And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.1
There are a lot of people who grew up going to church, who have since become atheists, who miss having that church community on Sunday mornings. That's why British comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans created Sunday Assembly, an international movement that has gained so many followers its being called an Atheist Mega Church. Sunday Assemblies have popped up everywhere from Portland, Oregon to Melbourne, Australia. But can it be church without religion? Seattle Atheists member Brandon Hendrickson thinks so. A former Evangelical Christian, who enjoyed religion until he no longer believed in it, says he has always liked the model. "Churches do ritual very well. They do let's eat together, they do let's come and hear a talk together, right?" . . . [The group "Seattle Atheists"] do their own events that involve speakers, activities for children, and general community building activities like book clubs, a knitting group and a discussion group at a pub. They also do a lot of charity work and have a non-religious AA style group for atheists recovering from addiction. Brandon says being a part of Seattle Atheists is appealing as a father. "I think there's something special that happens when you have kids and you sense this, 'How can I raise these kids in a moral community?' and you go looking for churches. It's actually, demographically, one of the biggest times that churches attract new members, new parents. So I think among our young parent group there's a desire for some kind of weekly meeting. Particularly some place where we can stash our kids, go hang out by ourselves, and know they're learning really wonderful things that will help them as people."2
[There are] seven major passages that deal with the last days for the church . . . Every one of these passages emphasizes over and over again that the great characteristic of the final time of the church will be that of apostasy. The New Testament pictures the condition within the professing church at the end of the age by a system of denials. (1) Denial of God (Luke 17:26; 2Ti. 3:4-5); (2) Denial of Christ (1Jn. 2:18; 1Jn. 4:3; 2Pe. 2:6); (3) Denial of Christ's return (2Pe. 3:3-4); (4) Denial of the Faith (1Ti. 4:1-2; Jude 1:3 (5) Denial of sound doctrine (2Ti. 4:3-4); (6) Denial of the separated life (2Ti. 3:1-7); (6) Denial of Christian liberty (1Ti. 4:3-4); (7) Denial of morals (2Ti. 3:1-8,2Ti. 3:13; Jude 1:18); (7) Denial of Authority (2Ti. 3:17).3
I do not understand that loyalty to Christ which is accompanied by indifference to His words. How can we reverence His person, if His own words and those of His apostles are treated with disrespect? Unless we receive Christ’s words, we cannot receive Christ; unless we receive His apostles’ words, we do not receive Christ; for John saith, ‘He that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.’4
Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.6
But even at Jerusalem this bright vision of a paradise on earth was soon troubled by the earthly dissensions recorded in Acts 6.; and the Christian community received a timely lesson that things good in themselves are not always practicable in an evil world, where sluggish virtues require the stimulants of bodily wants to draw them out and strengthen them, and where hypocrisy often claims the kindly offices which are due only to disciples indeed.9
Endnotes:
1. | NKJV, Acts 2:42-47 |
2. | ATHEIST-CHURCH, 1 |
3. | Ref-0181, Volume 8, Number 90, August 2011, p. 4 |
4. | Ref-1324, 160 |
5. | For one thing, there were not multiple fellowships available within each city to choose among. |
6. | Ref-0165, 277 |
7. | Ref-0696, Acts 2:44 |
8. | A small sampling of verses upholding private ownership: Ex. 20:15; 1Cor. 16:1; 1Ti. 6:17; 2Th. 3:12. |
9. | Ref-0932, Acts 2:44 |
Sources:
ATHEIST-CHURCH | Rachel Belle, Godless Church: Seattle Atheists on The Atheist Mega Church Trend, http://mynorthwest.com/874/2397524/Godless-Church-Seattle-Atheists-on-The-Atheist-Mega-Church-Trend accessed 20131206. |
NKJV | Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture references are from the New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. |
Ref-0165 | James G. McCarthy, The Gospel According to Rome (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1995). |
Ref-0181 | Tim LaHaye, Pre-Trib Perspectives (Dallas, TX: Pre-Trib Research Center, n.d.). [www.pre-trib.org]. |
Ref-0696 | J. Calvin Calvin's Commentaries (Albany, OR: Ages Software, 1998). |
Ref-0932 | H. D. M. Spence, Joseph S. Exell, Pulpit Commentary (n.p.: 1890). |
Ref-1324 | Clarence Larkin, Commentary on Daniel (Broken Arrow, OK: StudyLamp Software, 1929). |