Resourcing Together

robert beckman

“Teaching…fellowship…breaking of bread…prayer. AWE…All the believers were together and had everything in common.” Acts 2:42-44. (NIV)

If someone from the first century church could speak to us today, I believe they would do everything in their power to help us see the importance of doing life together. I honestly believe they would reprimand us for living split apart and clinging to our rugged individualism. And at the core of their message, they would emphasize generosity as the key to binding us all together.

God has hardwired each of us with the longing for togetherness, yet we consciously cling to our lonely path. The greatness of the first century church was the fact that they never saw themselves as individuals but rather as a group of brothers and sisters working together.

Many of us today have chased our individualistic ambitions. We have scaled the heights of teaching. We have eaten casseroles and some unknown dishes by well-intentioned elderly ladies in fellowship halls. We have prayed on our own. But in the end, something is missing. What’s missing is genuine relationship with others. What’s missing is the opportunity to generously love and be loved in return.

At ReproducingChurches.com, we covenant in relationship with each other:

We will listen, be there, and as often as God prompts us.

We will serve each other with resources.

We will share everything – people, money, creativity, and resources.

We have found that the NEEDS of our brothers and sisters is what the Holy Spirit uses to create an environment where He can work His wonders and we are in AWE. Those who are outside of the faith are in AWE because they long for a community in which people freely give and share what they have. That’s a community the world does not offer. It’s about giving it away…it’s not about what you can get but rather how you can help your brother and sister.

A Word of Warning Before You Sign-up For The GravyTrain

Sometimes, I’ll go to a conference where they will tell me that if I don’t have billions of start-up funds, I can’t plant a church and I’m destined for loserville. So I travel the world asking all my fair-weather friends that said money must come from them asap. I even threaten to send my denomination into hellfire itself if they were to be so cold as to ignore my needy neediness. (This is of course silly because one cannot send a denomination into hellfire because it is an organization immune from such a fate. So if you are going to be misguided I guess a more theological approach would be to ask God if he would be willing to send certain INDIVIDUALS of said denominations into hellfire. There now, that’s much more Christlike!?)

Well, come to find out, my fair-weather friends don’t enjoy giving into such neediness. They didn’t give near enough money. But that’s okay. I’ve gotten even by speaking bad about them every chance I get.

What I think is that I need money so I try to wrestle it out of everyone I know. But what I really need is some brothers and sisters who will come alongside of me in the journey to help me – and I might need more than just money.

Consider the responses to the following question:

My wife is often curious about how we are going to pay bills. Her faith is encouraged daily as…

A) we learn together what life is like when we share our needs together with like-minded followers of Jesus.

B) she nags me about it every now and then because she lacks the faith of almighty me.

C) she doesn’t even bring it up anymore because she has learned that Jesus wants us to suffer in silence

How much better it is, when we do this together. When we are able to rely on others and they are able to rely on us. Listen:

We offer ourselves to you.

We want you to consider how we can share our resources in the spirit of togetherness.

We ask that you not treat us like an organization.

Don’t seek handouts and don’t take handouts.

Covenant to do life with us.

Ask the Holy Spirit to make known how we can mutually serve each other.

The early church experienced many wonders and miraculous signs (Acts 2:43). I believe that’s what happens when we get Together.