Lesson 4 Becoming His Church
It is so neat to read in Scripture what happened to the people after Pentecost. These men and women who were faithful to the command to wait. The presence and power of the Spirit produced a community of believers marked by spiritual and relational vitality. The contagious quality of their faith and love turned Jerusalem upside down and ultimately changed the world.
I have had tastes and seen this faith that is so real that love and joy are contagious.
I have to agree that the word I most associate with being Spirit-filled is passion. And this passage in Acts 2;42-47 shows that devotion characterised them most.
Application here is to take the FCC vission statement - We are pursuing Christ's reign in all of life to advance God's kingdom in all the earth for His glory! - and make it my devotion. I have to shape my devotion by integrate my beliefs, values and be intentional in my behavior.
posted by Bill @ 9:29 AM
1 Comments:
Hey Bro!
I'm with you all the way here but have to interject about your application to the vision. We will be on dangerous ground if our church or any church becomes our devotion. Only Christ our Lord should be the jewel we owe our devotion to. If we can say and live that, all other areas in our life will recieve what we ask by our devoted God. Even the church we belong to. I like you have had many mountain top experiences where passion is bubbling over but the devotion to the Savior was luke warm. Hence those experiences are recalled as "empty zeal". The Charismatic revival of the 70's fails to continue as a result of building on "empty zeal" in that they were devoted more to themselves than to Jesus. Because of that they failed in the "Great Commission". In stead they withdrew devotedly into their own selfish entity and died. We must guard against building an empire to which we are devoted and forget about the "Jewel we are really after. Intentially die to self and we will live to see the Jewel we long for. Praise Him!
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