The movie or the book?

Which do you think is better, the movie or the book?

You know, those times when a movie is made based off a great book. Then comes the question of which was better, the book or the movie?

It depends.

I’ve read some terrific books that were turned into movies, and the book was far superior. I’ve also read some good books that were the basis of a really good movie. In that case, the book was excellent, and seeing it acted out was also terrific.

We can ask a similar question about the church — which is better, the church we read about in the Book of Acts in the Bible, or the church we see and experience in “real life” today? Sadly, in so many cases, the “book” is vastly superior. In too many cases, the local church of the 21st century doesn’t live up to the loving, caring, serving, Gospel-preaching, disciple-making, life-changing church we read about in Acts. Just look at the church in the book …

“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,” Acts 2:42-47.

“All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need,” Acts 4:32-35.

Is that the kind of church you’re a part of? Is that the kind of fellowship of believers you “do life with” every week? Are you the kind of Christian we read about that made up the early church?

Living as a disciple of Jesus, and His church today, should be the “movie version” — the “acting out” — of what we read about in the Book of the Acts and other books of the Bible. If it isn’t, we need to seriously search out why, and make what corrections are necessary so that the book, and our living versions of it, are calibrated to be much alike.

The lost of the world need the modern “movie” of Christianity and the church to be every bit as good as the book, and so do we! By God’s power, and our repentance, it can happen!

Scotty