Friday, October 3rd

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Friday, Oct. 3

Acts 2:42-47
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

A few weeks ago a friend told me a story about one of his adult children that struck me as very significant. He said that his son had a friend that he had invited to join him for an FBCG worship service. But the friend had not been in a church for a very long time due, in part, to negative experiences earlier in life. The friend also had multiple tattoos and body piercings that he feared would cause people to judge and reject him as unworthy of being in church. My friend’s son responded, “Not my church! The people at my church are real - they won’t judge you or reject you - they will welcome you!”

That story made me feel good on several levels. First, that’s what I hope anyone would feel when they walk into our church for the first time - accepted, loved and cared about - not judged. Second, that’s what the gospel is about! We don’t have to clean ourselves up before God will love us and forgive us; he loves us as we are and takes us as we are! Then, after we receive his grace, he begins to shape us into what he wants us to be. Third, that’s what the very first church was like!

Luke tells us the first church loved welcoming people into their number!

And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

To me this is one of the most joy-filled and powerful sentences in the whole New Testament.

“The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

I think there are several things we must see here.

First, notice it is the Lord who does the adding. That tells us that it was Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that was drawing people to himself.

Second, we see that the young church was growing “day by day.” That tells me that growth was happening not because of some program or some advertising campaign (although there is nothing wrong with programs or advertising), but rather because there was something dynamic and attractive about this community of people that others simply found irresistible. I think we see some clues in Luke’s description of the church:

...and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.

People are attracted to joy; people are attracted to generosity; people want to be part of something that blesses others!

Finally, Luke says, people were being saved. That means people were hearing the gospel; recognizing their sin; and receiving the forgiveness and promise of eternal life found in Christ.

I have read research that says that some 70% of churches in America are either in plateau or decline. Some estimate that some 4,000 churches close their doors every year in our country. The reasons for all this are complicated and many.

But in Acts 2 Luke gives us a window into the key ingredients of a healthy, dynamic and growing church.

Devotion to the truth of the gospel.

Devotion to the fellowship.

Devotion to prayer.

Extraordinary generosity and contagious joy.

Welcoming every single person that the Lord added to their number.

It’s not rocket science! It’s just the church!


Pastor Brian Coffey