Bible Reading – Acts 2:42-47, 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8
They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
But we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the Gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”
Devotion
The second commitment the early church held was to “the fellowship.” The fellowship here refers to the relationships that made-up the church. They were committed to one another. Relationships were critical in the life of the early church. We can also see this in all the “one another” commands in the New Testament. Jesus modeled the importance of relationships in the discipleship process. Jesus’ disciples spent much of their time in direct contact with Jesus. Jesus took the time to develop these relationships so that He could have maximum influence in their lives.
We also see the importance of relationships in Paul’s ministry. In 1 Thessalonians, we see that Paul didn’t just go into an area, preach the Gospel, and leave. According to the text above, Paul not only shared the Gospel with people but shared his life as well. Sharing in each other’s lives was part of the dynamic that made the early church so attractive. This spirit-filled movement of God was about transforming people, not about perpetuating dead rituals. The early church people were committed to one another because of their common faith in Christ. Their common faith bound them to Christ and to each other.
The Big Question
Who are your 2 am friends? Are you meaningfully connected to community at Oak Pointe Church? Are you growing in community? Do you have a sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself?
Spend some time in prayer meditating on what God revealed to you today.