Acts - Chapter TwoSample

Value of Teams  

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, Acts 2 :46

While the acronym TEAMS stand for Teaching, Evangelism, Adoration, Mentoring, and Sharing, the word teams is yet another value which the early believers practiced when meeting in homes. 

While the large gathering of 3000 and more, did gather in temple courts, the intimate fellowship of family and friends in homes enhanced the early believers’ solidarity of commitment. The practice of gathering in homes for the Passover celebration was the norm for centuries, however, when the Spirit of God came upon these early believers this annual feast became a daily celebration. The gathering of people in homes would have comprised of a household along with neighbors and extended family members. These teams were voluntary discipleship groups that came together in response to the Holy Spirit. They were autonomous yet interdependent teams who devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, prayer and to fellowship (Acts 2:42). In other words, the Apostles did not initiate, organize, manage or control these teams/ small discipleship groups, but they actively affirmed, encouraged and empowered them. 

The large gathering in the temple courts would have indeed been exciting and celebrative, but right from the very start, the Jewish temple authorities opposed them (Acts 4: 1-3). Even as early as Acts 8, there was intense opposition; Stephen was killed, and all the believers were scattered. 

It was an expensive project- it was a government funded project even from its inception. 

It was built with wrong motives- History says Herod rebuilt the temple to appease the Jews. 

The gathering at the temple courts was short lived and temporary-By 70 AD the temple was destroyed completely.

We can thank God for large facilities and large gatherings which are more visible in generally peaceful and prosperous locations. They are more optional than the norm. However, let us not hinder or underestimate the value of committed teams/ small groups gathering as a church in any convenient space. They can in fact multiply even faster during times of persecution and other hardships. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went Acts 8:4.