Acts 2:42-47

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Aquarium

Taking care of fish in an aquarium has similarity with church ministries. There is the time for feeding, right kind of food and how much food to give to the fish. I allow children to enter my office and enjoy watching the fish. A couple of times I was not watching them and the children helped themselves. They poured out all the fish food into the aquarium. They also put toys, hand sanitizer, and even big chunks of bread.

Too much food and not advisable food make the aquarium dirty and kill the fish. Looking after the welfare of the fish is not just about giving food, cleaning the aquarium or changing the water but also to be watchful for the safety of the fish.

God looks after welfare of His people far better than I look after the welfare of my fish. I may have an idea how to take care of my fish but I cannot make them multiply. My fish are guppy fish, kind of tropical that can multiply inside an aquarium. One may know the time for feeding, right fish food and how much food to give to the fish but it is God who makes the fish multiply.

We also have a lot of activities in the church but for church growth it is God’s activity. From the experiences of the first church active presence of the Spirit was evidential. When the Holy Spirit is actively at work, He inspires believers’ involvement in the church.

1. Devote

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

Studying the scripture should not be just about gaining information about God. Practical applications are evidences of what has been learned with devotion. Practical applications of what has been studied are actually, manifestation that the Holy Spirit is actively at work in the believer’s life.

Volumes upon volumes of commentaries and reviews about the scripture show that thousands of intelligent people have done thorough research of the Bible. Human understanding is not enough for anyone to apply personally what has been learned. It is the Holy Spirit’s effort that practical applications can be seen in the believer’s life.

Seminarian

A daughter of a missionary who is very intelligent academically enrolled in the seminary and received high grades. She is very much involved in the ministry, even leading seminars for church leaders. At first glance, she seems like an ideal Christian lifestyle.The truth is, she is living two contradicting lifestyle as observed by some friends. Some people say that she has some kind of emotional disturbance. Others think she has mental and behavioural disorder.

Studying in the seminary is not a guarantee for one to grow spiritually. Recognizing which one is helpful to their spiritual growth remains a challenge for many. Giving traditional occasions or even cultural activities a degree of importance more than church occasions are but tangible examples of stagnant spiritual growth.

It is also easier to invite friends and relatives to attend secular occasions. But inviting the same kind of people to attend church occasions is a struggle, why?

Devotion to the Apostle’s teachings, fellowship, breaking bread or communion, and praying are practical experiences of the first church when they were filled with Holy Spirit. We have the same activities [Fellowship, breaking bread or communion, and praying] but we do not have the same result in our church, why? We also have regular weekly worship, but the first century church did it everyday.

2. Continue [46-47]

⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

“Meeting everyday” is where we are left behind in the activeness of the first church. They were more active than us as they continued to meet together in the temple courts.

Church growth is slower in our church because we just meet a couple of hours weekly. We also have mid-week services, like prayer meetings or youth fellowship but not together as a whole church–only few people come as compared to Sunday attendance.

⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Enjoying the favor of all people is a very remarkable testimony of the first church. How did the first church do such kind of astounding testimony?

Individually, do you enjoy the favor of others in school, at work or even at the shopping mall? Do you believe that the Holy Spirit can make your children obey you, parents? Do you believe that the Holy Spirit can make you favourable to your teachers, students? Do you believe that the Holy Spirit can make you favourable to your boss, employees?

The first church grew rapidly because the Lord added to their number those who are being saved, not weekly, not monthly but daily. Did the first church go onto house to house evangelism that time? Did they send out fliers, posters, promotional materials or letter of invitation? Did they drop evangelism tracts in mail boxes or used Facebook or Twitter accounts?

The Bible is silent about how the believers were involved in evangelism, except for that one time preaching of Peter. It is clearly said that the Lord added to their number those who are being saved, not weekly, not monthly but daily addition.

Evaluate our ministries—“Which one has been effectively utilised to increase attendance?” Who were the latest additions to our church? Which one among our ministries inspired them that they decided to join our church?

Our experience in the past years displays that no single church ministry is more effective than the others unless the Holy Spirit is at work. As long as the Holy Spirit is leading our church ministries, the Lord will add more of those who are being saved to our number.

Driving Instructor

A new immigrant asked a Canadian driver who has a Manitoba Driver’s Licence to give him some tips and advices on how to pass the Driver’s Road Test. The Canadian driver showed him his style of driving without traffic violation. Driver’s Road Test came and he failed his first try.

Another Canadian driver advised him to get a Professional Driving Instructor. Consequently, he passed the second try in the Driver’s Road Test.

The Holy Spirit is the great spiritual instructor we need for us to pass Spiritual Test. There will be testing of what we have done in the ministry or in our individual private life.

Are you ready for the Spiritual Testing of what you have done?

In 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 it says…
¹³ their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

Remember to rely upon the Holy Spirit, the great Spiritual Instructor. God allows different types of ministry successful in different church and not two similar ministries have the same result. It is not because of a particular ministry that a church is successful but because of the active presence of the Holy Spirit.

There was no Sunday School, no VBS, no EE, no Church Camp, no Cell Group in the first church, but if we read our passage again, it is not about ministries activities that the first church increased but because they added to their number. Their ministries were actually the overflow of the work of the Holy Spirit in their life. When they applied in their individual lives what the learned from the apostles teaching, it is not of human initiatives but by the filling of the Holy Spirit.

⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

The first church was expecting the return of Christ in their generation that was why they sold everything they owned. Was it a bright move for the church to sell property and give to anyone in need? The result added to their number daily those who were being saved. What the first church did is a proof of complete submission to Christ Lordship.

In Matthew 19:21 Jesus answered… ²¹Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

No point of argument whether to sell or not to sell our possession and give to those in need. If Christ teaches it, it must be for the good of the obedient believer. The main topic in Acts 2 however, is not about selling possession but it’s more about the work of the Holy Spirit in the church which resulted to addition of members.

Let us continue to acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life.Let’s leave it to God if He allows us to grow in number but ask for our spiritual growth.

><((‘> … ><(((‘> tmec\2020 <‘)))>< … <‘))><