A young lady working on her master's degree in social work asked to work with me on a research project related to multigenerational trauma. She plans to get her Ph.D. and continue our work internationally. I had learned how various traits are transmitted across generations. My 5th great grandfather, a boy whose father came from Africa, became an indentured servant when he was two. As a young lad he ran away but was captured, beat, and was forced to continue his duties. My people were called Redbones, this was a very derogatory term. I also have a linage of Native American blood. My father was a part of the Bataan Death March and was in a concentration camp for over 3 years—he struggled with PTSD before we knew what it was called. What fascinated me in my research was how traits like depression, anxiety, anger, and symptoms of PTSD are transmitted across generation. The believers transmitted attributes of God and Jesus’ teaching that continues to inspire believers.
An article by Jack Bryan was published in Christianity Today in 2019. The title of the article and subline is intriguing.
Is the World’s Next Missions Movement in Ethiopia?
Ethiopian churches no longer want to be on the receiving end of the Great Commission.
Raymond Davis wrote a book, Fire on the Mountain, about the background of the church in Ethiopia. Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935. Western missionaries fled or were forced to leave. Among them were the first two missionaries from Sudan Interior Mission (now SIM), who had planted a church in Sidama, a southern region known for growing coffee. They were attacked on the road and killed. After the Italian occupiers were expelled, SIM sent four more missionaries to Sidama; three were soon killed.
When the missionaries were put on trucks to leave Ethiopia, they looked at a very small group of people who were Christians and believed the church would not survive. They saw forty-eight believers, new in the faith and untrained, with no missionaries to guide, teach or instruct them.
Davis shares a narrative about how, when the war was over five years later, missionaries returned to find a growing, flourishing church of over 10,000 people. In the book he many stories of individuals, including a doctor's son, high ranking chiefs, women who weathered heartache and trial and how God graced the church.
“Sounds unbelievable, but in Fire on the Mountains Raymond Davis traces the spread of the Gospel as it blazed among the primitive Wallamo tribe in interior Ethiopia, the privations, hardships, sacrifices, persecutions, even unto death in some instances, is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Mourning their losses, Sidama congregations swore an unconventional oath: “We must avenge their deaths by sending out our own missionaries.”
Despite persecution and turmoil, the churches began to do as they had promised. The latest census found that 63-67% of people in Ethiopia are Christian—over 13 million people. One denomination, the Ethiopian Kale Heywet (Word of Life) Church, now has more than 1,000 Sidama congregations supporting more than 250 missionaries across Ethiopia and other nations. As I read the book I wept
Why do I share this story? It illustrates how Christians have always faced persecution. This includes verbal attacks. As I shared last Sunday, Jesus said,
John 15:18‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
The book of Acts helps us understand the birth and growth of the early church and how it spread out after the resurrection of Jesus. Christianity has always been looked down upon by many people who start with trying to discount the Bible. Yet, God’s church is unstoppable! In the book of Acts we learn how Holy Spirit connected the life and ministry of Jesus to the life of the church and the faith of the early believers. Holy Spirt has gifted Christians and churches with the power to be optimistic and bold in our witness.
Paul said,
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (Romans 1:16)
Peter stood boldly before a group of people at the Feast of Pentecost—a Jewish festival that commemorated the most important event in Israel’s history, the giving of the Torah to Moses. There were people from many countries, many who didn’t speak the language spoken by Peter—a Galilean dialect of Aramaic. The book of Acts tells us what happened.
I. Holy Spirit emboldened the disciples (Acts 1:6-8)
In chapter one of Acts we hear Jesus speaking to the disciple.
6 Then they gathered round him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’
7 He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’
I fear to many Christians have checked out on the purpose of the Church and have become consumed with the second coming—wanting God to bring an end to life on earth. Don’t hear me wrong. It will be an exciting day when we cross over to heaven, or we are all taken up into glory. Yet, I want to live and witness if God allows. I am not daunted by the society in which we live.
