Day 13: God’s Word Guided the Early Church

When God Speaks: How to Recognize God’s Voice and Respond in Obedience

The first thing I thought after reading through today’s study was that I attend an awesome church!

Blackaby spent the first part of the study in Acts, listing the ways that Scripture was used. When you look at them all together like that, it really stands out. The funny thing is that the Scripture referred to is the Tanach, what we Christians call the Old Testament. It reminded me of the lack of emphasis that I have placed upon the Tanach in the past and how much I enjoy it today. One of the action items I listed for today was to look for a study of the Tanach, an overview as it were, to work through in the near future.

That and a few other conversations I’ve had lately led me to write in the margin, what constitutes the Bible? Oh, I know all about the origins and how the books and letters were selected. And I hope that I’m right in believing that the Holy Spirit was directing the selections. I just have this nagging feeling that something isn’t quite right. And no, it has nothing to do with the Catholic vs. Protestant Bibles. Something deeper that I can’t define just now. Had it forever, it’s just a bit stronger today.

Anyway, I digress. Blackaby had a little exercise where you read a number of Scripture selections and write down the ideas contained in them for what a church should look like. Here are the verses:

• Mathew 16:18
• Matthew 28:19-20
• Acts 2:41-47
• 1 Corinthians 12:25-26
• Ephesians 4:32
• Colossians 3:16
• 1 Timothy 4:13
• James 5:16

And here is the list I came up with:

• Disciple making believers
• Baptizing believers
• Strong believers
• Concerned believers
• Kind believers
• Compassionate believers
• Forgiving believers
• Worshipful believers
• Praising believers
• Bible reading believers
• Bible teaching believers
• Praying believers
• Fellowshipping believers
• Sharing needs believers

And that’s when it hit me: our church is that church! Way cool stuff, especially as much criticism that I and others have leveled at it through the years. Reminds of the something I read yesterday concerning conservatives in politics, we eat our own. So true. But in the big scheme, the church that I attend is awesome!

A Generous and Growing Church
Acts 2:41-47

So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, w to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers.

Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and had everything in common. So they sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. And every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.