Responses

It has been interesting to listen and watch as people formulate their responses to the war in Ukraine.  Some respond with distrust.  Some respond by giving.  Some respond by doing/saying nothing (yes ... that is also a response).  Some are outraged.  Others say, "It is the Russian leaders being who we know they are."  You can add your response here, but responses are telling!

When we enter Acts 4, the Church has seen/experienced some pretty telling events.  In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit descends on the Church, Peter preaches truth to all gathered in Jerusalem and "about 3,000" are added to the Church.  The people respond by gathering in fellowship, praying, Bible study, miraculous signs, worship and there was a sense of revival.  In Acts 3 Peter heals a crippled beggar and preaches another powerful sermon.  In Acts 4, Peter and John are seized and taken before the Sanhedrin, where they are told "not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus."  Peter and John are released because "all the people were praising God for what had happened."

From the mountaintop of revival to the valley of persecution to the uncertainty of the future, all in the space of a few days.  What do these new believers do about this "new thing" God had planted?  What is their response?  I believe we can learn a lot from their responses as we decide how to be led by God in our responses.

Here's what God's word says!  First, in verse 4:24, we read this ... "When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God."  They prayed, in the context of fellowship with one another.  There is power and community in that kind of prayer.  When friends, family and our brothers and sisters pray together, God does some pretty wonderful things. When we (the Church) pray in unison and unity, we can stand back and see what God does!  Prayer is a great place to start!

Second, God responded.  Verse 31 says, "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken."  God still shakes things, including people and His Church.  Also, "They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."  God's response not only shook the early Church ... it filled and emboldened them!

Finally, all of this God-activity manifests itself in the people of the Church in a way that is contra-world (and really contra-human nature).  The people share everything!  Verse 32 says, "All of the believers were of one heart and one mind ... they shared everything they had."

What I hope to highlight with this short little blog is ... when the Spirit moves, the result is community.  It is 1) ordained by God, 2) inspired/enabled by God, 3) part of our Christian response and 4) a manifestation of who God is in His people.  It brings fellowship.  It causes us to bind together with those of like mind.  It is contra-world and counter-culture.

So, I will leave you with some questions.  How can we invite God's Spirit to lead us to be this counter-culture movement?  How does this happen in a way that we go together as a people of "one heart and one mind?"  Let's talk Sunday about some of these answers!  Randy