Acts 4:32-35 (NIV) All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
The first century church was about a cooperative spirit. Without a group of other Christians to sharpen and challenge on a consistent basis, an individual is prone to drift. The above passage from Acts paints a portrait of the early church and provides certain characteristics of a true Christian community. (1) There was unity of mind, heart, and purpose. (2) The atmosphere was absent from any sense of entitlements. (3) There was great power when proclaiming the gospel. (4) There was an intense responsibility that the needs of the members were met.
Nothing has really changed from way back then. Despite all of the fires burning in our world today it still boils down to light and darkness, the saved and the lost. I believe they would remind us not to over think things, God’s kingdom, the Lord’s church, spreading the gospel, is still very simple, regardless of the times we live in. They would tell us, I believe, that it’s still about that cooperative spirit, the ability to sharpen and encourage one another on a consistent basis. They would teach us that the most important things for the Lord’s church to thrive in any environment haven’t changed since the first century.
While the first Christians would likely rejoice in the many ways the Gospel can spread today, ways that would have been unimaginable to them, they would encourage us not to lean on technology or human personality, or worldly techniques. Instead, I believe they would urge us to focus on the core of what they did. It’s still about unity, an atmosphere absent from any sense of entitlements, proclaiming the kingdom of God with power, and an intense responsibility to meet the needs of those within the body of believers. This was the core of the early church and nothing has changed.