Five Foundational Practices Discussion Thread
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Liberty University *
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Date
Dec 6, 2023
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The foundational practice of the early church that I chose is the Gathering Church: We live in
community.
42
The believers studied what the apostles taught. They shared their lives together.
They ate and prayed together.
43
Everyone was amazed at what God was doing.
They were amazed when the apostles performed many wonders and signs.
44
All
the believers were together. They shared everything they had.
45
They sold
property and other things they owned. They gave to anyone who needed
something.
46
Every day they met together in the temple courtyard. They ate meals
together in their homes. Their hearts were glad and sincere.
47
They praised God.
They were respected by all the people. Every day the Lord added to their group
those who were being saved.
In the early church, the apostles, and the new followers of Christ, met together intentionally to
have fellowship together. They chose to share life together with each other-having meaning and
close relationships like that of a family. They grew together in their understanding of who Jesus
is. They were in
koinonia
.
They chose to live in fellowship corporately meaning that they met as
the church to worship the Lord, share the Gospel and were exuberant and joyful as they praised
God for who He was and what He did. The also fellowshipped together continually. They met in
smaller groups throughout the week to invite unsaved people to hear about the Messiah. They
were invested in each other’s lives. They opened their homes to share meals together and they
prayed for each other. They encouraged and equipped each other to bring the news of Jesus
Christ to everyone.
Acts 2:42-47 has affected my life drastically. In February 2012, my family was called to be
missionaries to Nicaragua. As we began to serve there, God quickly brought us to the community
called Cristo Rey (Christ the King). Without speaking the language or knowing what to do, God
brought us to Acts 2:42-47 and confirmed to us that our calling was to share life together with the
people of Cristo Rey. People who a nation had forgotten about! By meeting the physical needs of
the poor, we were able to build relationships and trust with the people and by sharing life
together with the people, we have been able to share God’s story. By simply meeting together,
sharing food, meeting their needs, sharing who God is through Scripture, loving them where they
are at, being there for them in the difficult times and celebrating with them in the good times, we
have been able to make disciples who will further go on to continue to spread God’s story.
P. Adam McClendon and Jared E. Lockhart,
Timeless Church: Five Lessons from Acts
(Nashville,
TN: B&H Academic, 2020), 33.
Acts 2:42-47 NIRV - - Bible Gateway
. Accessed April 25, 2023.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2B2%3A42-47&version=NIRV.
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