Follow the Prompting of the Holy Spirit
Whenever reading the Acts of the Apostles in Scripture, I’m always encouraged by the boldness and faithfulness with which so many people followed Jesus. I love reading about how the gospel spread and how the Church grew in such hostile circumstances. I’m reminded that God is sovereign and that He will accomplish His plan. I’m also reminded of the necessity of God’s Spirit in the life of God’s people.
While the Book of Acts records the inception of the Church and includes some events and occurrences that are likely not meant to be replicated today, one thing that we can be confident in is our need for God’s Spirit. Just as God’s Spirit was the power behind evangelism and discipleship then, God’s Spirit is the power behind evangelism and discipleship today.
While the Early Church had its own unique set of problems (see Acts 5:1-11), perhaps one of its greatest strengths was its commitment to prayer and seeking God. While the church was far from perfect, over and over we read of its devotion to the Word of God and being sensitive to the Spirit of God. This resulted in numerical growth, boldness, opportunity, unity, and love (See Acts 2-8).
While there are many examples worth noting in the early church, I pray that we would be like Philip (Acts 8). May we too be bold with the gospel message and willing to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit to serve people that we may not otherwise serve and go places that we may not otherwise go.
Pastor Nate