Christians or local church bodies are like I described, however, this is an obvious problem in the church today and change is needed!