Daily I want to be empowered by Holy Spirit to serve him. God is continually extending an invitation for us to serve. I would have loved to ask the disciples why they considered Barsabba and Matthias to take Judas’ place. They seemingly felt strong about both and prayed accordingly and then cast lots and chose Matthias. They have a vision that infused them with boldness. They were ready to take the assignment Jesus gave to them and desired to see it come to fruition.
Often people lose hope in their God-given purpose; as well as churches. They may even feel helpless. Faith fuels hope! Yet the challenges and difficulties in life become hard and we can’t see forward. The problem is that we look primarily from a purely human perspective. The key to the early believers is that when their human side signaled retreat their spiritual side helped them become aware of Holy Spirit within their being and gave them spiritual energy to endure and move forward with boldness. Sometimes we know what we should do but lack the strength and willpower to move forward.
II. The 11 disciples stood unified (Acts 2:14)
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.
After witnessing how Jesus was treated, I can only imagine the anxiety that was attempting to pull away from the plan to speak to a huge crowd. Glossophobia is the term for speaking anxiety; however, the disciples anxiousness was based upon how they expected the Jewish leader to respond. Would they throw them in jail? Would they attempt to turn the people against them? Yet they linked arms and stood there with hope God open the minds and hearts of those in the audience.
Within Peter was a sensitivity to the presence of Holy Spirit; it was as if Jesus was standing beside him holding his hand and putting words in his mouth. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines boldness as fearless before danger. When apprehensive about sharing the Good News, Holy Spirit gives us confidence.
Acts is full of instances where boldness was given in situations where the speakers were tempted with fear: Lord, Make Me More Bold | Desiring God
? In Antioch Pisidia, Paul, and Barnabas “spoke out boldly” when the Jews publicly reviled them (Acts 13:46).
? In Iconium, they were also vigorously opposed, “so they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord” (Acts 14:3).
? In Ephesus, Apollos spoke “boldly in the synagogue” (Acts 18:26).
? In Ephesus, Paul taught in the synagogue “and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8).
? In Caesarea, when Paul was imprisoned, he spoke “boldly” to King Agrippa (Acts 26:26).
? And the last thing we know about Paul is that, while under house arrest in Rome, he went on “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:31).
For us to see the Church, as in Ethiopia, grow is our communities, and around the world, we will need to be bold and confident. We must understand our calling and spiritual gifts, linking arms in service—reaching toward our God-given vision.
III. The message of the Gospel touches lives (Acts2:36-41)
36 ‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’
38 Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.’
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
We are falsely led to believe people don’t want to make commitments, such as baptisms. In the past couple of years, I have become more and more aware of churches that don’t give public invitations. One I am familiar with will go to swimming pools or the school swimming pool have maybe 1-15 people attend a baptism; it is not a church event. According to the Annual Church Profile put together by Lifeway Christian Resources, Southern Baptist churches saw a 26% increase in baptism in 2021 from the previous year. Southern Baptist church planting saw an increase in 2020. There is decline in many churches, but people are open to the Gospel. We will only see this when we share the Good News with people.
God’s gift of salvation needs to be shared with all people. It is false for us to assume an overwhelming percent of people living in this county are Christians. With a population of approximately 70,635, Muskogee County reports 72.95 percent of its residents identifying as religious. About 42.56 percent identify as Baptist, 9.21 percent identify as Methodist, and 8.22 percent identify as other Christian. Where that may sound good, the Christian side of the religious represent only 58%. That translates to just under 50% of the population are not Christians.
We have more work to do; however, there are some good signs on the horizon. Christian Broadcast Network published an article, ‘The Biggest Water Baptism’ in US History? 4,166 Baptized at Historic Beach From Jesus Movement. This was sponsored by Oceans Church at Pirate’s Cove—over 280 churches participated.
Worship Leader Daniel Mamora said, "It was so incredible just seeing all of these people come together. In fact, I was sitting on top of the cliff watching the baptisms and there's a staircase in order to get down if you want to get baptized and literally, there was a whole line right there and then all of a sudden, the line just goes around into the parking lot, it wasn't just people wanting to come in and witness but people wanting to get baptized, that blew me away!"
