Read Acts 2:42-47.
Is the culture around us adversarial to the cause of Christ or the Christian worldview? I believe we face a culture that really is opposed to the Christian worldview, especially if we are dedicated to living it out. This will produce troubles and trials for us. The only way we can endure the storms of life and thrive as God intended us to endure is through our fellow believers. Our spiritual roots must extend, not just deep but wide, spread among the lives of those around us. I believe we can see this through the record of the early church.
The first followers of Jesus were a pretty diverse group. The mention of how many people were at the Pentecost festival in Jerusalem and what people groups they represented shows this (Acts 2:9-11). Only the gospel, in all its power, could bring them together as a single community. In fact, the unity of the early church across traditional boundary lines was one of the most powerful witnesses to an unbelieving world. The same thing is true today. When we live in community with the church, our relationships serve as a testimony and a witness to the power of the gospel to those around us. The first followers of Jesus remained in close proximity to each other, eating, praying, worshipping, and fellowshipping. They also grew the same mindset as they sat under the teaching ministry of the apostles. As the message of Jesus spread and took hold in people’s lives, these first believers gained more of that mindset.
Again, it is the same for us today. As the culture grows openly more hostile to the Christian worldview, we need real community with other believers. This will strengthen our bonds of fellowship with each other and help us grow into a more consistent witness for Jesus Christ.
Mark Riser - Apologist 