The First Church
In the early days of Jesus’s ministry they didn’t have what we think of as church. They just had a community.
They met out in the open pastures, or under a tent, or by the sea. There were no buildings, no pastors, no hymns, no formal prayers. They were just get-togethers.
They were a group of people from all walks of life who decided to get together— and they would eat together, a lot of them donated their money to the poorer people in the group, they would also learn and teach each other the lessons that Jesus taught them. It was kind of a commune.
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.
—Acts 4:32
The First Church Was A Gathering
Jesus didn’t have church. Jesus had gatherings.
Why didn’t he have a church? The reason Jesus didn’t have a church was because in the early days everyone got along.
After Jesus died, everyone started arguing and fighting with Peter and Paul and James— and they had to organize themselves into churches— to get all that under control.
But when Jesus was alive, there was no arguing, no fighting. There was a whole lot of hope. Jesus never instituted a church because he never instituted rules, or beliefs, or theologies or a system of authority. Jesus came to do away with all those things— so that you could rediscover the rules inside of your own heart. So that you could realize the natural beliefs you already possessed inside your soul.
The belief that breathing alone… will give you peace. So that you could understand the theology of your body— that your muscles and your bones and your feelings— will carry and release all the energies you need to realize your highest goals. So that you could know that the authority to love freely, to live freely, to express your joy freely— is born within you.
Jesus was controversial because he said that no one authorizes you to live, to love, to be happy. You do.
You are the author of your life story and therefore the spiritual authority in your life.
The God who gives you power and authority to live— is inside of your own heart. Listen to your heart to find the scripture of love written there.
Jesus didn’t need a building because YOU are the church. You are a temple of God. Jesus said, “See…I make everything new.” Church is where you feel renewed, again and again, every time you go there.
Where do you feel renewed? Where do you go to meet God? Write this in your journal now and let’s have a discussion below in the comments.
