What Does Your Church Value? (Part Three)

Monday and Tuesday we considered the values embraced by the early church in Acts 2:42, but, as important as those values are, they must be lived out. When we read the verses that follow this list, we find Luke sharing with his readers what happens in a church that puts its arms around these ingredients of a healthy church. Here are four results:

• The Value of Doctrine (Acts 2:43). I have heard people say they wish they could have been there to hear Peter, John, and Paul teach. You can! Read the two epistles Peter wrote, the five books John wrote, and the 13 Paul penned. That is a major part of the New Testament—available in your Bible!

The effect in the church from hearing the exposition of the Word was: “And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles” (Acts 2:43 esv). There is a sense of awe when our awesome God is exalted in the pulpit! And then the historian Luke adds that miracles were taking place—miracles of healing and also the greater miracle of conversions like that of Saul of Tarsus. There is an electrifying atmosphere in a church when the value of God-glorifying preaching is embraced, the awesomeness of God is sensed, and the salvation miracle is not only happening weekly, but daily (Acts 2:47).

• The Value of Fellowship (Acts 2:44-45). Fellowship in a first-century house church had a very tangible meaning. With a massive congregation of 3,000 people and daily growth, the needs were overwhelming. Some were selling houses and giving the proceeds. Money was there for needs that arose. I am writing this during a time of recession in our nation. Jobs have been lost by thousands of our friends, family, and neighbors. Homes are in foreclosure. The need for the application of this value cannot be overstated. A church in our city got serious about adopting the value of fellowship. The result was experienced a year ago when Acts 2:41-47 was the sermon text. An invitation was extended during the closing song. People with jobs and extra cash were invited to come with money beyond their weekly offering and deposit it in white buckets. Hundreds of people came and filled the buckets to overflowing. Another invitation was given: If you are out of work or you have lost your home, please come and take some money. The response was slow. It is easier to give than receive. Finally, people humbled themselves and came with tears streaming down their faces. I felt that this was something that would have happened in the first-century church. In the weeks that followed, over $100,000 was shared with those in need.

• The Value of the Breaking of the Bread (Acts 2:46). “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart” (Acts 2:46 nkjv). Here’s the result of focusing on these four values—unity and joy in the church! We long for that spirit to be sensed by church family and visitors. Acts is a transitional book, so both temple services and house churches were a part of first-century life. Both communion and eating food are included in the text. Perhaps this is the forerunner of the account of church life in Corinth that gives instructions about a love feast meal that preceded the communion service. The difference is that this story in Acts is one of unity and the Corinthian story is one of division, even at communion time (1 Corinthians 11:18-22).

• The Value of Prayer (Acts 2:47). “Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (nkjv). Several things grab my attention. Worship and fellowship and evangelism were a part of daily life. This was not a Sunday-only Christian experience, but a day-by-day Christianity. The other significant phrase is “favor with all the people.” The word favor is the word for grace. The believers were in the “good graces” of the community. Perception of the church by many today is just the opposite. If you ask a random sampling of people in our culture what words come to mind when they hear the word Christian, frequently the answer is “arrogant, legalistic, and judgmental.” The first-century answer would have been far more favorable. Could it be that the kindness of food and clothing distribution reached beyond the church family into the Jerusalem community? Needy people were recipients of food baskets and clothing, and so a bridge of love was built into their hearts and God prepared spiritually needy people for the good news of the gospel!

So, what are the values embraced by your church—and how are they being expressed?