Facing external threats and opposition, the young Jerusalem church turned not to fear, but toward their mission through prayer. They cried out to God: âLord, enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesusâ (Acts 4:29â30).
Their desire was not for self-preservation or comfort, but for the name of Jesus to be exalted. Their lives were driven by a deep longing for the message of Christ to transform the lives of those around them. Even under the pressure of powerful officials issuing threats, this fledgling church remained focused on one thingâsharing Jesus with their community.
What happens when the heart and soul of a congregation is galvanized upon fulďŹlling its divine purpose of being their Lordâs yeast in the community? The next couple of paragraphs from Acts are no accident.
Not only did they speak âthe word of God boldlyâ (4:31) and the apostles proclaimed the resurrection of Christ âwith great powerâ (4:33), but this family of believers were united âin heart and mindâ and âshared everything they had.â (4:32). Indeed, the Christian community life they experienced can be summed up with âabundant grace was upon them allâ (4:33). Individualism wanes while a thriving knit community arises whenever Godâs people share a common ground more important to them than their personal competing self-interests.
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