June 15 - Acts 2:42-43

 

They devoted themselves

… to fellowship … and awe

came upon everyone …

Acts 2:42-43

 

God designed humans for relationship. We see that stated clearly in the first pages of Scripture.

 

And … God designed the church to fulfill that need for relationship. We see that stated clearly in the first pages of Church history. Indeed, in Scripture’s first picture of the church, we see a “day-by-day” devotion to several key disciplines … including fellowship.

 

But … devoted fellowship is an increasingly hard sell in American culture.

 

·         First, our society is very individualistic. We do what we think in the moment is best for us … and fail to consider how our presence, absence, service, support, and fellowship enriches others.

 

·         Second, in our modern world, we’re overly busy. We’re exhausted. We don’t gather with church family day because we don’t have time.

 

·         Third, we’ve let culture define our priorities. We’re told by the world, for example, what will make our kids and our families successful. And American Christians increasingly chase worldly priorities … and then – simultaneously and ironically – complain that the world that they’re feeding their families to is falling apart. (Hint: Our culture is falling apart because we’re too individualistic, too busy, too exhausted, too deceived, and too involved in the world.)   

 

God’s first picture for the church (Acts 2:42-47) repeatedly talks about the “day-by-day” emphasis on God and faith and church. On fellowship! On being together. On coming to the church daily – to worship, pray, and serve.

 

And if you want a little more awe in your life, this passage tells us that awe and wonder comes in conjunction with the day-by-day prioritization of church as family.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who can’t imagine

more than a day or two

without  my church family!