In the beginning of the Church....

    How do we get this from that?  How do we get our version of Christianity from what is outlined as the beginning of the Church in Acts?  In fact, I would agree with many that our version of Church has very little in common with the Early Church!  Now, please understand me here.  I am not bashing on the Church or any individual church congregation!  I love the CHURCH!  I praise God that I am apart of a local body of believers that is amazing and I praise God that He has allowed me to serve Him in some amazing fellowships!  However, I am under conviction that the majority of "churches" are missing it entirely!  

    I feel as if God is pouring into me right now!  I have never had the opportunity to rest, read, and study like I have until now.   I have to admit I really miss being in the ministry of the local church!  I have accepted God's timing in this matter though!  I have found the blue lining in this sabbatical, intimacy!  I have no reason to boast except that in Christ!  However, my intimacy level with Him has significantly deepened!  He is pouring into me through His Word, books that I am reading, my professors, and through sermons I am hearing live and in podcast form!  Praise be to God for this incredible journey!

  One of the most recent sermon messages I've heard comes from one of my heroes, Andy Stanley.  As I listened last night, I got excited with the ramifications of Acts 2!  Acts 2 is about the Day of Pentecost where the Holy Spirit came down and changed everything!  Many conservative Baptist may feel a little uncomfortable about this event for our Pentecostal and charismatic brothers have interpreted the gift of tongues differently that we have.  That's entirely a different discussion though!  Do not be anxious about this blessing though!  As Andy Stanley says, "It was opening day in the church!"   Jesus promised that He would send the Helper, the Holy Spirit, in His departure.  In fact, He said that it was good that He go away so that the Spirit of Truth can come and empower these disciples!  Acts 2 is the fulfillment of this wonderful promise! 

   The beauty of the Holy Spirit's Filling in Acts 2 is that God empowered ordinary men to do extraordinary work that would spread the Gospel across the globe!  On that day, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in "tongues" that were previously unknown to these mostly uneducated disciples.  In context of the Scripture here, these "tongues" were not unknown by the crowd, for people began to understand in their native language the message of the Gospel!  We must look at the full context of well developed text to better understand the gift of tongues!  Whether you are Baptist or Pentecostal or any other denomination, tongues must be understood as a gifting to evangelism!   Peter then began what we might label the first sermon ever preached in the church!  Can you guess what it was about?  JESUS!   It was the story of His Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension!  The message was about the declaration that God "has made him (Jesus) both Lord and Christ." (2:26).  The end result of this great beginning is found in Acts 2:41...

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

   The remainder of Acts 2 lays out the distinctions of the this movement of God in that they were discipled by the Apostles, fellowshipped daily, prayed fervently, met the needs of the poor and need, and were evangelistic!  And the movement continued...

And the Lord added to their number day by day those were being saved. (Acts 2:47)

    Imagine a Revival like that in your church!  I don't believe people would worry about parking, the color of the carpet, worship style, what people wore, or anything else trivial!  When the Spirit of God moves like this, people are saved and the Church is awakened again!  You can count on a deepening intimacy, passionate worship, strong Biblical teaching and preaching, and contagious evangelism in these days!

   The Filling of the Holy Spirit is not a second event after salvation.  The only exception to this was the Day of Pentecost for it was the beginning of a new work of the Holy Spirit, a new covenant work in the life of the church!  Today however, it's not a matter of getting more of the Holy Spirit!  It's a matter of the Holy Spirit having more of you!  Will you surrender all to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to do as He chooses?  Will you share the Gospel today?  Will you pray for Revival fires in the Church?