by Naomi Amesbury

We, as human beings, have been created in the image of God. God designed us to be in community as He is in community, as seen in the Trinity. Like Solomon says in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” We need to be with fellow Christians to grow in the love and knowledge of our Father and mature in our walk with Him.

After Peter preached his first sermon in the book of Acts, something beautiful happened: “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:44-47) Most of these believers had just made the decision to follow Jesus. They did not grow apart from community, but by gathering together daily, meeting each other’s needs and worshiping together.

Meeting Needs
Luke writes in Acts that the new believers “sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” This sacrificial action of selling possessions to meet the needs of others is a radical concept in our culture today. We have been taught to worry about our own needs first and to be independent and to be materialistic. But the new believers suddenly had everything in common — like a family. New believers in the church today need to know that they are now a part of God’s family. We operate like a family when we sacrifice for one another with our time and money. As Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).  When we meet the immediate needs of our church family, we are an example of love to the lost world around us. Living in community requires a sacrifice. It’s not easy, but we are not called to “easy.” We are called to love one another deeply.

Eating Together
Meals can be a powerful way to strengthen a community. As the new believers gathered together, they had meals at one another’s homes. There is something wonderful that happens when we have a meal together. We have the opportunity to develop deeper relationships, encourage one another and engage in loving accountability. Jesus had many meals throughout the gospels with his disciples and imparted timeless truths with them over the dinner table. Meals are an important part of discipleship because they are opportunities to be honest and deep with one another in a way that we might not be in another setting. We have the opportunity to show hospitality and also to serve. Let’s heed the encouragement from the author of Hebrews, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24-25)

Worshipping Together
The New Testament shows us the benefits of corporate worship. In Colossians, Paul writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God: (Col. 3:16). In Acts we see that the early church met regularly in the temple for corporate worship. Technology has made it easier for us to worship from the convenience of our living rooms, but that can exclude us from the community that is formed as we worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are not called to worship God in solidarity, but in community as part of a family. New believers need to be encouraged that they are not alone, and as we gather together to worship and spirit and in truth, we draw closer to God and to each other.

We can’t grow spiritually as a lost sheep, thinking that all we need is our own personal relationship with Jesus. We desperately need each other. As the book of Acts shows, community can be messy and difficult, but our heart longs for it, and it’s a key component of true discipleship.
Naomi Amesbury is a church planting resident at Family Church.