Life In Community Part One: Identify With the Church

Background Passage: Acts 2:1-47; Hebrews 10:19-25
Today’s Focal Passage: Acts 2:41-42

41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers.


Have you ever found yourself struggling with the church? Struggling to identify with the church? Struggling with whether or not you want to be a part of the church? If so, you’re not alone!

But as Christians, identifying with, and actively participating in, the church is not an option.

The church is described throughout the New Testament as the body or bride of Christ. How can we then separate ourselves from the church? How can we say that we love and follow Jesus – yet reject or ignore His body or bride?

Think about this in terms of human relationship you have. Can you think of a great friendship you have with someone, but yet you dislike his or her spouse? Is that really OK? Is there a limit to how strong your friendship can be with that person? If you don’t also love the person into which he has invested his life, will you ever be really close?

A part of following Jesus as a committed disciple is learning how to love the body of Christ – the bride of Christ – with all its (or even better – our) imperfections. The Church was never intended to be a place for perfect people (especially because they’re aren’t any), but instead, a place for the sick, needy and imperfect.

It is in our coming together as a blemished, imperfect people in need, that Jesus power is made perfect!

And isn’t that what we all really want: for God to show up in power and glory in our midst?

What kind of commitment(s) do you need to make today to Christ in the form of His bride and body?