Life In Community Part Two: Experience the Church

Background Passage: Acts 2:1-47; Hebrews 10:19-25
Today’s Focal Passage: Acts 2:43-47

43 Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44 Now all the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 So they sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. 46 And every day they devoted themselves [to meeting] together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.

The church is meant to be a place where we both give and receive. Too often, however, we relegate our “giving” simply to money and expect to “receive” a full cup or blessing every time we show up… and when we don’t, we leave feeling let down and as if somehow the church did not own up to its end of the bargain.

I think our consumer culture has warped our sense of what the church experience is supposed to be! On the giving side of the equation, money was only ever intended to be a small part of what we give… The Bible talks about gifts, talents, skills and passions that God has uniquely designed each of us with – to be used both within the church and out in the world. These gifts, talents, skills and passions are meant to be used to bless others and contribute to the overall ministry of the church.

On the receiving side of the equation, we’ll find that what we receive is often tied directly to the breadth and depth of our giving. The more we invest of our time, money, gifts, talents, skills and passions, the more God will fill us – but this can’t be the motivation behind the giving!

God will not be forced into blessing us because we have figured out some spiritual formula between giving and receiving. That’s not how He works. But as we give sacrificially – without expectations about what we will receive as a “reward” – we will find ourselves blessed beyond our wildest imagination – often in ways we never would have guessed.

God, help us to experience you in many ways this week – but especially through active engagement in Your church!