About the Work of Christ
Photo: First group to make a commitment to the Work of Christ
Community in june of 1974.
New Testament Christianity
Before He returned to heaven, Jesus made a
promise to His followers. “You will receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem,
in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This
promise was fulfilled shortly after His ascension.
When the day of Pentecost had come,
they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound came from
heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled the house where
they were sitting…and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
(Acts 2:1-4).
The lives of Christ’s disciples
were transformed when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit. They
allowed God to give them a new life and to use them to form a new
society. God’s people became a visible and united family of
believers. They lived a common life, a life devoted to Jesus Christ.
Through their love for one another, the first Christians were able
to convince others of the reality of Jesus Christ.
All who believed were together and
had all things in common. They sold their possessions and goods and
distributed them to all, as any had need. Day by day, attending the
temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of
food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor
with all the people. And the Lord added to their number those who
were being saved (Acts 2:44-47).
Contemporary Society
Our society has
changed a lot in recent decades. Unfortunately, much of this change
is in opposition to the Christian way of life and Gospel values.
Crime, dishonesty, abortion, broken marriages, drug abuse, the
breakdown of neighborhoods, sexual promiscuity, materialism, and
cynicism have increased at an alarming rate. There is no way to
measure the emotional, psychological, and spiritual damage that is
being done. Stress, anxiety, and worry have become part of the
“normal” experience. Many people lack purpose and have few lasting,
supportive relationships – they especially lack relationships that
will help them love Jesus and live fully for Him.
Our modern society has placed
tremendous pressure on the churches. Fewer and fewer Christians are
able to stand firmly in the face of moral decay. Many simply adopt
the values of the secular society in which they live. Vision for and
experience of a full Christian life lived in the context of a loving
community of God’s people has, for the most part, been lost by
today’s Christians.
A New Society
But, the Lord is actively working among Christians to restore among
them the life He came to give. He is looking for men and women to be
His disciples, to proclaim His Gospel, and to build His kingdom.
Through the Holy Spirit, men and women can have a personal
experience of God. They can receive power to dedicate themselves to
Him and to live a life that glorifies Him. They can receive power to
respond to the commandment of Jesus Christ: “that you love one
another as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
One result of this renewing work
of the Holy Spirit is the rebuilding of Christian community. In
community God’s people share their whole lives with one another in
an environment of love and support: a new society - a new family -
in which men, women, and children live “all out” for Jesus Christ
and experience the abundant life that He came to give.
What is Christian community?
Christian community is created
when people who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ agree to
live for Him and serve Him together. People in community share their
talents, their resources, and their day-to-day lives. They make a
stable, often life-long, commitment to love and serve one another as
brothers and sisters in Christ. They agree to work together in the
mission God has given them to do. Single people, couples, and
families find in Christian community an environment that helps them
to grow in Christ and to live faithfully for Him.
How did the Work of Christ get
started?
In the late 1960’s, a movement
known as the Charismatic Renewal began to sweep through Catholic,
Protestant, and Orthodox churches. The Charismatic Renewal helped
millions of Christians have a more personal and vibrant experience
of the Holy Spirit. They began to exercise the spiritual gifts and
found new freedom to praise and worship Jesus Christ.
One of the earliest charismatic
prayer meetings took place in East Lansing, Michigan. Catholic,
Protestant, and Orthodox Christians, many of them students at
Michigan State University, would gather every Wednesday evening to
worship God and share the love He was putting in their hearts for
one another. This love continued to grow and so did a compelling
sense of purpose and mission.
In June of 1974, 87 people made
an agreement, a covenant commitment, with one another and with the
Lord to live fully for God as members of the Work of Christ
Community.
If you have additoional questions about the
Work of Christ, you can probably find the answers by reading this
booklet: The Work of
Christ, an Ecumenical Christian Community.
