I shared this message in revival last night and wanted to pass it along here…
Acts chapter 2 is a controversial chapter. Christians like to go there to argue about when the Holy Spirit arrived, whether we can duplicate the miracle of speaking in tongues, and whether this was the “baptism” Jesus talked about. But I think God’s focus is on the end of the chapter, in verses 41 and 47, where thousands of souls were being saved and lives changed.
In verse 41, the Day of Pentecost concludes with 3,000 souls being saved and added to the church. Verse 47 tells us that God kept doing this daily, but verse 42 is the bridge that connects the two. It simply says, “and they continued…” That phrase never really hit me before but it did this week. What’s the difference between having one big day (that soon passes) and having a series of big days? Continuing! Going on like the Energizer bunny!
What did they continue doing? I find nine signs of life in that early church. This is not a comprehensive list – other factors are introduced elsewhere in the New Testament, but what happens between the one great day of Pentecost and all of the great days that follow are these nine characteristics…
The Apostles’ Doctrine
They continued in the deepening of their theology. I fear that in our age of pragmatic approaches to ministry, we may feel that having a strong core theology is secondary to the evangelistic mission of the church. In reality, however, the truth of Scripture is the glue that holds an effective ministry together. When heresy creeps in, progress stops. It did as early as the first century thanks to the Gnostics, Judaizers, and others. Continue in the truth.
Fellowship
Fellowship isn’t defined by casseroles and potlucks, but by the bond believers share in Christ. I think of fellowship as “two fellows on a ship.” If the two fellows don’t agree on their direction, somebody’s swimming!
Prayer
Prayer fuels everything the local church does. Trace the concept of prayer through the book of Acts and you’ll find that every significant ministry moment is preceded by a time of prayer. I believe that nothing heavenly happens on earth without prayer.
Fear
Not the kind of fear that causes us to run from God’s presence, but the kind of fear in which we keep in mind God’s power and infinite capabilities. When I was a kid, I would act up in church (I know, hard to believe), but when my Dad would clear his throat a certain way, I knew the capability was there to act. So I obeyed… sometimes.
Common Care
We still sometimes slip into the mentality that Pastors are hired to provide care for people. No. Pastors are called to teach people how to care for each other. A “going” church is one in which everyone adopts everyone else as a ministry project. The church that continues does so by caring.
Unity
Unity is not uniformity. Unity is not when everyone thinks like each other. Obviously, people can make stupid decisions in unity, sometimes in rather large groups! Biblical unity is being one with the mind of Jesus. Unity is the ability to disagree, yet remain committed to the same team.
Joy
Did you know that it’s okay to have joy? In fact, is the thing God dangles in front of us as the ultimate motivation for serving Him. It’s what motivated Jesus to endure the cross (just see Hebrews 12:2), and joy is woven into the atmosphere of any church that keeps going and growing.
Worship and Praise
A church that continues does so with an emphasis on praising and worshiping God – giving worth to God together. A going and growing church exalts Him!
Trust and Dependence
If we’re not careful, we’ll forget who really adds people to the church and changes lives. We can go. We can work, and we should. We can stay busy for God, but in our flesh, we can do nothing. HE adds. HE converts. HE revives, heals, and feeds. So depend upon Him and you’ll suddenly see what His power can accomplish.
Every local church should be demonstrating these nine biblical signs of life, but what is a local church but the people who are committed to it? So the big question is are there signs of life in you?
