2024 Kickoff Sunday: Acts - Life on Mission

The second week of the series "Acts: Life on Mission" focuses on a core question: What should the church look like today? This message, drawn from the early church’s example in the book of Acts, brings to light three powerful mandates for believers—worship, spiritual battle, and celebration. It also touches on how the Bible addresses aspects of church life, such as dress and behavior during worship, with a call to build a stronger, mission-focused church community.

The Bible has little to say directly about clothing for church gatherings, especially in the New Covenant. In the Old Covenant, there were some subtle indications, like covering one's head for worship, but the New Testament mentions it only briefly.

Paul, in his letter to Timothy, writes:

1 Timothy 2:8-10

"In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy. And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do."

Here, Paul doesn't refer to church buildings as “sanctuaries” but as places of worship, emphasizing that worship should be the primary focus. Men are instructed to lift holy hands, drawing attention to God, not to themselves. Likewise, women are told to dress modestly and appropriately, not to create barriers for outsiders or make it about self-image, but rather to make God the focal point.

The book of Acts provides a powerful model for how the early church functioned. Written by Luke, it describes a church devoted to key practices that every believer and church community should emulate. This passage offers a glimpse of what church gatherings should look like:

Acts 2:42-47

"All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 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."

Luke emphasizes five critical aspects of the early church:

1. Devotion to Teaching
   The believers were serious about learning and applying the apostles' teachings. It wasn't a passive experience. They actively engaged with the teachings, discussed them in their communities (Life Groups), and applied them in their daily lives. This example challenges the modern church to not just listen but live out the Word of God.

2. Fellowship
   God created humanity for fellowship. Even in the Garden of Eden, God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone, despite his companionship with nature and animals (Genesis 2:18). Fellowship builds up believers, providing the encouragement needed to continue through lif...