“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42–47
Are you growing any taller? How do you know? Do you have any idea how much you’ve grown in the last year? Why do you think you are able to grow? Do you think you’d be able to grow very well if you didn’t eat? How about if you didn’t sleep? Do flowers grow very well if they’re never in the sunshine? Of course not. In order to grow, living things must be exposed to the right conditions. Kids require healthy food and adequate sleep. Flowers need good light and plenty of water.
In the same way, the church must be exposed to the right conditions so that it can grow in a way that honors God. Do you know what God loves to use to grow his church? He loves exactly what we see in our text for this week. Can you remember what Jesus’ first followers were devoted to? They were devoted to God’s Word, and they loved to pray, to give, and to remember Jesus in communion. And they were full of the Holy Spirit.
These are the exact conditions that create growth in the church. God wouldn’t want to bring the unsaved to his church if people there never opened their Bibles and hated each other by acting with arrogance and selfishness. Would you like to go to a church like that?
Thankfully, we don’t see this kind of picture painted among Jesus’ first followers; instead, we see them opening their Bibles, their homes, and their hearts to all who believed, and opening their mouths to worship our God. And God was pleased to grow that church.
Read
- If Jesus is the one who builds his church, then what is our role?
- “The gates of hell shall not prevail against [my church]” is a strong statement. In light of this, how do we interpret trials and persecutions that come against the church?
Prayer
Our Father, thank you so much for building your church. We want to be the kind of church that pleases you. May we be quick to repent in areas where we fall short of your ways. Thank you for the forgiveness we have in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. May we continually stand in awe of what you have done to save us. Amen.
This devotion is adapted from Week 5 of the Acts Study Guide.
