I Love The Church!

I have been reading over and studying through Acts 2:37 – 47. This passage is no doubt familiar to anyone that has been a believer for very long.  Peter has just preached to the crowd.  Yes… he preached.  He preached the gospel and he preached it through the power of the Holy Spirit that he had just received.  There was passion and conviction with every word he spoke.  Verse 37 says that after he was done preaching that Peter’s words, “pierced their hearts.”

I hear from some post-modern/emergents that we don’t need preaching anymore.  We should sit around in small groups and just “share” and “reflect” on scripture.  Some would say that preaching is “old fashioned”   or “irrelevant” for culture today.  I beg to differ.  I believe preaching is still relevant.  It may be communicated using modern day tools, illustrations, and methods but preaching still has a place.

Another thing I often hear is that “church isn’t really that important.  It’s all about relationship and it doesn’t matter if you go to church.”  If you look at verse 46 in Acts, it’s very clear that they still went to the Temple or “church.”  And it wasn’t just once a week.  It was daily.  The temple STILL had a place.  Even though they had come into a new covenant with Jesus they didn’t dismiss the need for corporate worship at the temple.  There was still something powerful about going to the temple and worshipping God TOGETHER.  Not only that, but we see that 3000 people had just been saved in one day.  I may be reading into things here a bit, but I would imagine many more thousands came to Christ over the next while.  Let’s even be conservative and say that there were 5000 in that starting church.  That’s a big church.  I hear people tear down the concept of mega churches.  I think the early church was our first working model of the mega church.  It was awesome!  They worshipped together each day at the temple.  Because they were so large a number they also met in homes and shared meals together.  I think the need for accountability and intimacy was there and so they met in smaller groups as well.  But they were a BIG church and it was an effective church.  It says that each day the Lord was adding to the fellowship those that were being saved!

I know that church can sometimes feel irrelevant.  Maybe you would say it’s a bit “boring.”  I agree!  It can be from time to time.  So can life.  So can school. So can our careers or jobs.  Does that mean we just quit?  Does that mean it’s acceptable to have a bad attitude towards those things?  I would think not.  It just means we need to do something to either shake ourselves up or shake up the surroundings around us.

I love the church!  I love it at it’s worst and I love it when it’s at it’s best.  Why?  Because it’s a family.  The church contains my adopted brothers and sisters and I love them dearly!  I go to church because I want to be part of the experience that happens when we worship and seek the Lord together.  It’s beautiful!   It may not always be what I “want” or even totally relate to, but I love it because I know there is someone in the building who is being encouraged.  I know there is someone who is being set free.  I know there is someone who is finding faith in Jesus for the very first time.  Despite what I necessarily relate with or not, I am part of a movement that is bigger than myself and it’s beautiful and ugly all at the same time and I love it!  :-)

Acts 2:42-47 (AMP)

42 And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the instruction and fellowship of the apostles, to the breaking of bread [including the Lord’s Supper] and prayers.43 And a sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles (the special messengers).44 And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and [together] they had everything in common;45 And they sold their possessions (both their landed property and their movable goods) and distributed the price among all, according as any had need.46 And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose, and in their homes they broke bread [including the Lord’s Supper]. They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts,47 Constantly praising God and being in favor and goodwill with all the people; and the Lord kept adding [to their number] daily those who were being saved [from spiritual death].

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~ by generation429 on May 22, 2010.