I want us to notice a few things from Acts 2:44-47. First, notice that these Christians were “together.” The text literally says, “all those believing were in / on the same.” There was a unity among the Christians that was strong, obvious, and widely felt. They also “had all things in common.” This word “common” is from the same word family as the word for “fellowship.” These Christians were spending time together and enjoying that time together and it wasn’t just in worship.
In verse 46, I want you to notice how frequently these Christians were getting together: “day by day.” Luke refers, again, to their unity (“with one mind”) and this unity was expressed and felt both in worship, in the temple, but also in meals they shared with one another. They were “breaking bread from house to house, taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity.” As a part of their common lives together, they were “praising God and having favor with all the people.”
God wants His people to spend time together. The focus of the book of Acts is the spread of the Gospel of Christ, evangelism. Beyond that, we have several pictures of worship, which will be a future lesson. But we also get glimpses of Christians being united in heart so that they care about one another and this finds expression in spending time together.
In Acts 4, when Peter and John were released from prison, where did they go? They did not go home first! They went to assemble with the church. We’re going to have a separate lesson on God’s pattern for worship as it is revealed in the book of Acts but I want to emphasize here that Peter and John went to their friends, their Christian friends and they had fellowship together with them. They prayed together (4:23ff).
I want you to take a look at the apostle Paul’s earliest days as a Christian, in Acts 9:26. The text says that when Paul left Damascus, he came to Jerusalem and “he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.” This is the one text that gives us an idea of “placing membership” with a local congregation. Paul wanted to be associated with the Christians in Jerusalem. He wanted to spend time with them and worship with them.
When the church of Christ was established in Antioch of Syria, Barnabas, who was a strong encourager, visited the church. Luke records the visit beginning in 11:23; when Barnabas arrived, “he witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord.” In fact, Barnabas remained with the church for a whole year, spending time with the Christians to encourage them.
In Acts 21, Paul is traveling back to Jerusalem. They stop off in Tyre and they look up the disciples and spent time with those Christians (21:4). On the same trip, they stop in Ptolemais on the way to Jerusalem and find some Christians there with whom they stayed for one day, spending time with Christians (21:7). The next day, they came to Caesarea and visited with Philip and his family (21:8). When Paul and his team arrived in Jerusalem, they spent time with the Christians (21:17).
Paul was ultimately arrested in Jerusalem and then sent to Rome to stand trial before Emperor Nero. On the way, in a ship, they came to the city of Puteoloi, where they looked up the local church of Christ and they spent time with them (28:13). When other congregations heard the apostle Paul was in Puteoli, they also traveled from places like the Market of Appius and Three Inns to visit with Paul and his mission team, to spend time together (28:15).
The church is more than a social institution but at a minimum it is a social institution. By that, I mean that God intends for His children to be together, not just in heart but together physically, spending time together, eating together, praying together, strengthening one another. There are a number of Bible verses that cannot be fulfilled, really, if we do not spend time together, specifically outside of worship.
Paul Holland