Today as I was studying for my 220 Leadership message I came across something that is so powerful it must be shared in this forum. In Acts 2:42 we are given the 4 foundational elements of the church (apostles teaching, fellowship, sharing in meals, and prayer) but right after that we are given 10 FRUIT of the NT Church. These 10 things could be given different titles but most are directly from the text. When you see and meditate on these powerful things that should be the picture of the church today you will be amazed, encouraged, and moved to action.
Awe- a deep sense of awe came over them all
Miracles- and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders
Unity- and all the believers met together in one place
Generosity- and shared everything they had, they sold their property and possessions…
Daily Devotion- they worshiped together at the Temple each day
Relationship- met in homes for the Lord’s Supper
Joy- shared their meals with great joy
Praise- all the while praising God
Favor- and enjoying the goodwill of all the people
Magnetism- and each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved
WOW! Does this describe the church of today? Does this describe our local church? If not, it should! My heart is full today of passion for Jesus’ glorious Bride. No wonder He is so passionate about Her! Allow the Holy Spirit to continue to produce these qualities in your life and collectively we will be the glorious Church!!!
Amen!!
AMEN!!!! This is AWESOME!! WOW
Hey pastor joel thats is amazing as i was in class i was thinking about how i can make it a great day it doesnt matter what other people feel like you are the one that can make a difference!!
Rachael
Amen! There are so many believers who don’t spread the gospel maybe just because they feel no connection to the early church, & the act of preaching about Jesus in general discussion seems out of place & unnatural. But each of these 10 fruits are things we can see & experience every day starting with the sense of awe. When we are in awe of who Jesus is & what he did, we want unity & relationship with the Holy Spirit & the church. We believe in miracles, and daily devotion, generosity, praise, & joy come naturally. If every believer allowed the Holy Spirit to operate in their lives, lifting the name of Jesus could be commonplace instead of an interruption. I love that in our corporate prayer times, we pray for revival among churches. So many “off the subject” topics are perfectly ok for secular meetings, classes, & conferences, but introducing Jesus w/o being led by the spirit risks weak unwelcome testimony. Christians, including myself, need an antidote from the enemy’s shy bullet. Thank-you!
Wow. I have been reading in Acts and what you’ve just described, I have been feeling. God has been speaking to me through this chapter. It seems like every time God speaks to me, he confirms it through someone or something else.
Pastor Joel, I love what you said. The church of today should totally be intuned with all of these things. Thanks for being such a great pastor.