THREE CHARACTERISTICS of an EFFECTIVE CHURCH!
November
7 Bible Reading: Acts Chapters 4-6
THREE CHARACTERISTICS of an EFFECTIVE CHURCH!
"Now the multitude of those who
believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the
things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great
grace was upon them all. Nor was
there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or
houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and
laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had
need." (Acts 4:32-35)
The church
that was formed on the day of Pentecost was greatly effective in their known
world. The core reason for such effectiveness was that this Spirit-filled
community was united (“of one heart and
of one soul”) with bonds of love.
We can see three remarkable
characteristics in this church that should be evident in any church that
wants to be effective in the community:
- Great Power (v. 33a): The ‘great power’ is translated from the
Greek word “Dunamis” that means
energy, power, might, great force, great ability, and strength. There was a
mysterious power connected with lives that were totally dedicated to the Lord
due to dramatic transformations. This was the norm for the Spirit-filled and
Spirit-led church, and God gave their testimony and the gospel they shared
remarkable attractiveness and force (Romans 1:16).
- Great Grace (v. 33b): The power in
the witness of the believers was their love and grace for one another in
witnessing and living (see Luke 2:40). The word “grace” as used in this text refers to “operations of the power of God” (Acts 11:23). Just as God through His
mercy has saved us by His grace, so that grace is manifested in great dynamic
where the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives.
- Great Provision (v.
34a): One of the key characteristics of the first church was
its lack of selfishness. The love of
the believers towards Christ and one another manifested itself in giving. These
believers were extraordinarily generous and responded to each other with
gracious, Christ-like compassion. Such behavior was one powerful result of the
outpouring of the Spirit (2:1–4), and this was Christian charity in its finest
display. If we, too, are filled with the
Spirit of Christ, then we should also respond to the needs of people with the
love of Christ!
The 1st century church has laid for us the above three characteristics to emulate – let our lives, actions and words show our love being poured out to the people around us. "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." (2 Cor. 9:6-8)
