The Church as a Community of Believers

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Acts 2:42-47

Acts 2:42

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

(ESV)

After the addition of 3000 new followers, the church began to experience growth.  This growth could turn into various factions of people with their own agendas if there were not some unifying teaching, fellowship, and prayer (Acts 2:42).  Acts 2:42-47 provides a snapshot of the function of the early church as a community of believers that would have a unity of purpose that resulted in the world having initially having favor with them (Acts 2:47) but later viewing the church as a threat to their sinful lifestyles with rioting (Acts 19:21-41).  While it is great when the world accepts what the church does in its community, the church resides in a sinful and corrupt world and represents a threat when it speaks out against sin and corruption.  Unfortunately, many churches have become politically correct leading to conformity with the world including not speaking out against sin.  The R in the acronym R.E.S.T. is repentance which is not possible without first revealing sin in everyone’s life (Romans 3:23).  The calling of the Church is not to conform or be politically correct but to be a community of believers bringing transformation to the community by spreading the Gospel and making disciples (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 12:2). 

The pattern of the Church community in Acts 2:42-47 provides a stable community based upon truth, fellowship with other believers, and prayer (Acts 2:42).  The early church had a four D focus involving,

1)      Devotion (Acts 2:42) – The early church had a foundation of the spiritual disciplines of study of the Word of God, fellowship with fellow believers, and prayer.  While the early church did not have the New Testament, they had teaching coming directly from the men who would write most of the New Testament.  The breaking of bread indicates that food has always been part of church fellowship.  Prayer is a powerful part of devotion to God (James 5:13-20) for no relationship can thrive without regular communication.  With this devotion, the church would thrive and effectively turn its world upside down as it spread the Gospel and made disciples (Acts 17:6). 

2)      Demonstrations of the power of God (Acts 2:43) – It was a demonstration of power at Pentecost, the speaking in tongues, that created amazement and perplexity in those visiting Jerusalem for the celebration of Pentecost (Acts 2:10-12).  Acts 2:43 tells us that miraculous signs and wonders continued to create awe in nonbelievers creating curiosity to hear the message of the Gospel.  However, the greatest demonstration of power the world needs to see is a life transformed by the power of God.  When we become a believer and move from conformity to the sinful world in which we live to transformation by the Word of God that results in a fruitful and joy-filled life (Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 4:4-7) the world sees something it will want and need.  These are chaotic and troublesome times with individuals experiencing hopelessness and despair which is the opposite of joy.  For these hopeless and desperate people to have a restoration of joy, they must see it in the lives of believers in Christ that has been transformed by the renewal of their minds through the Word of God (Romans 12:2).  Believers devoted to studying, prayer, and fellowship can experience transformation in their lives and demonstrate to others the power of a life transformed by Christ that experiences joy in the Lord despite the chaos and trouble in the world. 

3)      Donations to help the poor (Acts 2:44-45) – Some erroneously interpret Acts 2:44-45 to mean that having earthly possessions is a sin.  This is erroneous for the context of these verses is attending to those in need.  Instead, these verses are stressing the importance of those in the church having possessions, having a willingness to sell them and donate to those in need within the congregation.  When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus stated that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord with all one’s heart or devotion to God with the second greatest to love our neighbors.  Donating to those in need within the congregation is a demonstration of love for neighbors and a selfless demonstration of the fruits of the Spirit. 

4)      Dedication to God and each other (Acts 2:46-47) – Believers in the early church did not just attend Church once a week and call it good, checking it off their to-do-list.  Instead attending the temple and being with each other was a day by day event.  For these believers, Church was not one more thing on the weekly to-do-list but a way of life.  They had a dedication to God with every other event in their life revolving around their dedication to God.  This dedication to God resulted in fruitful lives that also demonstrated dedication to each other. 

Many Churches of the 21^st century have lost their four D focus and instead resemble a consumer-driven church.  These consumer-driven Churches have a primary focus on satisfying the desires of their consumers, the congregation, instead of the spiritual growth of the congregation.  This is not making disciples and instead focuses on making satisfied customers that regularly attend services and give to the ministry.  The early Church was not interested in the numbers and dealt with numerical growth as it occurred and instead focused on the spiritual growth of the congregation.  The Church demonstrated this by their devotion to the study of the Word, demonstration of God’s power through signs and wonders, the greatest of which is transformed lives,  charitableness towards those in need, and daily dedication to God and each other.  For the Church to thrive in these chaotic and troublesome times it must return to its initial four D focus.