- were arrested; arrested because God had healed through them?
- were filled with the Holy Spirit?
- just a few weeks earlier, had scattered and denied their connection to Jesus, and were now standing in front of the same authorities speaking boldly?
- remained steadfast in the face of additional threats?
- were promised they could ask for anything and it would be given to them, and asked for power that would demonstrate the authority of Jesus and help in the spread of the good news?
- were of one heart and mind?
- understood that everything they had was really God's and graciously shared it with one another?
Friday, January 26, 2007
Challenged. Acts 4.
This chapter is one of the most challenging for me in the entire New Testament. How does my faith measure up to the faith of those in the early church, who:
2 comments:
I believe that Acts 4 is really the essence of the Body. From Acts 4:23-24 -
"On their releaese, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said,"you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them."
Imagine hearing of the threats and persecution Peter and John endured and then, rather than commiserating at their fate, they raise their voices together to God.
Or the key verse, to me, in the chapter:
"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions were his own, but they shared everything they had...there were no needy persons among them."
Think about that, no needy persons among them...How wonderful would that be, glorious and real.
Do we have needy in our midst? Definitely. Why? Individually, I believe it is because we have encouraged the idea of Giving as a gift. Sharing God's gifts and serving the Body should be a natural extension of our gratitude to God, not mutually exclusive, just as, if you are gifted to teach, you should not resist serving the Kingdom as a teacher because you have the ability to give.
If we share everything we have, we share everything we have. I once heard that the quote was descriptive of the early church, rather that prescriptive of the future church, I believe that is a cop out of Eternal proportions. The reason it was written down was to understand God's Will for the Body, not to justify those that would substitute the green in their wallet for the sweat on their brow.
aaron has issued the challenge of Acts 4 to each of us.
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