My Daily Devotional

A Church Without Walls

“They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Acts 2:46-47

This past week we went to a small group meeting at our son’s house where there were gathered about 14 people who had come to worship God together. This setting reminded me of the early church in the book of Acts which was a church without walls. This church broke out of the religious establishment of their day and spread the message of hope and salvation to small groups throughout the land. In Acts chapter thirteen we read about an “outbreak” of the Spirit of God in the city of Antioch. People from diverse backgrounds came together to form a group of faith and began to reach not only their city, but the nations with the love of Jesus Christ. The power of God and fellowship became so great in their lives that it changed their city and the world. One of the most interesting things about the church at Antioch was the way it began. It was started through humble means, as we see that men came from Cyprus and Cyrene to Antioch and began to share the gospel with not only the Jews, but other ethnic groups in the city as well. These men and women undoubtedly started the church in a small house, but soon became a church without walls as they began to experience an outbreak of the Spirit of God. Moving into every part of the city with their message of grace and forgiveness, the entire population was greatly moved by this infectious group of people. I am convinced that God’s design is not “containment” of the church within the walls of a building, but a “contagious” church that changes cities and nations. A church without walls; a church without limits!