A Blog in 28 Acts - Act 2

The Holy Spirit and the Followers of Christ - Read all of Acts Two here.

The Second Chapter of Acts is probably one of my favorite chapters in the Bible.  It describes the coming of the Holy Spirit, the birthing of the Church, and gives a sense of what that early church was like.  Verses 42-47 describe that early church:

    [42]They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord's Supper and in 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 constantly and shared everything they had. [45] They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds 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 group those who were being saved.

They worshiped, they studied the Word, they served one another, they gave willingly of what they had for the sake of others and "the Lord added to their group those who were being saved".  If you are paying attention you will see the similarity between this first century church and our 21st century church.  Worship, Grow, Serve, Give, Invite.  Some things never change!

For 2,000 years the church has rallied around these principles.  And for 2,000 years God has used His Church to do his saving work in the world.  The same work that Peter, Paul and the others started in the first century we continue today.  What a privilege to be a part of God's Church in the world.

Pastor Bill Hybels says that the "local church is the hope of the world."  When the church dedicates itself to these principles we become that beacon of hope for the world.  Pray today that God will continue to use Southwood as that beacon of hope in the world.  And pray that we will never lose sight of our mission to Worship, Grow, Serve, Give and Invite!

In what ways are you most like those first followers of Christ? In what areas do you need to grow?

Pastor Greg

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16. We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day. Be sure to join us in reading this entire book. We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

Comments

[Kim]

My family still teases me about how, when I was little, all I wanted was one big house where everyone could live together. I still have that longing for integration and connection and shared purpose in all of my relationships today. The church described in Acts 2 is a perfect picture of what my soul has instinctively and persistently longed for since I was a child...it's a picture of heaven on earth.

Yesterday at Mary Bauerle's funeral, I was clearly reminded of how heaven will satisfy the longing of my soul. When Pastor Greg described communion, he said that communion is a meal shared by the church on earth and all the saints of heaven - everyone together at one big table, tasting God's love and mercy together...another little piece of heaven on earth.