The Marks of the Early Church

I recently began to study the book of Acts. There was something that I noticed right away and I began to wonder: what are the characteristics of the early church? What traits or actions marked them? What could be uniquely said about the church in it's infancy?

I came up with a few that seemed to jump off the pages to me as I read through the book. Here are the ones that I came up with. See what you think and add to my list if you can!

The one that started this study and got me thinking about this is found in the first chapter. After Jesus ascended to heaven the Disciples - now Apostles headed back to the upper room and did exactly what they saw Jesus do over and over again. When He yearned to be with the Father, He would get away and pray. When He faced the cross He cried out to the Father and asked for the cup to pass. Jesus modeled prayer and the Apostles knew in the face of all that they had coming prayer would need to be their resting place too!

I have been convicted by my prayerlessness. My ministry is not at all characterized by prayer. I do it when I have to or when I am expected to, but so much of the time it is not a knee jerk reaction or even a passing thought. I think I believe in prayer. I often call others to pray. I even lead in prayer upon occasion, but I live a prayer-less life.

The impact of this unfortunate reality is that I have begun to make decisions in my daily life to transform my thinking and lifestyle. Recently, I quit listening to radio in my car. My desire and some of my practice is to now pray instead. A major focus of that time is praying for my family both immediate and extended.

Another attempt at transformation has been in my morning routine. I started walking a couple of early morning a week for exercise both physically and spiritually. I now walk one of my laps in prayer and at least one more in scripture memory. It is my desire to memorize the entire New Testament book of James. I re-committed the first chapter to memory and am over halfway finished with the second - ask me how it is going!

I haven't developed many thoughts about the rest of the marks that I have identified, but I developed a list that I wanted to share with you (maybe later on I can develop these marks more thoroughly). But here is the list:

• They persevered in prayer
• They were filled with the Holy Spirit
• They took steps of faith
• They loved each other and built community
• They graciously gave
• They boldly proclaimed God's Word
• They spoke with authority
• They pointed people to God and His Word

and God manifest His presence among them!

Do you think that the reason we feel that God is nowhere to be found is because we look nothing like the church that God visited after Jesus ascended to the Father? I know that God doesn't need to show up because He is with us always, but am I living my life in such a way that Christ is at home in my heart? Is the explanation for how I live my life: that the Spirit of God is blowing across it? Have I made my life a lighthouse that shines Jesus to those dodging the rocks of the sea of life?

I am a steward of so much and I desire to be found faithful. Right now I know that the road to get to faithfulness is a prayerful one!