MONDAY, AUGUST 20
“And all that believed were together…”
Acts 2:44 ESV
BOLD COMPASSION: OPEN MY HOME
The New Yorker ran an article April 30th, 2018 on Japan’s booming family rental business. The article was titled “Japan’s Rent-A-Family Industry” and subtitled, “People who are short on relatives can hire a husband, a mother, a grandson. The resulting relationships can be more real than you’d expect.” Evidently, people are willing to pay a great deal of money to have a sense of family even if it’s only temporary.
Many of the Jewish people in the early church were completely disowned and considered as being dead by their families after coming to Christ, and so here in the church they received a new family and began living life as a family together. Acts 2:44 teaches all the believers were “together.” The Greek word used for “together” in this phrase is not a typical way to express the word “together.” Instead, it’s a phrase that literally means “upon the same thing,” as in having the same goal as another person. This phrase seems to be one that’s used to describe unity within the church. They found a sense of family within the church.
At NorthStar we exist to help people find their way home. That home is a place in God’s family now and ultimately in eternity. Some of us have the privilege of sitting with our physical families in church on Sunday. But some of us feel like we are sitting all alone in church on Sundays even though the room is full. But the Bible teaches that the church is our family and a place where we should feel like we belong. God doesn’t want any of His children walking on their faith journey alone. If you haven’t found a small group or a place to plug in, ask God to give you the courage to reach out to the church or other believers this week.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
