It is generally accepted that the book of Acts is more descriptive than pre­scriptive — so it more or less tells us what happened rather than what should happen. It does, however, through the picture of life in the early Church, give us a model for today. Particularly in its opening chapters, there is flesh put on the bones of the principles we find in the apostolic let­ters.

Of those opening chapters in Acts, what is helpful for us in this subject are the verses 42 till 47 of Acts chap­ter 2. There we see the primitive New Testament Church in action.

When we look at verse 42 in that pas­sage, we see what we would espe­cially relate to Christian public wor­ship. The apostle’s teaching, fellow­ship, the breaking of bread, and prayer, are a clear outline of what happens in church on the Lord’s Day. This equivocates to preaching, fellow­ship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer, in our worship services.

But let’s now put verse 42 in the wider context of the verses 42 till 47. Here we see something which filled up their lives every day and in every way. They were constantly involved in fel­lowship.

We need to make a condition in con­nection with this, however; for that situation was temporary. Many of those newly converted had to leave very soon to go back to their homes — which could be anywhere throughout Asia Minor, northern Africa, or even Greece and Italy! (Acts 2:9-11 tells us there were quite a number from all over the known world then, each hearing their own regional languages.) So this was a special time to be fully trained and encouraged in the faith — a situation that would never again be seen in the history of the Church. It is as unrepeatable as Christ’s birth, ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection.

The Call to be Built up Together⤒🔗

Despite that, though, you cannot get away from realising that what is hap­pening here is so important that it ought to be filling up our lives whenever possible. If it meant selling up all you had so that no one went without, it was certainly serious stuff!

So this is not something that can be reduced to only an hour on Sunday. This is something which so grips you that wherever and whenever you can, you build yourself up with it. We show that with our own personal devotions. Every day we open up God’s Word, seeking God’s blessing upon it, and mediate on it. We follow that up with our spouses and our children as we have times of family worship.

Then there are those occasions every week or fortnight when we open up God’s Word in our Bible Studies, or Mid-Week Prayer meetings as some congregations call them. These can vary from something almost like a Sunday worship service in church it­self to sitting in a member’s lounge in a study together. Aside from these regular times there would also be, I trust, times of irregular fellowship. When we casually visit one another we speak of our blessings in the faith and causes for thanksgiving.

The Call to be Men Training To­gether←⤒🔗

So far so good. But here we come to an area where it can seem there isn’t any definite scripture injunction or ex­ample to follow. You see, as I am ad­dressing the vital place of a men’s prayer breakfast.

Where is something like this happen­ing in the Bible? While there are com­mands regarding the importance of studying God’s Word together, of fel­lowshipping together, and of prayer together, where are we told that it is good for men to gather in their own group together?

Looking across Christendom today we could well gather that men fellowship­ping together is not such a big deal. Very few churches have this fellow­ship and those that do seem to have so few of their men join in it. At least when you compare it with their ladies groups! The womenfolk do show us up, don’t they?

Well, we could say that our Lord took time out to be with His disciples and that they were a group of men to­gether. You would have to add that that was a special time and place and one that cannot be repeated in church history.

But still, there is something in it. They were all men. After all. It was not a mixed gender leadership team Jesus picked. He meant there to be men in the leadership of the Church. This is the real reason for the need of men’s fellowship. While it can be a helpful time of being encouraged in the faith it must first of all be a looking to being encouraged in pre­sent service, and being prepared for future service, for the Lord.

Think of 1st Timothy 3. What is the first attribute for being a leader in the Church of Christ? It is the desire within you to want to be an elder. That’s the noble thing!¹

How many of us haven’t been en­couraged by this same motivation in the godly men of the past? Whether we knew them personally, or we read of them in books and maga­zines, how much didn’t their looking to the Lord inspire us to do the same? It is a spirit reflected in the famous quote from Richard Baxter, the puritan, ‘I preach, as if I ne’er should preach again; And, as a dy­ing man, to dying men.’

Oh that we could have such a spirit! And yet we may — exactly through the right encouragement and com­pany. For those divines of the past were themselves mentored by oth­ers. I have been and so have you! Or have you? Can you think of a positive mature godly man’s influ­ence in your life?

John Paton, the Presbyterian mis­sionary to the New Hebrides, never forgot his father’s fervent pleading with the Lord in his private prayers. In his room next door, John heard it all. And how much didn’t that influ­ence his all!

Are you in such a place, Christian man? You know you must be! So why don’t we see exactly there the vital place of a men’s prayer break­fast, or indeed any time when Chris­tian men can gather for teaching and prayer?

