You need a church, and you need friends.

From the very beginning, God put people together to worship, serve, and follow Him.

While you find this throughout Scripture, it is particularly evident with the apostles and disciples of Christ.

What would Paul have done without Aquila and Priscilla? How would he have carried out his purpose without Luke, Timothy, Silas, or any of the others. These people helped and supported Paul in accomplishing his work.

It’s amazing what Paul and the other apostles accomplished in such a short time, but they did not do it alone.

God never intended for us to do His work alone. He intended us to be part of the church, members of the body who help and encourage one another. Last night after our Wednesday meeting I was blessed by a young woman who said, “I pray for you daily.“ And, she meant it. She spent just a few seconds last night praying over me and praying for God‘s blessings and protection. I reminded her, “I am sustained by the prayers of God‘s people.“

Last night I preached from Acts 19. It’s a passage that describes a riot by the worshipers of the goddess Artemis in Ephesus. The riot spilled over into the theater in Ephesus (it’s still in existence and probably held 25,000 people). Paul wanted to go into the middle of the riot, but he had friends who kept him back. Those friends blessed and helped Paul. He even had friends among the provincial leaders in the province of Asia. God used all of those people for His glory and to bless Paul and aid him in his ministry.

This seems to be the pattern of the New Testament. People work together. They encourage and pray for one another. When times get tough, they stand firm and stand strong.

May you and I be those people.