PENTECOST CONTINUED
The Church was born on that day of Pentecost that we find recorded in Acts 2. While
it is obvious that Christ intended for His Church to grow and mature, He also intended for His Church to maintain the passion
and mission of its birth. In Acts 2:42-47, we see the attitudes and actions of
those early believers after the initial birth of the Church. If the Church is
to continue to grow and exhibit the power and passion of its early days, we must exhibit these same actions and attitudes. What are these?
First, they were devoted to the Apostle’s teachings, i.e. the preaching and teaching of the Word of God (Acts 2:42). This must become
equally important to us today. We need the Word. We
will never have the fullness of God’s Spirit and power if we do not give importance to the Word of God. What we need to know for our lives, our faith and the practice of our faith, we find the Word of God. If we need help, it is the Word of the Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6). If we need deliverance, it is the
Word of the Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6).
If we need love, it is the Word of the Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6). If we need peace, it is the Word of the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). If we need healing, His Word has been sent
forth to heal (Psalm 107:20). If
we need salvation, His Word is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). If we need cleansing, we are washed with water by the Word (Ephesians 5:26). We cannot despise the Word. It is extremely important (Psalm 138:2)! While the Word without the Spirit
is dead (James 2:26), the Spirit without the Word is fanaticism. We must have both.
Secondly, they were devoted to prayer (Acts 2:42). I do not believe these were small thirty second, hello Jesus goodbye God kinds of prayer. This was heart-felt, heaven-shaking, world-changing prayer. Nor was
it prayer for only what I can get but prayer that touched Heaven on behalf of a lost and hurting world. It is this kind of unselfish, “thy will be done” kind of prayer that moves the hand of God and
brings the Holy Spirit to the situations that we face. We need to pray. We need to be a people of prayer.
Thirdly, they gave attention to fellowship (Acts 2:42). We need each other. It is God’s will
that we be bound together in unity. Christians are of no threat to the Devil
if we are not unified in Christ. Our message looses its validity and power in
the eyes of the world when we are in disunity. Our love for each other, shown
through action, is extremely important. Jesus prayed that His true followers would
be unified. While we must come out from among those who do not hold to the true teachings
of Christ, we who claim Him must learn to unify and live in fellowship as family.
Fourth, they worshiped (Acts 2:42). Worship is important. Our public worship of thanksgiving (The
Eucharist) is extremely important. Our private lives should also worship and
praise our God. The word “worship” means to ascribe worth to something. Our acts of worship are our demonstration of the worth we give to God. We need to devote ourselves to worship.
What happened when the Church devoted itself in this way? For one thing,
many signs and wonders took place (Acts 2:43). Our world is hungry for the supernatural. If they do not see
it among the followers of Christ, they will seek it elsewhere. In the early Church
this brought awe (wonder), to all the people. The early Church could not be ignored! Perhaps, we need to seek God and ask Him to give us something for the world to pay
attention to. But the most important result of the early Church’s work and
actions was that people came to know Christ as Savior. Acts 2:47 says that “day
by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” While
we get exited over much, Heaven shouts over only one thing – a sinner that repents (Luke 15:10). We must have a renewal of evangelism, ministry
to and in the world and a reaching of the non-Christian. That is our mission. It must again become our passion.
We have the power available to us to accomplish all of this. We must avail
ourselves of that power. We must recapture our first love (Rev 2:4-5) and allow the Holy Spirit to continue what He began on that Day of Pentecost
so long ago.
Blessings,
Father David A. Barrett
