If you’ve traveled overseas, especially to Europe, you know this to be true: Europe has some of the most beautiful, historic churches in the entire world. Yet they are also some of the emptiest! A pastor who went to London recently experienced this phenomenon. He tells that he was in a city there in England to do a Bible study, observed this occurrence, and said, “Churches are dying off so fast that they’re being sold off to bars and restaurants. London churches are desperate for the blessing of God.” And that statement really struck me…
Folks, I don’t want to lead a dying church. And I have a hunch today that you don’t want to be part of a dying church either. So what does it take for a church to remain vibrant, exciting—and alive? It takes the blessing of God. Whenever God blesses a church, it grows, lives are changed, and miracles happen (we heard some about that last week). Churches that God blesses … bless people, bless families, and bless communities; that’s a fact…
How do I know that? Because, that’s what the Early Church had. God’s blessing was all over that church! And if we want to have God’s blessing on our church, we need to model what the Early Church did in Acts, Chapters 1-2. Let’s take a look right now, shall we? Let’s read together from the history book of the NT—The ‘Acts’ of the Apostles…
After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. 4 As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but “must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. … 14 They agreed they were in this for good, completely together in prayer, the women included. Also Jesus’ mother, Mary, and his brothers.
5 There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. 6 When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. 7 They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans? 8 How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues? – Acts 1:3-4, 14; 2:5-8 (MSG)
So, there it is. We can see some of the things that were going on in the Early Church. So, what’s changed? ‘Same God. ‘Same power through the Holy Spirit. How in the world are we going to be a church today that God’s blesses … and then—in turn—will be a blessing to others? Throughout August, we’re going to look back at the first couple of chapters in Acts to find out. So, let’s begin here today: Here’re some things I see clearly happening in the Early Church: First…
WE NEED TO BE A CHURCH WHO PRAYS FOR GOD’S POWER. Acts 1:3-4 and 14 tell us, “After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. 4 As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. … 14 They agreed they were in this for good, completely together in prayer, the women included. Also Jesus’ mother, Mary, and his brothers.”
It’s God’s power that makes the Church different from any other organization or group; did you know that? And we need to be constantly, consistently, praying for that power; why? Because it’s only the Power of God’s Spirit that can truly change lives … and that’s the business we’re in (yes, it’s God’s business, but—according to the Bible—God uses the Church to do his work)! The GOOD NEWS is … we have the Holy Spirit, which in its most simple terms would be ‘God’s Spirit of Love’; Microsoft, General Motors, and Apple don’t have the Holy Spirit; we do! The Power of God’s Spirit is unlike any human power we consider to be strong; it’s a power unlike anything we can do on our own…
A young man growing up in the wrong part of Houston became a bully. He’d get in fights in school, in the neighborhood, and began mugging people to get spending money. He even beat up people just for the sake of doing it…
He learned to box, and became pretty good at it. He began to make a lot of money and could have almost anything he wanted. One day, during his training session for an upcoming bout, he heard his mom talking to his sister on the phone about his favorite nephew. The young boy had had a seizure and now lay in a coma in the hospital. Doctors said he’d probably die, but even if he came out of the coma he wouldn’t be able to move his limbs, speak, or do anything we’d consider part of everyday life…
He ran into the room where his mom was on the phone and shouted, “Momma, call the hospital and tell those doctors to give him the best of everything. Tell them I’ll take care of all the bills, to fly in the best doctors from wherever they have to. Tell them who I am, and that I’ll take care of everything — whatever it costs.”
Well, his mom spoke to the doctors, and then told him, “Son, you’re just going to have to pray.” He realized then how critical the situation was. When someone tells you the only thing you can do is pray, things are looking pretty bad…
Then it hit him: all of his money, his fame, his influence, and his friends— none of that could solve this problem. It was out of his hands, out of the doctor’s hands, out of everyone’s hands. For the first time, he was totally powerless… And for the first time, George Foreman dropped to his knees and prayed…
He wasn’t sure God existed, but he knew that when all else failed, people prayed. He asked God, if he really existed, to help his nephew. Then he got back in bed. A few seconds later, he got back on his knees and offered to give up all his wealth if God would heal his nephew. Then he got back in bed again. A few seconds later he got back on his knees a third time and got angry at God for letting this happen to his nephew, a child who hadn’t experienced life yet. George told God to take his life instead. Let the boy live and take George’s life instead…
The next morning George’s sister called from the hospital. His nephew had woken up and could move his eyes, but the doctors said he wouldn’t ever walk again. She called later that day, and the boy had begun moving his toes. The next day the boy was talking, and a week later he was on his way home, “walking, talking, and back to normal.” The doctors had no logical explanation. But George Foreman knew God had just intervened; God had just given him a miracle…
Three months later in March 1977, George Foreman died in his locker room after fighting Jimmy Young. He collapsed in a heap, and entered what he describes as “a deep, dark void, like a bottomless pit.” In his book, God in My Corner — A Spiritual Memoir, George wrote “I knew I was dead, and that this wasn’t heaven. I was terrified, knowing I had no way out. Sorrow beyond description engulfed my soul, more than anyone could ever imagine. If you multiplied every disturbing and frightening thought that you’ve ever had during your entire life, that wouldn’t come close to the panic I felt. … I screamed with every ounce of strength in me, ‘I don’t care if this is death. I still believe in God.’ Instantly, what seemed to be like a giant hand reached down and snatched me out of the terrifying place. Immediately, I was back inside my body in the dressing room.”
George accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and devoted himself to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. He realized his human power, his money, and his prestige, were worthless in the next life, and meant to be used as tools to lead others to Jesus during this one.
He went on to win the Heavyweight Championship of the World twice. He was ordained as an evangelist in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and became pastor of a small church. He also became involved in prison and hospital ministries. You probably know him best for the George Foreman Grills that continue to sell around the world…
Now, folks, that’s God’s idea of power. And it’s this power we need as God’s church; we need to be a church who prays for God’s power … in the life of our pastor, all of our leadership, and every member who is doing their part to make a difference in God’s kingdom right here! We need to be a church who prays for this power—the only POWER—that can truly change lives… Like the Early Church, we need God’s power to do this! Secondly…
WE NEED TO BE A CHURCH WHO USES EVERYONE’S LANGUAGE. Acts 2:5-8 says, “There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. 6 When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. 7 They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, ‘Aren’t these all Galileans? 8 How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?’” One of the great miracles of the Day of Pentecost was that, as the disciples preached, everyone heard them in their own language…
In the mid-1800s, Danish philosopher & theologian, Sören Kierkegaard, tells a familiar story—a story rewritten by many over the ages in many different forms, yet it’s still relevant today. Listen:
A prince wanted to find a maiden suitable to be his queen. One day while running an errand in the local village for his father, he passed through a poor section. As he glanced out the windows of the carriage, his eyes fell upon a beautiful peasant maiden. During the ensuing days he often passed by the young lady and soon fell in love.
But he had a problem. How would he seek her hand? He could order her to marry him. But even a prince wants his bride to marry him freely and voluntarily and not through coercion. He could put on his most splendid uniform and drive up to her front door in a carriage drawn by six horses. But if he did this he would never be certain that the maiden loved him or was simply overwhelmed with all of the splendor.
The prince came up with another solution. He would give up his kingly robe. He moved, into the village, entering not with a crown but in the garb of a peasant. He lived among the people, shared their interests and concerns, and talked their language. In time the maiden grew to love him, because of who he was and because he loved her first…
Folks, in a similar way, God came and lived among us. He revealed Himself to us in an understandable way—became flesh just like you and me. He made Himself understandable and he spoke our language…
Today, I believe this is true: Church people probably speak more languages than most of us realize. In fact, we all speak dozens of languages. If someone in our church is involved in IT or they’re a baseball fan or a doctor or a salesperson, they understand languages others don’t know. Every field of endeavor has its own particular language. ‘Make sense? If I stood up here and spoke in theological terms every week, like we had to learn at Seminary, most of you’d probably not come back. Why would you even want to get involved in a place that didn’t speak your language?
If we want to be a church God blesses, we need to know God has placed people in our congregations for a reason. They, more than likely, have a language God wants them to use to share the GOOD NEWS with others who speak like them…
How badly do we want to be a church that God blesses? Again, I don’t want to lead a dying church. And I don’t think you want to be a part of a dying church. So, what are we going to do? Let’s take our cues from the Early Church, shall we? Let’s be not only a praying church—one who PRAYS FOR GOD’S POWER that can change lives. Let’s also be a church that learns to USE EVERYONE’S LANGUAGE, creatively, for the sake of God’s kingdom. How are we going to go about this? Listen…
NEXT STEP #1: How’s your prayer life? Ask God to give you the desire to spend more time with him. And when you do, make sure you always ‘pray for the power’—the power to help you, your pastor, and others change lives for God…
NEXT STEP #2: What language do you speak? Take some time this coming week to think of all those who speak the same language you do. Who might God want you to pray for—to open doors for you to share the GOOD NEWS in your language?
How badly do we want to be a church that God blesses?