The Church God Blesses

How did you form your concept of church? You probably formed your concept of church the same way I did. See if you can identify with this story.

“Son! Wake up. It’s Sunday morning, It’s time for church.”

“I don’t want to go to church.”

“Now, hush. You’re going to church. Go take a bath and put these clothes on. Here they are, already ironed and laying on your toy chest. All you have to do is put them on.”

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So I roll out of bed, wipe the sleep out of my eyes, do what my momma told me to do. We arrive at Sunday School about 10-15 minutes late, because in Baptist churches that is right on time. Then, we went to big church. It’s hard for a five-year-old to stay still in big church. The only redeeming factor was the five-minute children’s church that the youth minister did with us down front. At 12:00, we left to go home. My dad would give me and my brother our Sunday whippen. We would eat lunch. Then, go play.

Now, over the years my concept of church has altered. I hope yours has also. For many of us, our concept of church is formed by church experience. There is only one problem. When my expectations of what church should be are based on my experience of church, they don’t always match what God expects out of his church.

I. God expects the church to have its priorities straight.

The text says that they were continually devoting themselves. A priority is, whatever you are continually devoted to. Have you ever thought about what your priorities are? The following were the priorities of the first church.

First, they were devoted to learning and living God’s word. The text says that they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. This command reminds us of the advice the apostle Paul gave to young pastor Timothy, “Preach the Word, be prepared in season and out of season, correct, rebuke, and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim. 3:16).

I don’t know if Luke listed this as the first priority for a reason. But I know that without the preaching and teaching of the Word of God in such a way that Holy Spirit takes it and saves souls and transforms hearts, we cannot be a church.