What if what we know to be church is missing the mark? Check out this description of the church in Acts 2:42-47
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Here is another picture from Acts 4:32-35
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales, and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.”
When we look at the church of the Bible in the book of Acts, some of the defining characteristics are:
- They are devoted to fellowship.
- They are devoted to the Word of God, to the teachings of the apostles, to truth.
- They are filled with awe at the MANY wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
- All of them are together.
- They have EVERYTHING in common.
- They give sacrificially, selling their property and possessions to give to ANYONE who has need.
- They break bread in one another’s homes.
- They are all radical lovers of Jesus.
- They live in deep, genuine, regular, and intimate community.
- They share the Gospel together and venture into places that land them in prison together.
- They are ONE in Heart and Mind.
- They share everything!
- They testify with POWER to the resurrection of Jesus.
- God’s grace is POWERFULLY at work, and no needy person is among them.
With the current model of church that we have been passed down through the generations, is it possible to live this way? Are we holding on to something that isn’t truly God’s best? Does it get in the way more than it helps? Does it accurately represent the relationship between Jesus Christ and His bride? These are all questions that we must be asking ourselves. What if we wiped the slate clean and started all over again from the beginning? Anyone who would argue that this isn’t culturally possible or relevant is just afraid. I am tired of excuses from the church. I think that God is too, because we are His representation to a lost and dying world, and I don’t think anyone in their right mind could say that He has been properly represented by the church as a whole. Just look at the number of people in our younger generations who jump ship and turn to the world for love, acceptance and community! They are sick and tired of the boring Sunday services and the monotony of this false religion being handed down to them from their parents. They want truth that goes beyond church attendance, sermons, and hypocrisy.
What we are setting out to do here in Thailand, and anywhere else in the world that God sends us, is to get rid of all the baggage. Thai people certainly don’t need anymore religious baggage. We have committed to nothing less than a church of families. We are committed to intimacy and love for one another. We are committed to ridiculous generosity. We are committed to breaking bread in one another’s homes regularly. We are committed to testifying powerfully to the resurrection of Jesus. We are committed to have everything in common with one another. We are committed to being filled with awe at the many signs and wonders God is constantly performing through us. We are committed to the Word of God, to truth. We are committed to being one in heart and mind. By investing in only 3 families, who will invest into 3 families, our vision is to multiply a church that holds fast to the teachings of Jesus and to the reality of God’s intention for living this thing out as a church. Will you join us?
The Crazy Lawson Tribe 