“refrigerator rights”

This weekend we started a new message series at Journey called “What if?...” It’s a discussion series based on dreams and idea, on what our churches and lives may be like if we were more like the first century church.

Week number one focused on “What if we really cared for one another?”

Have you ever heard of a book called “REFRIGERATOR RIGHTS”
It’s a title of a book that came out a couple of years ago. The writer describes people who have this amazing thing in common called, “Refrigerator Rights”
I have enjoyed these rights with several people over the course of my life. It’s an amazing thing to give “refrigerator rights” to someone or receive them. What I am talking about is when you can walk into another persons home, open up the frig and make yourself at home. Make anything, eat or drink anything you want. No hesitation. “What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine.”

It’s an amazing and freeing thing to enjoy with friends that are like family.

The church was originally designed to enjoy “REFRIGERATOR RIGHT” as away of showing and being a real caring community / family.


42 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.
 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 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—47 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)

Do you see the “REFRIGERATOR RIGHTS” of the early Church?
These people shared everything they had at it was based out of their homes.
And did it with great joy and generosity.
They couldn’t help but live this ways.
Refrigerator Rights was not the rare thing in the early church, it was the norm. It was the standard by which Jesus followers demonstrated how much they really cared for one another.

This type of caring is not forced, manufactured, manipulated.
This type of caring family, laughs.... I mean really laughs and has fun.
This type of caring family, gets real with one another.
This family both celebrates and experiences life's pains together.
Note this type of caring community of family is contagious.
It was powerful, it electric and attracted more and more people.
They added to their numbers daily.
But more than that. They weren’t just adding “friends” like we do on Facebook or Twitter. They added daily to those that were being saved.
More and more people came to trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior partially because of how amazing this caring community of people were.

Ask yourself, “What if I really cared like this?
How different would your life, your family, your friends life be?
If you are a follower of Jesus.... how more alive and amazing would your church be. What would it be like to extend refrigerator rights to those in your church or small group. Might we experience some of what the early church experienced? Might we see people come to faith daily.

Ask yourself.... What if I really cared?