[The believers] were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.

Acts 2:42-43 (NASB)

 

We are called to share a common communal life with one another.

Worship, nurture, fellowship and outreach are communal experiences where we encounter God together. Without which, we cannot stay healthy and fulfil what God has entrusted to us. This is crucial because we live in a strong culture of individualism and self-interest, which has led many Christians to have a distorted notion of church life.

Some see Christian community as optional.

They believe they can do well without community or relationships. This attitude has stopped them from growing spiritually and has caused them to become apathetic about their faith. The way they view church has caused many to either leave the church or become “drifters” who wander from one church to the next.

According to Hebrews 10:24-25, we are to come together as a church to provoke one another to love and good works. The word, “provoke” means to “rouse, stir up or excite”. This provoking happens in the context of a strong communal life rooted in the gospel. It is one reason why supernatural experiences were common in the early church. The high priority placed on communal life allows the believers to listen together, discern together and act together what God has revealed through His Scripture and Spirit.

To put it another way, a common communal life is the foundation and framework for a common supernatural life. When we come together and do life together, we become a prophetic people who understands the time. Then we learn how to trust one another enough to work together to advance God's kingdom without strife, rivalry or competition.