All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others

Take me back!

Listen along here: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/311cd12d/take-me-back-a...

The new ones came,

The old ones came . . .

Seems they couldn't get enough of this thing: it was warm, welcoming, life-giving, stimulating and safe. It was the first Christian church.

While I am seldom interested in movies of time travel, I fervently wish I could transport myself back to this time in history, just to be a part of it. Come with me.

Luke's description:

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

A deep sense of awe came over them all,

and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.

And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.1

They didn't have a building with a cross out front

They didn't have microphones or sound systems

They didn't have a coffee cart or a choir

They didn't have any of the trappings

that we associate with church.

BUT, they had been filled with the Holy Spirit and they wanted more... more power in their lives, more love for God, more understanding of Jesus and more time with each other. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.2 Wow! Wouldn't you have liked to have been there?

The simple men who had been with Jesus, now filled with the Spirit, were doing miracles among the people. Radical! Peter, James and the rest of the apostles remembered what Jesus had said, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.3 You can picture the fishermen rubbing their beards and reflecting - 'Ah...so this is what our Lord was talking about. We couldn't imagine him going away-yet we saw him go into Heaven.4 'And do greater things than him? How could that ever be? Yet those things are happening as we teach the scriptures and pray together. Our new brothers in the faith love hearing about the things Jesus taught, and we love telling them.'

That was the faith side of the first Christian church, gathering in the massive Temple courts to hear the Word of God, but there was another piece as well--the relational one.

A couple years ago, I saw the setting for the Cheers show, which I enjoyed watching years ago. The Cheers theme song captures an element of living we all need: community. "Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see our troubles are all the same, you wanna be where everybody knows your name."[played the tune in podcast!] 5 The believers came together to grow in faith and God's love, which they shared in community.

The community guided by God's love flourishes when folks come and participate from a pure heart and sincere faith, where love in action is regularly practiced.

What does that look like?

>Love never grows weary of making room

>Love believes the best about others

>Love gives the benefit of the doubt - even to the person who talks too much!

>Love protects - promotes confidentiality and safety

>Love honors - feelings, people's time, another's faith journey, etc.

>Love reigns - for we hold as our highest good: Loving the Lord

with all our hearts, and loving our neighbor as ourselves

>Love bears all things ~ including one another's burdens

>Love spurs others on to good deeds - including holiness

>Love points people to Jesus - and creates an environment where

folks can learn and grow in their faith in him