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The
Marks Of A Model Community
Before
that special Shavuot that followed the Messiah’s
death, burial and resurrection, Yeshua’s followers
in Jerusalem may have not numbered more than 120.
But, after Shavuot, and the pouring out of the
Spirit from Heaven, and the great message that
Peter gave, the community suddenly and vastly
increased! About 3000 devout and religious Jews
became followers of the Risen Rabbi that day.
Together with the 120, they became a loving and
supportive, worshiping and witnessing community.
From that greatest of communities, the message
of salvation, the Good News about the Messiah,
would go to the rest of Israel and the other nations
of the world!
Here is
my premise: That earliest community of Messianic
Jews in Jerusalem, of all New Covenant communities
since that time, was closest to the Three-In-One
God. Those Messianic Jews were closest to the
truth. They had the greatest spiritual understanding.
They had the most spiritual power. If that was
the case, and I believe it was, that community
is our role model. We want to be like them.
Luke,
in Acts 2, gives us a description of what that
model New Covenant community was like, and what
made them the best. They were continually devoting
themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
They were continually devoting themselves
to the apostles' teaching. The 12 had been taught
by the Lord - for three or four years while He
was with them before His death, and for 40 days
after His resurrection. They understood Rabbi
Yeshua’s teachings and they understood the Tenach
- and how old and new fit together. The Lord gave
the teachings to His representatives and they
in turn gave them to us through their writings
in the pages of the New Testament. If we are going
to be like that first, blessed community, we need
to really get to know their teachings and remain
within those Messiah-given apostolic teachings.
They were
continually devoting themselves to the fellowship.
Their fellowship was different from all other
fellowships. The things they shared in common
made their fellowship unique. The Lordship of
Messiah made their fellowship unique. The special
indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit made their
fellowship unique. The apostles and their authoritative
and true teaching made their fellowship unique.
Salvation made their fellowship unique. The sure
hope of eternal life made their fellowship unique.
They were devoted to their community, steadfastly
committed to it, and its well-being.
They were
continually devoting themselves to the breaking
of bread. Eating a meal draws usually people closer
together. Like a loving community of made of family
and close friends, they ate together, getting
to know one another, getting closer and closer
to one another.
They were
continually devoting themselves to prayer. They
steadfastly committed themselves to talk to God
together, bringing their needs, prayers and requests
to Him.
They were
a powerful community. Everyone kept feeling
a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were
taking place through the emissaries. Great
outpourings of miracles have been relatively rare
in the long history of the Jewish people and the
history of the Church. This was a special time
in salvation history. Immanuel had come into this
world, overcoming our greatest enemies - Satan,
sin and death. He had done great miracles. And,
the Spirit of the Messiah had just been poured
out on Messiah’s followers. This was a special
time when many miracles were taking place. But
notice that the Lord did not enable everyone to
do miracles. Signs and wonders were taking place
through His emissaries. This validated the authority
of the apostles. This established their leadership.
They were the Messiah-chosen, Messiah-sent leaders
of God’s Israel. It was them and their teaching
that needed to be respected.
They were
a generous, supportive, sharing, non-materialistic
community. The members of the community were not
focused on building up their own individual wealth.
They were characterized by giving, not taking.
And all those who had believed were together
and had all things in common; and they began selling
their property and possessions and were sharing
them with all, as anyone might have need. Functioning
like an extended family, some members sold off
some of their wealth and used it to support those
who had financial needs.
They were
a united community. Day by day continuing with
one mind... They were united around good leadership
- the Lord and His emissaries. They were united
around good teaching. They were united by the
Spirit that they had all received, united by the
initiation ceremony of baptism they had all experienced,
united around salvation and the sure hope of living
forever in the New Jerusalem. They shared a multifaceted
and profound unity.
They were
a worshiping community. Day by day continuing
with one mind in the temple... praising God.
As long as the temple stood, it was a very special
place. It was rich in meaning and history and
purpose, rich because it was the place of God’s
special presence on Earth, meaningful because
it was the place where the principles of atonement
and sacrifice were clearly seen. In the temple
the believers prayed and worship and witnessed
and taught.
They were
a close community. Day by day ... breaking
bread from house to house, they were taking their
meals together with gladness and sincerity of
heart. They spent time with each other frequently,
eating together, getting to know one another,
getting closer to one another. Those were happy,
joyous times.
They were
a witnessing community. They were a growing community.
Day by day ... they were having favor
with all the people. And the Lord was adding to
their number day by day those who were being saved.
The community prayed. They worshiped. They praised
the Lord. They witnessed. But it was the Lord
who added to their number. Salvation is something
only God can do. We must do our part to pray for
the lost, and speak to men and women who are captive
to Satan, sin and death, but only the God of our
salvation can do His part and save and transform
those who are dead in their trespasses and sins.
What a
great community! They were a powerful community;
a generous, supportive, sharing, non-materialistic
community; a united community; a close community;
a worshiping community; a witnessing community;
a growing community.
May the
Lord make us more and more like that model community
- close to the Three-In-One God, close to the
truth, filled with the Holy Spirit and spiritual
understanding, knowledgeable about and resolute
in the apostles' teaching, devoted to the fellowship,
devoted to spending quality time with each other,
devoted to prayer and praise and worship. And
may the Lord be please to add to us a great many
Jewish and Gentiles whom He chooses to save!
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