The Priorities of the Early Church
"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." - Acts 2:42
Here we have the priorities and practices of the earliest followers of Christ given to us. A practice is anything a person does on a regular basis and a priority is that which we place above all other things in terms of prominence. When something is deemed a priority it means it is prior to things less significant because something else is given greater urgency or worth. The disciples were devoted to Jesus who was the highest priority in all and over all.
What we have at the end of Acts 2 are the BIBLICAL BLUEPRINTS of the early church, which should be followed by any church that desires to rightly prioritize the Lord Jesus and be faithful to what the Apostles started. Being filled with the Spirit of Christ, they continued steadfastly in the four core areas of: Teaching (Bible Study), Fellowship (sharing the life of Christ together), The Breaking of Bread (Communion: the bread and cup), and Prayers.
Out of these foundational practices came other ongoing practices such as practical works of generosity and grace, public and house meetings for praise and worship, which naturally overflowed into outreach and mission. These areas should always remain a part of the ongoing rhythm of faith for all those who earnestly desire to follow in the ways of Christ.
Peter had just finished preaching the first public sermon of the church and he ended by telling the men of Judea that they were to "be saved from this perverse generation". They were to recognize that which was crooked and out of place. The Jews, like so many throughout the generations among the diverse nations, had a developed the practice of going after the things of the world and turning their hearts away from the Lord. The world we live in is very broken and we must learn to go against its current.
It is good for us to be reminded that the world was created by a good God as something that was blessed and called "good" by God. After sin and rebellion took place, the world became corrupted and then condemned....until the grace of God appeared and He cleansed us from this polluted world.
There are far too many people who are listening to the wrong voices and following in the fast changing patterns and currents of the world. They ignore the warnings of the Lord, suppress the truth and exchange it for a lie, and invent their own set of priorities which can often be overlaid in a false religious exterior.
The prophet Jeremiah sums this up well when he said, "“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jer. 2:13).
It is important that we understand that the priorities of the world are rarely ever the priorities of the Lord. We must remember that we do not belong to this fallen world anymore. We are citizens of heaven simply passing through a world that is soon passing away as we seek to manifest the kingdom of heaven here on earth.
As the Apostle John says in 1 John 2:15-17,
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."
Therefore, we must maintain a healthy fear of the Lord, which is "the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10). The righteous practice of Christ made us perfect, but our daily practice helps to conform us into His image. This is why we should learn and live out the teachings of Christ and the Apostles, share in true fellowship with our brethren, return to the reality of the cross in communion, and faithfully pray, which keeps us continually conversing with the Lord and aligning our hearts with Him.
Let us hold these words close to our hearts: "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:6-7)
Jesus justly justified the unjust to make us righteous like Himself. Now we are the church, who have been saved from our sins but also saved to the Son to be in community together in order to live holy lives that were distinct and set apart. Let this always be true in our lives!
"ACTS IN ACTION" CHALLENGE POINT:
Coordinate your calendar with that of your church.
Come to meetings ready to give and not just receive.
Commit to meet the needs of others and build them up.