IV. Uncracking the secret of the early church’s growth (Acts 42-47)
I understand people come to salvation by the work of Holy Spirit in their lives; however, we have the responsibility to live in such a way they understand the beauty of being a Christian.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
The early church grew exponentially, it exploded. How? I believe we see several important features of the church in this passage.
Recently I have been paying attention to and reflecting on church life. As a pastor I have served churches, to include a mission church in Tucson, from rural to a city like Kansas City. As an interim, often called transitional pastor of at least 10 churches, I have served many churches. In recent months we have attended several churches. This has allowed me to put together several things that we need to know about church life that pleases God.
These may not be conclusive; however, they touch on some key areas. You will observe them in the Bible, especially in Acts 2.
• Focus on evangelism. This is leading to affirmation of a person’s acceptance of and faith in Holy Spirit. It is an anchor for the person and others. Funerals are difficult for me if there is not this anchor—I am not saying a person will not go to heaven if they were not baptized prior to baptism. However, baptism is typically a moment of celebration of the commitment to follow Jesus, all the way to eternity. In Acts we see the proclamation, acceptance of salvation, baptism, connecting to a community of believers, and participation in the teachings of God.
• Centrality of the Bible:
At the start of Jesus’s ministry, Jesus went to the synagogue and read from the scroll that was handed to him. In the Acts passage, the disciples taught the early believers. They laid the foundation for New Testament.
The church my brother and his wife attend, Grace Church, has 30 mins of Scripture reading between their first and second worship. The church we attend, FBC Muskogee, has several times during worship where ministers read Scripture. The church also promotes a daily reading of Scripture. Without the Bible we will flounder, as individuals and our churches.
• Importance of greeting and fellowship: We have attended two churches recently where this was a powerful experience. One was a large church and one a smaller church. We were greeted with smiles, affectionate handshakes, hugs, and gifts. These churches represent NT joyful fellowship.
I pastored a church in Louisiana that had been torn apart by conflict between some in the church. I am not sure how it happened, but our greeting time was known across Leesville, Louisiana. It looked like chaos as people greeted each other. A deacon came up to me with tears in his eyes and talked about another deacon. who had not reached out to him and shook his hand. We had a friend from another church who came one Sunday. He told me he wasn’t going to become a part of our church. He told me he had heard of the “Mt. Bethel welcome” and wanted to see it. We still have relationships with those people that are stronger than some family ties.
I preached at a camp in Louisiana, the Arcadia Holiness Camp. I preached in the chapel each night and led a Bible study each morning. There were at least 300 people there—not all related, staying in cabins. They met annually and people with ties came from various states and countries. The fellowship witnessed and enjoyed at the camp was incredible.
We were a part of very large church in Kansas City. Annually, they took a weekend and went on a retreat at the Resort at the Lake of the Ozarks. The pastor was there, living a staff member to preach for those who couldn’t attend. We got to meet and fellowship with people—it was a way to break down the large congregations.
The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia. The usage of the word means living in community together. The word is used 20 times in the New Testament. It is used in our passage. Paul uses the word in several of his letters.
o Romans 15:26-27 Paul uses it to describe Gentile believer’s contribution to Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
o Philippians 3:10 Paul uses it to describe his desire to share in Christ’s suffering.
o John 21:15-17 Peter uses phileo to describe the kind of love he had for Jesus—brotherly love; twice Peter was asked if he had agape—unconditional love for Jesus, and then if he had phileo love and all three times Peter said he had phileo love for Jesus. There are several interpretations as to why Peter didn’t say he had unconditional love for Jesus; no modern theologians got to ask Peter. Yet, phileo should characterize our love for all believers and sinners—which characterizes the love we are to have for each other.
We should greet each other with brotherly love—everyone should be “greeters”, not just those who are designated. At my sister’s church the pastor was at the front door, greeting those who came in. In the foyer there were several people who graciously greeted us. As we went into the auditorium people continued to greet us.
At my brother’s church we were pleasantly overwhelmed with the greeting and fellowship we experienced. The greeters were fantastic. People continually came to us. I had several men that hugged me, along with women hugging my wife. They gave a wonderful loaf of bread.
