The Glorious Church

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
Acts 2:42

After the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples of Christ, the church was birthed. It grew rapidly, spreading throughout the known world in a relatively short time. The apostles were the first leaders, but they quickly added others to help them. In those early days of the Jerusalem church, the devotion they had to the things listed in the scripture above were imperative to the life of the church. These things are still imperative to us.
    I love the local churches. God works through them, and while there are differences of opinion within and between them, God still chooses to use churches. We are called, as believers, to be actively involved in the local church. Every ministry that is valid and stands the test of time, flows through the local church.  We can never neglect the teaching that flows through men and women who have been anointed to lead and pastor churches. This is important to our spiritual growth.
    We are to be devoted to the fellowship. This means that we are to be devoted to the people within our local churches. The church is so much more than a place we go, it is a group of people who are devoted to Christ first, and then to one another. I have a friend who pastors a large church. Their motto is: "Loving God, Loving People." It is so simple, yet describes the mission of the church perfectly.
    We should never neglect the blessing that comes from breaking bread together. This simply means that we hang out with other people in the church, eat together, and enjoy the things of God. There is a refreshing that takes place within us when we spend time with those who share our love for Jesus and the passion to love and serve him. In the Book of Acts church, meeting together in homes was absolutely critical to the growth of the church. It is true that they met together in large groups, but they found much spiritual life and growth while meeting together in homes.  This is an important element to a healthy, growing church.
    We need to focus on prayer. Throughout the Word, we are instructed to pray. There is much power in prayer. It is good to be people who pray when we are alone, and we must also be people who pray together. There are amazing blessings that occur when we pray together. We are able to lift up others before the throne of God with unity and power that is only possible through the gathering of those within whom the Holy Spirit dwells. Prayer is critical to our lives both personally and within the context of the local church.
    We are all part of the church of Jesus Christ. Join it with all your strength and watch what God will do.