The Call to Look to the Lord To­gether←⤒🔗

This brings in what we see of our brothers on such an occasion. When we openly share of our joys and struggles, of our difficulties and blessing, aren’t we all helped to look to the Lord? But this must be kept within that framework of looking to the Lord. There can be none of man in it but, rather, time and again we must be refocused on the Lord through His Word. This is why the ‘testimony’ type of men’s prayer breakfast must be avoided. The only story that counts is His Story!

This is why it is good to have a regu­lar biblically based series of studies at your Men’s Breakfast. In Narre Warren we have been blessed through the Matthias Media’s ‘The Man who makes A Difference’ study booklet, based on Ephesians. This is presently being followed up with a study of the book by John MacArthur, ‘The Book on Leadership’, that is based on the apostle Paul — in par­ticular chapters 27 and 28 of the book of Acts, together with relevant passages from the apostle’s letters. There are many other studies also, whether in booklet form, DVD, or oth­erwise.

It is to be encouraged that men come prepared for these studies — that is a useful discipline in itself — but for men simply to come is something to be encouraged.

The Call to Keep Coming Together←⤒🔗

Now one must note the need for the men to keep coming together. There is a spirit in our pragmatic age of ‘counting heads’ and looking to who is not there. Some men in a congre­gation may openly say that it’s not worth it if there are only a few com­ing. That is not the Holy Spirit at work. Rather, the Lord is pleased to grant His blessing when there is only two or three to­gether (cf. Matt.18:20). As He said to Samuel when he was look­ing at Jesse’s sons in term of a future king for Israel, and Samuel was rather taken by the stand­ing and strength of the oldest son, ― The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart (1 Sam.16:7). When there are not men meeting to­gether in prayer and study that congrega­tion suffers its lack. A distinct spiritual focus is lost.

The Call to be Humble Together←⤒🔗

Now let’s turn to further on to 1st Timothy. Look at the passage con­sisting of the verses 3 till 10 of chapter 6. Read it and reflect on it. What struck you about this section? Did you wonder how it could possi­bly fit in with what we’ve just spo­ken of? Well, it is an exposition of what happens when one goes off the rails, biblically speaking. And how does one come into the position of teaching false doctrines that don’t agree with the sound in­struction of our Lord Jesus Christ? Well, bad influence has been a ma­jor factor in this. There hasn’t been positive biblical mentoring going on. Or if there has been, it is overshad­owed by quite a negative anti­biblical message. This is an influ­ence which promotes self-love. Look through the characteristics in verse 4 and 5. There we find the one who is not humble under the Lord described as ‘conceited, and understands nothing’; having ‘an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words’ that re­sult in ‘envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions.’ Further, there is the ‘constant friction between men of corrupt mind’ ― those who are ‘robbed of the truth,’ who think ‘that godliness is a means to financial gain.’

These show us people who are full of themselves and so have no room for the Lord. One enterprising motivational speaker used this same spirit to write a book, ‘Sin to Win’, in which he spelled out how the seven deadly sins could prove to be your great business break-through! People like this in the Church, though, cannot work co­operatively with fellow believers. Indeed, their actions show up the emptiness of their faith. They are those who incessantly raise protests over the most minute details of the church budget while themselves con­tributing next to nothing in the offering bag on Sunday. There is nothing of the Holy Spirit in this.

This is what the verses 6 till 8 detail for us, because Christian commitment is being humble under the Lord. Thus ‘the love of money’ describes some­one who is looking after ‘No. 1’ ― and that one is not the Lord! Note this is ‘the love of money’, not the money itself. This is making material things your god, which, of course, means it’s all about you! That’s why the apostle pleads for us not to wander from the faith, and not to pierce ourselves with many griefs. Rather, we must have true contentment. This comes through the right relationship with the Lord and thus being involved meaningfully in the life and fellowship of Christ’s peo­ple.

For Christian men, it means being open to being the leaders Christ wants them to be. It’s a special part of church life. You notice it when it’s not there. Because soon enough, the men are not in that church any more.² It reminds me of an occasion when a minister was speaking with several ladies visiting from the Netherlands. They belonged to a church where there were women ordained in all the offices of the church. And they had just told this minister that they them­selves had had to become elders be­cause there were no men willing to do it. Then they asked him what he would do if faced with such a situa­tion. I mean, he could only endorse it as it meant the church could continue, wouldn’t he?

The minister replied quite bluntly: ‘I would close the church! It’s not a Church any more. Where there are no men to lead in church, it cannot be a Church anymore!’

Stand up, man! Be busy doing what counts for eternity ― not for your bank balance or personal pleasure today! And then you will prepare the way for the Church to be what the Lord intends her to be.

You don’t think He got it wrong ― do you?