Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he 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.
A number of years ago the FBCG East Campus served as a polling place during an election. At one point during the morning I stepped out of my office and walked through the lobby where several people were finishing up the voting process. A man approached me and asked me if I was the pastor. When I affirmed that I was, he said, “So what are you doing in there?” nodding his head toward the sanctuary.
I said, “Excuse me?”
He said, “I drive by every Sunday morning and there are cars all over the place; what are you doing in there?”
It sounded like he thought we might be giving away door prizes or lottery tickets or something to get people to come to church! But I just said something like, “Well, we have a lot of people who just love to worship God and hear his word.”
He looked a bit surprised and disappointed.
My explanation wasn’t nearly as thorough or beautiful as what we read in the Book of Acts as the author describes the earliest church of Jesus Christ:
They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he 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.
Now most of us have read or hear this passage dozens and dozens of times. But I want to look at it through the lens of worship. If worship is loving God with extravagant devotion; and if that devotion is to be expressed through our passions, our intellect and our actions, we see all of that in this description of the church.
The Bible tells us the early Christians were “devoted to the Apostles teaching.” That tells me they loved God with their minds.
The Book of Acts then tells us that the new followers of Jesus were filled with awe; and that they ate together with glad and sincere hearts. This tells us that they loved God with their passions and emotions; with their hearts and souls.
We also learn that they sold their possessions and goods in order to share with those in need. This means they expressed their love for God through their actions and generosity; they loved God with all their strength.
Finally we see that they continued to meet together in the Temple courts every day. This tells me that it was extremely important to early believers to share public worship together in a place of worship.
Here’s where we see worship as a community experience and not just a personal experience.
Can I worship God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength all by myself? Absolutely! In fact, one of the great blessings of the Christian life is learning to commune with Christ in times of deeply personal prayer and worship!
But when I join with other believers in a collective expression of worship something happens that doesn’t happen anywhere else!
Most of us have experienced the difference between watching a football game on T.V. and being in a stadium with 50,000 other fans. Or we have had both the experience of listening to a favorite musical artist on a CD in the privacy of our home or car and attending a live concert event with thousands of others. Both are valid experiences but there is a huge difference!
Read this description of worship as the Apostle John peers with the eyes of faith into heaven itself:
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and give him glory!” Revelation 19:6-7
When we worship our God together something happens that is much greater than the sum of each one of our parts. When we worship God with extravagant devotion together we become the body of Christ in the world; we make God’s glory known to the world; and we make the gospel visible to the world.
And notice what happens when the world around us sees the gospel through us: and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Pastor Brian Coffey
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