I was given some pretty good advice one time, and I often pass along that advice to people. I was told that unfulfilled expectations lead to the biggest disappointments. It happens to me over and over again. I will be talking with a group of people about a movie, and the group is just raving about the movie. I had been considering watching this movie, but the way they are saying that this is the best movie ever, makes me want to go right now to watch the movie. So, I am going into this movie with the expectation that it is going to be incredible. Well, many times I have left the movie with unfulfilled expectations. The weird thing about this process for me is that the movie may be a pretty good movie, but because I left the movie with unfulfilled expectations, it was a big disappointment.
1. Have you ever had an experience like the one above? Have you ever had big disappointments because of unfulfilled expectations (movies, cars, restaurants, or relationships)?
2. Do you believe that people come into a church gathering with expectations? Could some of those expectations leave people disappointed because they are unfulfilled expectations? Please explain.
3. Could some of the expectations of a church gathering be negative, so that not fulfilling them turns the situation into a positive one?
We, as a church, are often concerned about helping new people with their expectations for a church experience or a church gathering. This is part of the reason that we teach the Church’s mission and vision to our local body of Christ twice a year. For this study, we are going to review Scripture in the book of Acts regarding the church gathering as it was formed. Acts 2:42-47 reads, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
4. Is there something in this list that you would say, “Yes, that aligns with my expectations when the church gathers today”?
5. Is there something in this list that you would say, “Uhm, I am not sure this aligns with my expectations, or I do not often see this when the church gathers today”?
The first thing that jumped out was that “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.” As I studied this, the word which is translated as devoted in the original language means continually devoted. Pastor Kent Hughes writes, “It is very important that we note this term continually devoting because it governs the other characteristics of the church where the Spirit reigns. It denotes a steadfast and single-minded devotion to a certain course of action.”
6. Does a church devoting itself to the Apostles’ teaching (Words of God, Scripture, or Bible) fit in with your expectations for a church gathering?
The second area speaks to the fellowship. This might be a word that is confusing to us today. Most people believe that fellowship is only when the church eats together. This section of Scripture adds to “fellowship” the concept of eating together, but we must not just stop there in our understanding of this concept. This fellowship included food and a very specific sharing or giving with one another. This sharing could be in physical need or sharing in experience. Acts 2:44-46 reads, “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.” The early church did life together, but today we may fall into the trap that coming to a church gathering and participating together in life for a couple of hours is the true meaning of fellowship. We need to be clear that as believers and followers of Christ, we should have regular life contact with others within the local body of Christ.
7. When you attend a gathering of the church, do you expect to see the sharing of experiences, life, and in meeting the needs of others?
Pastor Kent Hughes explains it this way, “Fellowship cost something in the early church, in contrast to our use of the world fellowship today. Fellowship is not just a sentimental feeling of oneness. It is not punch and cookies. It doesn’t not take place simply because we are in the church hall. Fellowship comes through giving. True fellowship costs!”
8. Do you expect there to be a real cost in your fellowship?
Next, we see in verse 42 the concept of “breaking of bread and the prayers.” This was the call of the first church to the worship of God. The early Church, whether after a meal or when the church gathered, would take the wine and the bread to remember the sacrifice of what Jesus Christ did for our salvation. Today, we refer to this as communion or the Lord’s Supper, and Christ gave these instructions to “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). Also, prayers would be offered to God when the church was gathering. Prayers of worship and adoration, prayers of confession of sins, prayers of thanksgiving, and prayers of petition would all be included in this time when the church gathered. In verse 47, it relays that the early Church was “praising God.” We know that the early Church offered praise or worship through song. Colossians 3:16 states, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
9. Is worshiping through prayer, communion, and song a generalized expectation when participating in a church gathering? Do you think that most people see worship through music and song as having the same importance as prayer and communion? Why or why not?
There is a final statement about what happened when the early Church met and lived life together. In Acts 2:47, this section of Scripture ends with this statement, “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” For The River Church, we would call this reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When the church gathers, there should be a call to salvation in Jesus Christ and an encouragement for the church as they leave the gathering to reach their individual, familial, vocational, or geographical community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
10. As we have studied this section of Scripture, what can you learn to point our expectations for church gatherings?