Every Day?

In the heart of Jesus, unity was so key it was one of the last things he spoke to the Father about. Jesus prayed for us to be one, in the same way that He and the Father were one.

What did Jesus mean? Was it about everyone agreeing on everything? About a new doctrinal 'rightness'? Maybe, instead,Jesus was talking about relationships, about needing the body, about knowing our survival as Christians meant depending on Him and each other.

So many times we look at the church of the first century and we try to decipher how they "did church", and yet we absently overlook how they "did life". This 'mega church' group needed each other. They needed each other daily. They sought each other out in the temple courts, they got together for dinner, they knew when someone needed something and they took care of it...and the effect? The prayer of Christ was answered.

Jesus Prayed:(John 17:20-23)

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Jesus prayed that his people would be so one that their love and unity would cause the world to take notice and believe and bring glory to the Father.

And look what happened. (Acts 2:42-47)

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 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.

Their fellowship and love brought glory to God. The world saw and responded. The world wanted to be a part. This was exactly what Christ prayed.

After the day of Pentecost, the new believers did not resign themselves to "have" to go to the temple at least one day a week to worship and to "have" to do certain things to be accepted by God. Instead, they fell in love with their God and they fell in love with one another. And everyday, they sought out their brothers.

Imagine the excitement and the joy of hurrying to the temple courts, looking for your brothers...embracing them, sitting with them at the feet of Peter and John. Imagine the awe as they sat and listened to the stories told about Jesus...as they watched these ordinary guys heal and do wonderous things in the name of Jesus. Imagine that as they listened, they saw love and humility and servanthood. They saw the Christ through these men. And the Spirit of God was at work. As they gathered, He acted. As they listened, He taught. And through Him, God was in their midst.

I believe more and more in the merit of spending time everyday with our brothers. Not in a formal, sterile assembly, but in our homes, in our parks, in our cities. We need joyful, playful praise. We must be aware of needs. We need to commit ourselves to praising God daily and to talking about God's presence in our lives.

Fellowship should be a thing we hold near and dear. We need one another. God designed it that way. Relationships must be built. A casual, once a week fellowship falls far short of the unity and love described in Acts. The brothers here were ingrained in the lives of each other. We don't know if they ever met as a WHOLE (all those converted in Jerusalem), but we know for certain they sought each other out and they gathered in small groups and went to one another's homes and made sure everyone was taken care of. They became as close as family.

Today could be the very same. If the world saw friendships and family in the church today, if they saw us entrenched in praise for our God and living in love, so that there was no time to tear others down, how would they respond?

The very essence of this new church was its heartbeat of fellowship and love. They loved the Father and the Son first. Then they fell in love with each other because of Him.

And the world took notice. And God used their love for each other and added to the church every single day.