The Fellowship of the Believers
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who 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 favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
(Acts 2:42-47 NIV)
Living in community with other followers of Jesus is as important as all of the more personal disciplines we have discussed so far.
Without community, we can forfeit accountability, responsibility, and service.
Being part of a local Christian community/Church will help you to remain rooted in the family of believers.
Once you have found a Church community to belong to, check that these four aspects are running through the DNA of the gatherings:Teaching – Fellowship – Breaking Bread – Need
Teaching
Is the Bible taught to you in this community? If the answer is yes, you are onto a good thing. When the community you are considering honour and share the Word of God, you can expect growth, sharpening, and development in the people who hear it. This makes for a healthy church.
Fellowship
Are people encouraged to get together and share life? This doesn’t have to be for hours on end; it can be as simple as café time together after the main church service. Encouraging people to get to know one another helps make a church community feel like family.
Breaking bread
Do people meet for communion (more of that in Back to Basics – series 2!) and eat together? If they do – great! Sharing a meal encourages fellowship, which grows the sense of family we discussed before. Taking communion is a Biblical principle and should be a key part of your church life, whether that be once a quarter or every Sunday.
Need
Are the needs of the local community, the nation, and the world taken into consideration by the Church community you are thinking about joining? If your church community doesn’t have a philanthropic arm to it, there may be something missing. Caring for the needs of the widow, the orphan, and the marginalised is Biblical, and to meet the needs of those impoverished somehow, is a vital part of the lifeblood of any healthy church.
When all these elements are in play and operating healthily, the natural progression is growth and salvation. When the people of God live together in unity and pursuit of Jesus, He blesses it.
We hope you have found this introductory devotional helpful and wish you every blessing as you journey through life with Jesus.
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