Conclusion

The Church has been defined as the place where Jesus is visibly active in the world.

Acts 2:41-47

Ecclesiastes 7:10 tells us not to yearn for ’the good old days’. Nevertheless it is hard, when we read passages like this, not to feel that the Church has lost something.

What did the first believers do?
They immersed themselves in the apostles’ teaching – do we read our Bibles?
They met together regularly and frequently for worship, prayer and fellowship – do we?
They demonstrated their love for one another by meeting each other’s needs, often by sacrificial giving – do we?

And God gave miraculous signs.

Is it really surprising that outsiders wanted to join their community? Wouldn’t you want to be part of a church like this? The main attraction must have been the quality of their relationships – with each other and with God. In such circumstances, growth was natural and inevitable.