Awhile back, my brother Michael and I backpacked throughout Europe. We were in Vienna when we realized our NFL team—the Steelers—played that day. Like good, devoted fans, we searched everywhere to find a place to watch. We finally found a little sports bar showing the game, with two locals completely decked out in Steelers gear. We didn’t know these guys at all, but we sat right next to them cheering together the entire night.
I thought about this the other day and realized something cool: our unity with these guys was strong. But it wasn’t present because of what we had in common—because what we had in common wasn’t much. (We didn’t even speak the same language!) Instead, we were unified by the only thing we seemed to have in common—our love for the black and gold.
I often wonder if the Church could take a cue from diehard sports fans. I wonder if we could look past everything that differentiates us to what we have in common—our love for Jesus Christ. If we would, Scripture says our unity would preach the gospel louder than anything else.
The reality is our with-ness is and always has been our greatest witness.
The early church was a perfect example of this. In Acts 2, Peter preached one message that, in one day, added 3,000 people to the church. 3,000!
From that day on, verses 42, 46-47 says that they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer… They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”
The early church offered a beautiful picture of what it means to truly be with each other. First, they showed us that we have to put aside our differences, because they understood that Jesus didn’t die for an exclusive church—He died for a unified church.
Acts 2:9-11 tells us there were all kinds of races, languages, political beliefs, financial situations, family backgrounds, etc. represented among them. However, because they were unified by their belief in Jesus, their witness spread like wildfire and the church grew in number daily.
They also showed us the importance of resisting the world’s darkness by committing to spiritual disciplines such as Bible study, accountability through community, communion, and prayer. Then, they showed us how to remove the distance between us by prioritizing genuine hospitality.
Friends, it’s time for the Church to prioritize our with-ness once again. It’s time to cast aside our differences, resist the darkness trying to invade our culture, and remove the distance within our communities. If we do, I truly believe we will once again become the Church Jesus died for.May Christ always be our center!