We read in our text that early believers devoted themselves to “the fellowship”.
• Anticipation of God answering prayer and doing miracles. The disciples and others had witnessed Jesus performing many miracles. The early church spent a lot of time in prayer. Our church has prayer several times each worship experience. This is a key for understanding certain charismatic churches.
Many Christians are steeped in a materialistic view of life—they don’t really believe God can do miraculous things in our lives. One of the reasons Pentecostal churches are growing is because they believe in and emphasize prayers for healing and other miracles. When looking at the New Testament we see prayer is has an important aspect of Christianity.
In John Jesus gave us a taste of the importance of prayer. Jesus prayed for himself. He prayed for these disciples, and he prayed for all believers.
John 17:20 ‘My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – 23 I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Mathew 17:20 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
This passage is a segway into the next point of our reflection. Jesus made a very challenging but reassuring comment when the disciples were unable to drive out a demon from a person. It is a passage about hope. When facing a difficult issue, we should be confident about going to a person of faith and asking them to pray for us. James says this,
James 5:15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
In Desiring God, there is a list of different types of prayer is given of: (Four Aromas God Loves Most | Desiring God)
? Thanksgiving (1 Timothy 2:1)
? Forgiveness (1 John 1:9)
? Intercession (1 Timothy 2:1)
? Praise and adoration (Psalm 148:1–14)
? Utter dependence (Matthew 7:7)
? Seeking wisdom (James 1:5)
? Petitions and supplications (1 Timothy 2:1; Philippians 4:6)
? Seeking peace (Philippians 4:6–7)
? Salvation (Romans 10:9–10)
• The early Christians were keenly aware of the evil one.
An emphasis I don’t witness in many churches is that they appear to pray about the evil one.
Global churches, like those in Africa, are sensitive to the dark side that impacts people’s lives and the church. Too many times we put that on the backburner, perhaps because we are afraid we will be subjected to criticism by the unaffiliated.
The word Satan means accuser. In Job Satan accuses God and Job. In addition, Satan is a tempter—you see this in Job. Satan “entered” Judas Iscariot and he betrayed Jesus. If Satan tempted Jesus, why do we think he would not tempt us. When writing to believers in Corinth, Paul wrote,
II Corinthians 11:3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the snake’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
In Africa you will find a praying church. Africans live in a culture where there is the belief that evil forces cause bad things—there is the belief in supernatural evil.
Peter refers to ‘your enemy the devil prowling around like a roaring lion’ (1 Pet 5:8; Acts 8:4-8), African exponents of spiritual warfare would normally understand this to include how the devil functions through various evil spirits. In Ghana, proponents of spiritual warfare have developed sets of general principles and discourses to support the practices of exorcism, healing, and deliverance. Spiritual Warfare in the African Context - Lausanne Movement
The New American Standard Bible, a good translation of John, unlike some translations uses the concept of the evil one. John uses the word ?p??e?a?, apóleia, for the evil one, which means son of destruction.
John17:12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name, which You have given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. (NAS)
Some attempt to use Satan as a scare tactic in the name of evangelism.
Wednesday, on Facebook someone posted and image where they were saying parents need to raise up their children in godly homes—that is a good message; however, they then had a picture of two dark evil creatures, with horns, carrying off two children in gages. I am not sure we are to take that approach.
In Christ, we need to be sensitive to the forces of Satan, but we don’t have to be afraid of him. If we have a personal relationship with Jesus, we have Holy Spirit, God, Jesus abiding in us and he trumps the power of Satan.
My point is that I am certain that the believers in the early church prayed faithfully for protection from the evil one. Paul prayed often, he prayed with expectations God would answer, and one senses his strong faith. In I Thessalonians we learn Paul “prayed without ceasing.”
