On Sunday, we will begin a sermon series in the Book of Acts that will last until Easter 2024. For Advent and Lent, we will be in the Gospel of Luke. This gospel is appropriate since Luke is also the writer of the Book of Acts.
The Book of Acts is the story of the beginning of the church and its advancement. It is titled for the acts or works of the apostles but can also be called the acts of the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit is the protagonist in the story as he leads the early church's growth and advancement and works through God’s chosen people.
When we read Acts, we see a bold church proclaiming Christ crucified, praying, extravagantly giving, and living in community. This sentiment that can be found many times in the Book of Acts is why the church today is not more like the early church. It is perhaps unfair to compare since the early church soon ran into problems and challenges (just read Apostle Paul's letters to churches). Also, it appears God had his hand uniquely on the beginning of his church so that it would have initial exponential growth and a solid foundation.
Some argue that the Holy Spirit was present in ways that are no longer possible today. They are called cessationist – meaning the role of the Holy Spirit operating in certain spiritual gifts are no longer possible, i.e., miracles, healings, speaking in tongues, and prophecy. I do not hold this view. I admit some things that occurred in Acts do seem unique to that period of salvation history more than to us today (Ananias and Sapphira incident and the raising of the dead).
There are foundational applications for any church in any age, and this is why a study in the Book of Acts can be fruitful. First is the Holy Spirit's role in a community and ministry. You read of the church praying together. This is more than just about the church being made of people who pray but describes a community that prays together which is the foundation and power of any church. Second, you see the bold proclamation of the gospel by Paul, Peter, and others that are getting the message out as the church is rapidly growing. Third there is extravagant generosity, where people give to others out of the abundance of what Christ has done for them. Lastly, you also see in several parts of the narrative that religious and government forces are working against the church's activity and the lesson for the church today is how the early church dealt with these conflicts.
Please pray for our time in the book of Acts, that it would transform us to be the kind of church Christ is calling us to be for Loudoun County and beyond.
