Recapture: Community Human connectedness (Acts 2:46-47)
- Gen 2:18 God said it was not good for humans to be alone.
- We were created by God to be in relationship with Him and with other humans.
- This is essential to what it is to be human. God created us this way.
- When we are not deeply connected to god and other people our human flourishing diminishes.
- We are lonely and unhappy, and physically unhealthy.
- As we have done throughout this series, let’s look to the early church.
- Acts 2:46-47 Notice how it says they gathered together as the church every day?
- This was partly because of the persecution; they weren’t welcome in some of the public places they had been.
- But they also had the bandwidth in their lives to do this.
- Every day, they met in the temple courts,
- They met in the area known as Solomon’s colonnade. East side of the outer court.
- But then they also met in homes to eat.
- This wasn’t just getting together for Communion.
- They were eating their meals together every day.
- NASB 46Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
- NLT 46They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.
- Every day, they met in the temple courts,
- Verse 47 It also says that the church grew every day.
- Because people need community and connectedness. This is probably what drew the people to the early church. The community and fellowship.
- We are so buried under the busyness of our lives; we can’t even imagine that.
- There was also an element of worship in their gatherings.
- We often want to attribute all that growth to the signs and wonders that were happening.
- But it may have more likely been the human connectedness that grew the church.
- If we want to recapture both biblical church and biblical Christianity, then we need to understand that human flourishing is part of that.
- And we need to lean into this idea of human connectedness.
- Because people need community and connectedness. This is probably what drew the people to the early church. The community and fellowship.
- But they also had the bandwidth in their lives to do this.
Some other things to consider:
- We often chose and prioritize the busyness so then we are too tired for the human connectedness.
- But if we prioritize the human connection, we will actually feel better, less tired.
- When we chose the busyness and better way of life, it’s actually a form of rebellion against God.
- We are ignoring the way God create us.