• Spiritual worship focused on adoration of God. This cannot be orchestrated or stifled. There are 11 Greek words for worship. They have their own special meaning:
o Worshipers
o To show homage by kneeling or prostration (most common in N.T.)
o Sacred service, adoration
o To serve
o To revere
o Honor religiously
o Object of worship
o Practice piety
o Religious ceremony
Greek Words for Worship (eschaton.org)
In 2003 my wife and I were praying about moving back to Oklahoma from Tucson. It would mean leaving an exciting mission church. I was feeling a call to “get outside of the church” and work with those who would not typically walk into a church. We also desired to move to Louisiana, our home state. We had asked our church to pray with us. I was asked to go to American Association of Christian Counselors conference with a group of counselors. In addition to breakout sessions, we experienced some awesome worship. Great music and messages. People were standing with their arms raised. I sat down because I was in deep contemplation but still a part of the worship. I was humble before God and was asking him to give me guidance and reassurance if we made the decision to move back to Oklahoma. That was my response to the invitation to worship. He gave me reassurance, we shared our decision with the church, and prepared to move to Oklahoma. I knew what God had placed on my heart. I didn’t have any financial resources coming in; however, the assurance and peace of God was strong.
Worship should have certain moves; as the Greek words suggest. These moves are not to be mechanical. They are to reflect moves of our hearts and planned accordingly. Our worship should represent several things.
• Stewardship of resources. This account in Acts doesn’t mean all Christians must donate all of their possessions. I would rather a Christian give what they can than be loaded with guilt and stop giving and withdraw from church life because they are not giving 10%. That is a guide, an ideal. Some have to give less, and some can give more.
The Christian Reformed church has fewer than 16 million members than Southern Baptist Churches; however, their member’s average giving is 6.1%. This is higher than Southern Baptist members.
I once read that 85% of money given to the church stays in the church. Yes, churches have realized expenses—building expenses—insurance is a big one, Biblical literature, and so forth. As members contribute there are more resources for outreach ministries and the care of people.
While serving as the Director of the Capital Campaign I learned that people give most generously to people. All our financial opportunities should focus on people—even money we spend on our property should accent blessing people.
• Ministry outside of the church: There is a renewal of my vision for Christians to get outside of the church and build relationships, minister to people, and share the love of God. Janet and I are passionate about this.
Mission Arlington, a ministry with FBC of Arlington, models this. They are closed only 1 day a year, at Christmas. They have a medical and dental clinic. They provide counseling. They provide medical equipment. They have an incredible facility where people come for food and clothing—social agencies send people there to get help. On Saturdays they have teams that crisscross Arlington ministering to people. They have a house where people who stay at the Salvation Army facility can clean their clothes, use the address as they seek jobs, and other services. On Sundays they have Bible studies across Arlington. On one of my trips, I went with a team to multifamily units, and we knocked on doors, waking up people who had voiced that was needed to wake them up. All by volunteers. When a single mother how many hours a week she volunteered she said, “I don’t consider it volunteering. It is a way of life.”
Churches need to take a deep look at how God can use them. Typically, people don’t show up to your house for a meal, unless they are invited. I would think the early believers had to work and go to the markets. Those are typically packed, as I witnessed in Africa. They probably built relationships and invited people into their homes—the beginning of the house church movement. Jesus started this approach and would go to people’s home, to include people who were not believers—those referred to as sinners.
• The aesthetic value of facilities. Can you imagine the aroma of food cooking in these homes where the people met? As we often do when we know we are going to have visitors, we rush around and do some house cleaning. My wife loves to burn a scented candle. She and I love to decorate our home for Christmas. We took great joy in creating a wreath with a beautiful nativity set on it. It allows us a sense of worship-readiness for us and visitors.
Sadly, some churches are not clean, have a musty smell, and need renovation. The churches we recently visited have great aesthetic appeal (e.g., warm inviting foyers and worship center, openness, appealing décors, etc.).
Incense--frankincense is mentioned in the Bible: It was used on the incense altar and in the holy incense. It represents the sacrifice of Christ, the purification of the faithful, and the prayers of believers.
• In Exodus 30:7-9, it is mentioned that Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he trims the lamps. There shall be perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.
• In Deuteronomy 33:10, it is mentioned that the people shall put incense before God and whole burnt offerings on His altar.
