And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:47 (b). NKJV.

The church is God’s new community He builds, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone,  and the 12 apostles and early prophets as the foundation of the edifice. The new community is called fellow citizens with God’s people and members of His household. (Ephesians 2:19(b). They are no more foreigners and strangers. (Ephesians 2:11 &19). They are heirs of all God has along and co-heirs with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Romans 8:17).They are the children of God (Romans 8:16) born again into God’s household as a result of the adoption to Son-ship through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5). God predestined, chosen, and adapted them according to His eternal covenant (Hebrews 13:20) made within the triune Godhead (the counsel of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit). This is different from the old community they are born and grown-up, the community of Adam.

The Bible says Christ as the builder and he is the only one who adds people into his community. The way Jesus Christ adds people to his community called the church is by saving people from their sins.  The name Jesus means “he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. Christ is the title of Jesus –the chosen one, the anointed one, the messiah of God. In other words, those who are transferred from the kingdom of darkness and devil to the kingdom of God’s Son, Jesus Christ are the members of the new community called the church. The moment a person accepts the Lord Jesus as their savior, he or she is placed in this God’s community called the church by Lord Jesus Christ.

Now once they are in the community by their professed faith in the salvific work of Jesus Christ, they develop certain lifestyle characteristics by divine empowerment. These characteristics are listed in verse 42 of the same chapter. They devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching (ongoing systematic Bible studies), fellowship (being with other believers), breaking bread (which is one of the two sacraments the Lord Jesus instituted for the community called the church, the second being the water baptism), praise and thanksgiving and prayer.

I would say these are the strong pillars on which the spiritual edifice called the church, the community of God stands strong. Bible studies, fellowship with one another, obedience to the water baptism, observance of Lord’s supper (to remember Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for their sake, which He commanded to remember –Luke 22:17-20), praising and giving thanks to God (vs. 47) and prayer. Anyone of these areas lacks, the community could suffer loss. All are essential and interconnected to each other for the building up of the church.

Beloved, this community is also an eschatological community. It is not just a temporal one. It has a present and future aspect. Even though God called them to be part of His kingdom now and here, the current aspect of the kingdom is not complete without the future. God called them to reign with Him in His kingdom which would consummate at the return of Christ to establish the literal kingdom which was promised in the old testament scriptures. There were more than 300 prophecies fulfilled at the first coming of Christ to die for our sins. The Bible gives three times more prophecies regarding the second coming of Christ to fulfill the eschatological promises. It means if the first advent is fulfilled literally, the second advent and the establishment of the eschatological kingdom are three times certain.

“Father in heaven, I want to be in the new community you are building up by Christ being the chief corner stone. I accept Jesus Christ as my savior and Lord because I believe He died for my sins, buried and rose again. I want to study the Bible, have fellowship with true people of God, break bread, praise you and live a life of prayer anticipating the fulfillment of your eschatological promises you made in your eternal covenant by the blood of Christ. I thank you for accepting me in your household as your child. In Christ’s name I  pray. Amen.”