It is so easy to think church and church planting is merely about finding a method, finding a few tasks, and then to strategize toward these. I am convinced we haven’t done wrongly in our effort to search, research, view and review what the early church in the book of Acts did and even try to model much of our church/planting and lives after that. It is amiable. But, be challenged by this: they spent time with Jesus. They spent much time with Jesus. If we are going to try to take what they did and do it, we will miss entirely. It will be powerless. Indeed throughout Acts there is this underlying reality that the apostles KNEW Jesus. They knew Him. They spent time with Him. They learned from Him. They marveled at Him. They wondered about Him. They talked often of the greatness of Him. They asked of Him. They didn’t somewhere get sidetracked by the fact that they had a task to do. Indeed, the task was an overflow of their knowing Jesus. And so rather than spend time figuring out how, we are going to a deeper question and more powerful source - Jesus Himself. I trust the knowledge of Him will rightly inspire, motivate, guide, direct, consume, compel us. Too there is a refining work He will do as we once again, for the first time, fix our attention on Him.
In regards to vision - this is my vision: that we all see Christ better. That we all delight in Him all the more. That we know Him to be our sufficient, superior treasure above all else that this world has to offer us. I am convinced that Christ our delight in Christ is our victory over the sin struggles we face. A better view of Him will cause our lives to show increasingly who He is, just in our demeanor. A clearer picture of Him will cause us to talk about Him, share Him, show Him. And I believe an understanding of Christ and all He did to reconcile us to the Father, is the greatest reminder of who we are, and how we can do this thing called community, or life together.
So consider some of the activities of the early church. They would actually eat together in the homes of one another (Acts 2:42, 46). It is easy to make that the template and seek to mimic it, without a deeper understanding of it. It is not just about community, but it is an expression that bleeds the gospel. Consider Christ. He ate with the disciples. In spite of how holy, how loving, how just, how infinite HE IS, He was still willing to step into a world of sinners, who hate, who are every bit unjust in a variety of ways, and who are mortal creatures. An understanding of the gospel and of what Jesus did, even in something like meals together with those who were so different from Him becomes a model for us. So let us put aside our gender differences, our political differences, our ethnic differences, and socio-economic differences, because ultimately Christ laid aside so much even to dine with them. Further, consider for a moment the eagerness of the early church to sell what they possessed for the sake of others (Acts 2:45). Rather than make this the template with no apparent reason other than the early church’s example, let us consider deeper the reality of the gospel in this. Christ laid aside a throne in heaven to come to earth. Christ laid aside the comforts of heaven for the pains of earth. He laid aside a crown to instead wear a crown of thorns. He took upon Himself our sinfulness so that He might make us righteous. This is the great exchange. So let not our efforts to meet needs of one another speak anything less than the gospel. And on and on the activity of the early church profusely reflects the gospel. Let us be sure we see the great gospel in all we are and in all we do, rather than just do things in which the gospel is not seen or understood.
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