In this weeks session of Multiply, by Francis Chan, we are reminded about God’s idea and intentions of the church. Not just the first church or a church of long ago, but the existing concepts and expectations of the what He calls church.
Somewhere along the line, it became popular to pursue Jesus while shunning organized religion. We even hear from people who “love Jesus but hate the church.” While no one can deny that the church has its share of problems, Jesus never gave us the option of giving up on His church. And He certainly would not approve of us “hating” her. The church was His idea, so it is impossible to follow Him while shunning the church He died to save. The reality is that God is using His church around the world to transform lives and accomplish His will on earth. In many ways and in many places the church today is healthy and focused on fulfilling God’s mission. But it is also true that much of the church is in a state of disarray. Churches define themselves by virtually every issue under the sun. Christians are known more by their bumper stickers and T-shirts than by the love of Christ. Gossip and hypocrisy run rampant. Many churches are more concerned with preserving the status quo than reaching out to the people around them.
When Jesus ascended to the Father, He left one group in His place to carry on His mission: the church. If we don’t do everything we can to understand who we are and what we should be doing as the church, then we are not taking Jesus’s mission seriously. By God’s own choice, the continuation of His plan of redemption now rests on the church.
In the book Acts, there were about 120 people who followed Christ, with the 12 apostles forming the core of the group. Then came the day of Pentecost, and Peter stood up and proclaimed that God had raise Jesus from the dead, the same Jesus whom the crowds had demaneded to see crucified. There was great conviction and 3000 people repented of their sinds and put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. With this unbelievable demonstration of the Spirit’s power, the church was born.
Read Acts 2
After reading Acts 2:42-47 again, what characterized this group of people? What stands out to you in this section?
Why do you think the early church devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching? How does that align with churches today? What is your experience in God’s church?
Luke (the author of Acts) also said that the early church was devoted to fellowship. The word fellowship sometimes has strange connotations in the church today. If it sounds cheesy, lighthearted, or old-fashioned to you, then you have the wrong idea about fellowship. The first Christians shared their lives with one another. It wasn’t about church picnics, potlucks, or small talking in the “fellowship hall.” They were real people meeting real needs and joining together to fulfill a real mission. They weren’t meeting together because they kind of felt like they should. They shared their lives because in Christ they had everything in common. They truly loved each other. They cared deeply about God and His mission on earth, so they joined with the other Christians around them and worked together toward the goal. We are called to do the same. In fact, God tells us that fellowship is even more important for us now since His return is coming soon: “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Heb. 10:24–25). Our fellowship has never mattered more than it does right now.
Chan, Francis. Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples (pp. 292-293). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.
FELLOWSHIP: friendly association with shared interests. A group of people meeting to pursue a shared interest or aim.
Why was fellowship so important for the early church? Why is it important for the church today?
When we read about the “Breaking Bread Together”, it could be about taking the Lord’s Supper (communion) together as a body of believers, or to the sharing of meals together. It probably refers to both.
The early Christians often took the Lord’s Supper as part of a larger shared meal. Both the Lord’s Supper and the early church’s practice of eating together served as expressions of their common faith in Jesus Christ. Paul pointed back to the night when Jesus observed the Passover with His disciples and transformed that ritual into what we know as the Lord’s Supper. The bread became a reminder of His broken body and the wine of His shed blood. This celebration is a reminder of the new covenant that Jesus made with His people, the church. Paul highlighted the significance of this ritual: “As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). In taking communion, we are proclaiming that Jesus’s sacrifice is central to our mission and our life together as the church.
Describe why the Lord’s Supper is significant. Does communion carry this significance in your church? Why or why not?
Luke also told us that the early church was devoted to prayer. To say that prayer was important to these early Christians would be a gross understatement. Immediately after Peter and John were released from prison in Acts 4, they gathered with the church to pray for more boldness, and for the Lord to work signs and wonders.
Prayer was the church’s means of receiving strength and guidance from the Lord. They depended on intimate communion with the One in whom they had put their trust. Sadly, our churches aren’t typically characterized by devotion to prayer. Could it be that we have lost sight of our absolute dependence on God? Have we lost the urgency of our mission and the sense that if God does not work through us, we will not be able to do what we have been called to do? Prayer is exactly this type of declaration. A church that is devoted to prayer is a church that knows God’s mission is the most important pursuit on earth. It is a church that knows it cannot succeed without God. May this type of devotion to prayer define the attitude of our churches.
Explain why prayer is essential to the life and mission of the church. What would a devotion in prayer look like in the life of your church?
More than Individuals
The early church was made up of those who embraced the gospel. God’s Spirit had been poured out on them and their sins had been forgiven. These people had been saved from a “crooked generation” (Acts 2:40). This is exactly what the church has been in all ages. The church consists of those who have been called out of their spiritual darkness and have responded to the good news that Jesus Christ died to remove the separation of sin and rose from the grave to demonstrate that He is the true King of the world. God takes those He is redeeming and joins them together in the church.
The early church was made up of those who embraced the gospel. God’s Spirit had been poured out on them and their sins had been forgiven. These people had been saved from a “crooked generation” (Acts 2:40). This is exactly what the church has been in all ages. The church consists of those who have been called out of their spiritual darkness and have responded to the good news that Jesus Christ died to remove the separation of sin and rose from the grave to demonstrate that He is the true King of the
Read 1 Corinthians 12
How should Paul’s analogy of the church as a body affect the way we think about the church?
Does the life of your church look anything like the body that Paul described in chapter 12? How so? If not, why do you think this is?
What are We Missing?
When we read through the book fo Acts it can almost be depressing because we are forced to recognize deficiencies in our churches. It is a good thing to be challenged, but we don’t want to simply make it a religion where we mimic what they did in Acts chapter 2. Rather than trying to reproduce Acts chapter 2, we should be lookiing for God to fulfill His purposes through our churches in whatever ways He sees fit.
What compels you about the church we read about in the book of Acts?
Does your church possess these compelling characteristics? if so, briefly describe them and thank God for them. If not, or if there are areas of concern, why do you think these characteristics are lacking?
The Modern Church
When we read through the New Testament it is clear that the early churches were far from perfect. In fact most of the New Testament is letters to churches with concern and direction. When we pause and see the challenges of the first followers of Christ; how they were chosen, but still struggled with their own lives, but allowed the Holy Spirit to lead them, it impacted the whole world. The Holy Spirit is so powerful that the movement that started over 2000 years ago has made it all the way to our lifetime. Each of us has been impacted by the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We are fruit.
What do you think the Holy Spirit would want your church to do in an effort to fulfill the church’s mission in your unique setting? If you don’t have an answer for this, make it a priority to pray and seek the Spirit’s guidance on this issue.
This week, spend some dedicated time to pray for your church and the churches in our area, our country and the world. In prayer ask God to guide and empower your church for the mission He has given you. Pray that the church today would be everything that God designed it to be.
This coming weeks reading plan…
Acts 16, 17
Acts 18, 19
Acts 20, 21 & 22
Acts 23, 24
Acts 25, 26
Acts 27, 28
In preparation for next session, you can watch the following video clip by Francis Chan and David Platt.
Chan, Francis. Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples. David C Cook.