“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42 -47 NLT).
Last week we discussed that the overarching purpose of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers is to actualize Christlikeness in them. He wants to form a people who look like Jesus and act like Jesus. His two pronged approach in achieving this is to impart the mind of Christ in the believers and then clothe them with His power. Having the mind of Christ enables the believer to cultivate the character of Jesus. Having the power of Christ enables the believer to do the works of Jesus, and even do greater works than He did (John 12:14). Both the character and the power of Christ are community values that are best developed, applied and appreciated in the context of community. They are not personal accolades to flaunt for personal glory, but complementary qualities designed to foster fellowship and harmonious cooperation in a faith community. They are qualities that compel us to live and act in community with other believers. Contrary to the widely held view that Christianity is an individual race, it is indeed a community race. Paul explained, “The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance” (1 Corinthians 12:25-26, The Message Bible). Since we are in this race together, we must follow the examples of the early church and ensure we all keep pace with one another.
The Holy Spirit actualizes Christlikeness in believers, imparting Christ’s mind and power. This fosters community, encouraging us to live and act together, like the early church in Acts 2:42-47.
The post Pentecost believers united around some key activities that nurtured their lives together. Primal to all, they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.” There was evident eagerness in them to know more about God and His Christ. This desire to learn more of God has continued to be one of the clearest indicators that one is a true disciple of Christ. “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32 NLT). Strong teaching ministry is pivotal in building a strong church with a strong sense of community. When there is no strong teaching to hold the church together in community, they wander around like spiritual scavengers rushing from one dumpsite to the other in search of some stale food. Amos warned, “The time is surely coming,” says the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will wander everywhere from sea to sea, seeking the word of the Lord, searching, running here and going there, but will not find it” (Amos 8:11-12 LB). We need the kind of pastors that God promised in Jeremiah, “And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jer 3:15). The principal way pastors feed their flock is through the teaching ministry.
Teaching enables the pastor to bring instructions and corrections to the congregation so that those “who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who complained will learn doctrine” (Isaiah 29:24 NKJV). The Message Bible put it super simple –“Those who got off-track will get back on-track, and complainers and whiners learn gratitude.” Very many people are going off-track in the things of God these days and God is raising a strong teaching ministry to bring corrections and clear direction to the body. The pastor exercises his teaching ministry from the pulpit, through regular gathering for corporate Bible study by members of the local church as a group as well as in home cell fellowship meetings. Every member of the church who is a true disciple of Christ should avail himself or herself of all of these opportunities anytime they are available. In this way, the church grows together as a community of God “until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ” in Jesus name.
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