Friday, July 17
Read: Acts 2
Act two has to be one of the most epic moments in the Bible! Christ has already died for the sins of mankind; his resurrection has given us victory over sin and an eternal life in the kingdom of heaven! Now we have the last segment of Jesus’ promise being fulfill, the coming of the Holy Spirit. The blowing of a violent wind (v. 2) is the Holy Spirit descending upon the earth. It was described as tongues of fire. Remember the prophecy that John the Baptist gave in Luke 3?
“I baptize you with water, but the one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Luke 3:15-16)
With the Gift of the Holy Spirit we have the start of the church (v. 42-47). God initiated the church through Holy Spirit. In these versus we are given the example of the first church body in complete community. They shared everything with each other and devoted their spiritual lives in fellowship. The beautiful thing here is that in unity God added them in their numbers. Their church was a growing church!
We are called to be a unified body of Christ, a church of the kingdom of God. Here we are given an example of how the first church lived in community. They found joy in their community with “glad and sincere hearts” (v.46). In no way are Christians called to live a life of faith alone. We are to have community with our church with the same focus on Christ in our hearts. Though we are different, God blesses us in our church.
Now these people of the church in Acts 2 were very different. At first they all spoke various languages. But the Spirit broke those barriers and brought them together. There are no barriers in this world that can restrict Christians from being unified in Christ. God does not call us to all be the same, but to be unified through God. Unity isn’t about uniformity. Unity is about a bunch of different people coming together and being able to work together for one purpose. God made each one of us differently. He has chosen each of us for a specific purpose. In the body of Christ all parts are needed to accomplish the will of God and the kingdom of heaven.
Through the Salvation Army we are blessed with what an amazing family this church has become and what a community of love there is amongst us. But let us not forget the other churches of Christ. The Salvation Army is only of one part of a much larger body. Let us not forget how vast the body of the church truly extends to.
Process:
– Are we spending enough time with our church families? It is easy to get caught up in the routine of Sunday worship. But how much time is devoted to the community of the church?
– Remember, the church community extends beyond the walls of a building. The community is built up on the people and not a building. We can enjoy fellowship with our congregations in settings in various locations.
– Verse 44 says “all the believes were together…” Are there any barriers in our corps that create segregation amongst the community? Are there any barriers between you and the people of your church? How can we better unify the church body, despite these obstacles?