Mmmm Roast Duck & Orange Salad Mmmm

In Australia, we have amazing fresh produce & restaurant food!

But that’s not the only food that is mouth-watering.

At Bible College this semester, I’m eating the delicious New Testament.

³⁸ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
³⁹ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.’
⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’
⁴¹ Those who accepted his message were baptised,
and about 3,000 were added to their number that day.
⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common.
⁴⁵ Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:38-47

In the book of Acts, we see Peter sharing the good news of Jesus with a large crowd.

3000 listeners decided to repent and accept the gift of salvation.

Their journey of faith did not stop there.

They met regularly in fellowship – this is one of the earliest descriptions of “church” in the Bible.

What did these new Christians when they met together (church)?

• They listened to the apostles teaching about Jesus and how to live the Christian life.
• They ate meals together.
• They prayed together.
• They shared their possessions and helped each other.
• They praised God with glad and sincere hearts.

Fast forward 2000 years to today.

Christians still meet together weekly on Sundays in churches across the world.

Those who only go to church twice a year at Christmas & Easter are fooling themselves.

This irregular attendance does not make you Christian or give you eternal life.

Even regular church attendance does not give you eternal life.

Only accepting the forgiveness of Jesus’ death & resurrection gives you entry to heaven.

So what is the purpose of the 21^st Century church?

Church gives Christians the opportunity to share their lives together.

We are not called to be private followers of Jesus in isolation.

We are part of a wider community who love God and each other.

So those who think they can live the Christian life without church are WRONG.

• We need the encouragement of others to keep growing & maturing as Christians.
• We need the love & prayers of others when we face difficulties in life.
• We thank God & celebrate together as we overcome obstacles.

Most of all, we continually remind each other of the death & resurrection of Jesus.

• When was the last time you went to church?
• Did you hear the Bible read & taught at church?
• When was the last time you shared a meal with other Christians?
• When did you last pray with other Christians?

mmmm Bible mmmm

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