Simply 2.42: “Building, ripening and reaping”

I have started this year feeling refreshed in God and full of faith for the year that lies ahead. I have also asked some friends involved in church leadership what they feel about the upcoming year and there have been some interesting responses. One has been that 2012 will be a year of building not battling. This does not mean that 2012 will not have its challenges, but rather that it will be a year that is characterised by building not fighting the same battles that we fought in 2011. For many in London 2011 was a challenging year.

Another friend had a prophetic word that 2012 will be a year of ripening and reaping. That we are going to see an increase in salvations and an unprecedented harvest for the Kingdom. Both of these words have really encouraged me in what I am praying for 2012. I believe that this is what God has for us. The question is how can we best prepare for it? I felt God speak to me simply out of Acts 2.42. There are six things described here that will help prepare us for what God wants to pour out on his church.

Acts 2.42: “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.”

Peter had just preached the Gospel and this portion in Acts comes directly after this. People have responded to what he has said, they have expressed their faith being baptised. From Luke’s account of the story it is obvious that they have experienced forgiveness and that they have received the promised Holy Spirit. They are new people, they are born again.

This new birth produces something extraordinary in them. These few verses make this clear. Here we read the first account of a newly revived and restored congregation of Israel. This was the entire church! This was Gods “Israel” which was restored to life by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This infant church later multiplies and becomes many congregations. Gentiles would be saved and added and so on. Here we have a snapshot of a revived church. Here we see a church at it’s best. A church as church should be! It is a picture for us to gaze upon and wonder at and be inspired by. It is a church that:

1. Has received the Gospel that has come from the apostles. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching. The apostles simply preached the Gospel. As people listened to these eyewitness accounts of the story of Jesus they believed and embraced the story as their own. The good news of Jesus became their story, good news to them. They fully embraced and received the Gospel. As we gaze forward into 2012 with expectation this surely must be the starting point for all of us? That we fully embrace the Gospel. All of us need to ask if this is true of our lives. Are there parts of our lives that have not fully come into the freedom and forgiveness that the Gospel brings? Are we hedging our bets in any areas of our live? The simplicity of the Gospel is that we are saved by God’s grace, not because we have earned God’s favour but because Jesus died for us. This is all a gift!
2. They have fellowship.As the early church received the teaching of the gospel, the result of this common faith is that they have fellowship together. We cannot have fellowship around any other thing in the church of Jesus. What brings us together is a common faith in Jesus, the gospel, not our culture, or that we like each other, although these things are good. Our fellowship is around Jesus.
3. They break bread.The cross is central to their lives, and they celebrate this by breaking bread together. Christians break bread together to constantly remind ourselves that we need the cross in our lives. It is through the Lords supper that the church keeps focussed on the cross. This is why we so value the breaking of bread in this church family, this is why we celebrate it often.
4. They pray. These things result in pray. Prayer expresses our need of God, and our willingness to trust him. Prayer is not mentioned first in this portion but fourth. First, we submit to Gods word, second we are in fellowship with Gods people, and have faith in the cross of Jesus. Then we can really pray! This is Gods order in the New Testament! Prayer is the oxygen, the life blood for our lives and for any church.
5. There is Power. We read further that the overflow of all of this is that they experience the presence of God amongst them in power. They have signs and wonders. There is also great generosity that is amongst them. (this surely is a sign!) They are all giving and all sharing with one another. There is also a short term voluntary communal lifestyle that some choose to be a part of.
6. They worship. Lastly Luke tells us that they worshipped daily in the temple. This was part of a persistent, dedicated and joyful anointing that they had found in the Holy Spirit. No one forced them or coerced them into doing this. It was in their hearts to do this, because they loved Jesus! The temple was a public meeting place and so they used the courtyard of the temple to meet and worship. Jesus had done this and it was a good place to preach and share the Gospel. They also had smaller meetings in each others homes, they loved being together, and as they effected those outside of their fellowship, many came to faith and joined the congregation. People are saved and added to the congregation daily! What a refreshing and simple snapshot for us today of what New Testament church looks like! This is what God has for us. We can experience this in 2012. Let us all give ourselves joyfully and passionately to what the early church gave themselves to. Let us love and preach the Gospel and love and value each other. Let us love breaking bread together and practically express generosity and hospitality to be conduits of his grace to others. Let us and give ourselves in worship. All of this simply because we love Jesus. Truly 2012 will be a year of building, ripening and reaping. God bless you all as you love and serve him!

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