• In 1 Samuel 2:28, it is mentioned that God chose Aaron and his sons from all the tribes of Israel to be His priests, to go up to His altar, to burn incense, and to carry an ephod before Him.
• In Luke 1:9, it is mentioned that according to the custom of the priestly office, Zechariah was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
• In Leviticus 16:12-13, it is mentioned that Aaron shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil.
Remember what Mary did? In John 12 we read about Jesus visited Bethany six days before Passover. They provided a meal for him. Mary took a bottle of expensive ointment made from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus. She then, on her knees, wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with fragrance. The value equaled three hundred denarius; a denarius was equaled to a day’s labor. It would be like us saving up a
In Revelation 8:3 John says.
And following, John says “another angel came and stood at the altar holding a golden censor and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints went up before God out of the angel's hand.”
Jim Couchenour, director of marketing and ministry services for Cogun, offers a list of key questions to keep in mind when considering ministry space design.
• Does the interior promote a sense of awe and wonder?
• Does the space allow for worship through the arts?
• Are physical icons included that people can touch and experience?
• Does the space provide an environment to worship God?
What if a church would periodically evaluate themselves by using this list gleaned from our text and the New Testament? What could we anticipate? New believers would find a place to belong. Believers would be transformed and experience growth. There would be worship, adoration of God. Praying about and implementing a ministry of outreach. These things would happen, and the Church would grow.
V. And the Lord added 3,000 to their number in one day. (Acts 2:41)
The early church had irresistible influence in communities where they lived and served. I believe it was because of their focus that we see in our text. The church grew exponentially in such a way that it has spread around the globe. It appears that every country has Christians, some may have a lower percentage than others, but they are in some of the most oppressive countries, such as Afghanistan, North Korea, so forth.
It is reported that 3,000 churches in North Korea at the beginning of the 20th century—now the Church is basically underground but reaching people.
An article I read said there are 20,000 missionaries in Korea, belonging to the World Missionary Fellowship. It is hard to report these number when many Christians do not expose their Prescence. There are Southern Baptist Missionaries who do not disclose their presence in certain countries, or they go in under hematuria organizations. The People of the Way cannot be stopped. Christianity is transmitted across generations. Jesus continues to bring salvation to those who hear and trust in him.
Robert Lewis : The Church of irresistible influence (alisonmorgan.co.uk) Alison Morgan
“Best metaphor for church is a bridge; each chapter is introduced with the story of the building of a great bridge – always with the odds against, the insistence and belief of the engineer, and the difficulties.
“To try to convince a postmodern world of truth when it rejects truth. Our postmodern world is tired of words. It wants real. Real is everything. Real is convincing. We are trying to build bridges on truth alone, whereas what the world wants is proof. A fitting description for a church would be this: a community of people who present living proof of a loving God to a watching world.”
People show interest in the truth of the gospel only after they’ve seen the relevance of the church and the credibility of Christians.”
Scriptural foundation:
• Mt 5.16 let your light shine before men.
• Luke 6.31-35 do to others what you would have them do to you; love your enemies and do good to them.
• Acts 30.35 Jesus said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.
• Romans 12.20-21 overcome evil with good.
• Galatians 6.9-10 let us not become weary in doing good; we will reap a harvest.
Invitation:
• Have you heard the message about the salvation Jesus offers? Do you believe Jesus has extended mercy, grace, hope, and love to you? He invites you to confess this, follow him in baptism, grow by studying the Bible, and join a fellowship of believers. The invitation is open.
• For believers, Christ wants to know you are following the example of the early church. He is calling you to grow in him and practice a New Testament model for honoring Christ. A call to:
1. Commit yourself to share the way of salvation.
2. Focus on studying the Bible and live by the things you learn.
3. Dedicate yourself to fellowship.
4. Anticipate God answering your prayers.
5. Remain sensitive to the presence of Satan.
6. Participate in worship, adoration of God.
7. Be a good steward of God’s resources.
8. Become sensitive to the needs of others—ministry.
9. Join others in creating a setting that is inviting.
These are the things that “make me tick”—cause for someone to run or function, and I think should make a church “tick.” Will you respond to his beckoning?
