Now many signs and
wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And
they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them,
but the people held them in high esteem. And more than
ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so
that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and
mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The
people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and
those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed (Acts 5:12-16).
The disciples were sold out to building an
attractive community and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. They
had a new stewardship attitude toward material possessions. Today the Spirit
shows us that the apostles had something more going on… “many signs and
wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles”.
The power of God was working through the apostles to heal the sick and deliver
the oppressed. The ultimate result was… “more than ever believers were added
to the Lord”. The apostles were fulfilling the Great Commission and God
was faithfully fulfilling His promise to confirm their preaching of the gospel
with supernatural signs… “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel
to the whole creation… And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my
name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick
up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not
hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark
16:15-18). The Lord has not changed and He still works through us to
attract people to Jesus if we imitate the apostles and serve Him with the
heart that invites God’s power.
The apostles had a heart to serve. The
apostles did not form an exclusive community. They were actively engaged with
the people around them. It began with Peter and John’s encounter with a
crippled man on their way to worship in the temple and it grew to where the
apostles were meeting publicly and serving their sick and oppressed neighbors.
God saw their serving hearts, filled them with His power, and Jesus got the
glory for every answered prayer… “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever
believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these
will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this
I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:12-13).
Even today, our serving heart invites the power of God to work through
us to attract others to Christ.
The apostles had a heart of unity. The
Spirit compelled Luke to note again that the disciples… “were all
together in Solomon’s Portico”. They had a unity of purpose. They
wanted to be together in public, among the people, where the Lord could use
them to meet the needs of their neighbors and share the gospel with them. The
Spirit inspired the writer of Hebrews to teach that unity and fellowship among
believers strengthens faith and encourages good works… “Let us consider
how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet
together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the
more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25). A heart
for unity with other believers will lead us to fellowship in a local church
or ministry where God’s power is at work.
As we grow up into Christ, His grace transforms our impotent, selfish
heart into…
The Heart that Invites God’s Power.
No comments:
Post a Comment