Y O U N G P E O P L E continued together, in the name of the Lord. The passage in Acts depicts the church life o f the first Christian church. This church was founded in the city of Jeru salem fifty days following the resurrection of Christ. On the day of Pentecost Christ sent the Holy Spirit as He had promised (Acts 1:5, 8). With the coming of the Holy Spirit the Christian church began, and on that very day over three thousand souls were added to the church (v. 41). In the closing paragraph of Acts 2, name ly vs. 42-47, we have the inspired account of the character of this first church. God has given us this record in order that His people may follow the example of the early Christians. This was a Stedfast Church v. 42 These early Christians were stedfast (i.e., faithful) in the Apostles’ doctrine. This means that the first Christians were persistent in their study of the Word of God as taught and preached by the Apos tles. In this way the early Christians were well-taught believers. They knew what they believed and why. I am sure that you will agree with me that there is great need in the church today for members who know the Bible. Study 2 Tim. 2:15 and 2 Tim. 3:15-17, and He brews 5:11-14 in this connection and dis cuss these Scriptures in your meeting. These first Christians were faithful in the fellowship of the church, (v. 42). Not only did the early believers join in fellow ship and worship on one day in the week, but they gathered together every day. This indicates how tremendously interested they were in the things of God. Today we are doing well to get church mem bers out to one service a week. They may show up for the Sunday morning worship but you never see them until the next Lord’s day morning. How unlike the first Christians! Again, these early believers continued in the breaking of bread (v. 42). I think that this has reference to the Lord’s Sup per. Apparently the early church ob served the Lord’s Supper every time they assembled together, although this is not explicitly taught in the verse. The im portant thing however, is not how often they observed the Supper, but that they did observe it. And this they did out of love for Christ and because they wanted to keep fresh in their minds the Cross upon which the Saviour died for their sins. We today, need to keep Christ con stantly before us. Once more, these first Christians were stedfast in prayer (v. 42). W e do not wonder, then, at the tremendous power of the early church. It was made up of praying men and women. To these people prayer was real. They prayed in faith and God wonderfully worked. This was an Influential Church The entire city of Jerusalem was aware that God was in their midst in His church. W e read that the multitudes were filled with a holy fear because of the presence of God in His church (v. 43). When the church is filled with power it has great influence on the people of the area for righteousness. e n d .
REV. L. DAVID COWIE University Presbyterian Church, Seattle, Washington
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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