What’s This Church Thing About?
A Community of Believers
Every Sunday followers of Jesus get up and go to a church to gather and worship God. National statistics indicate the numbers of people attending church are declining. So, maybe what we should be focused on is – what is church really about?
In Acts chapter 2 after the Apostle Peter preaches that first sermon after the resurrection 3000 people are baptized (Acts 2:41). Those 3,000 new followers of Jesus form the very first church. In Acts 2:42-45 we get our first glimpse of the community of that first church family.
Those early Christians are devoted to learning more, being together, remembering Jesus’ sacrifice in the Lord’s Supper and praying. The text describes them as being together and sharing their possessions with one another to care for the needs of people. Every day it says they gathered and they ate meals together. We see people are continuing to be saved so there was also a focus on the Lord’s mission.
As a community of believers, or a church – and the church is people not a building – they are learning, praying, worshiping, serving one another and sharing Jesus. The text gives us a picture of a group that is so devoted to one another that others are seeing the positives of this and coming to know Jesus and being saved.
So, what about today? As Jesus’ followers we also should want to be together. But we come together – not just to be together, but to learn and worship together. We come together to help one another and encourage one another to keep following Jesus. We come together to serve one another and others, and to share the story of Jesus with others. These Christians were devoted and committed to the Lord and each other.
Church is more than just sitting through a worship service once a week.
Being the church is about followers being invested in the lives of each other as they go through life on a journey following Jesus. That is what church is all about. When we have those relationships with one another and that focus on mission, then people will want to be the church.
We’d love for you and your family to join us this week. We get together Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at our church building… ;) We’d love to know you’re coming. Reach out and connect with us!