The Church In Action

Introduction:

Have you ever wondered what caused the early church to really grow? Why was there such enthusiasm and zeal among the first century Christians?

Maybe your thoughts have been critical: why is the church not growing like it did back in Bible times? Look at the tools we have available: modern travel, an instant-connected world (cell phones and Internet). But with all of these things, they seem to provide more challenges than they do benefits that cause the growth of the church.

So, what really caused the church to grow?

I believe the answer is found in the name of “Acts.” The reason the church was growing is because the church was a kingdom of ACTION!

Contagious Apathy

Before we see the action that the 1st century church took, we need to realize the spiritual dangers of apathy.

Apathy sets in when we lose our first love -

Focusing on the outward manifestations of truth, but forgetting to put emphasis on the weightier matters.

Both are necessary.

They were drifting between “I don’t care” and “I’ve forgotten why I care.”

Apathy sets in when we forget the importance of our great salvation -

Apathy sets in when we forget the importance of our great salvation -

Just as zeal and encouragement can be contagious, like setting a fire that catches and spreads, apathy is equally contagious.

Zeal and repentance is what the apathetic church needs to do -

What kind of church are we? Are we a church of ACTION or APATHY?

Continuous Devotion

Luke uses some form of the word “continually” throughout the book of Acts:

Devotion of disciples - ; ,

Spread of the word of God and increase of those who were saved - ; ;

“Constant” growth -

Powerful and effective teaching of the gospel -

Good works of disciples - ; (Cornelius would become a Christian)

Perseverance through preaching “out of season” - Acts 13:43, 52; 14:7, 22; 19:8

This is what devotion to the gospel looks like! It was something people were committed to and did repeatedly and continuously.

The easiest way for apathy to set in is to quit doing anything. The second easiest way for apathy to set in is to look for the easy way to do everything—perseverance, diligence, faithfulness—these are essential ingredients for a strong, dedicated church.

Constant Action

Togetherness -

All who believed were together and had all things in common - v. 44

They worshiped together but they also spent time with one another outside of worship - v. 46

A sense of togetherness, family, and community will only occur when we become committed to action!

An easy way to kill a church is to quit doing things together, when we become strangers to one another.

The apostle Paul encouraged hospitality as an expression of commitment, zeal, and fervency to the Lord -

Prayer & Praise

One of the quickest things you’ll observe in the book of Acts is the commitment to worship, prayer, and praise - , ;

Prayer becomes a source of strength in times of trial - ; ,

Prayer was a way of committing to the work God had appointed fro the church -

The church continued to assemble for worship -

The Lord’s church must find a way to be zealous and enthusiastic about our work. Even when there are disappointments and setbacks, prayer needs to be our first defense to guard and protect what we have in Christ.

A church that has lost its sense of devotion to praying is a church that is apathetic -

Teaching Others

The apostles taught together - ; ,

Peter and John were the dynamic duo of preachers in the first chapters in Acts.

Later, Paul and Barnabas would be.

The church taught together - ; ; ,

Through the leadership and example of the apostles, the foundation has been laid, it is our job to continue to build upon it.

Just as they all taught together, we should continue to work together in preaching the gospel.

Through public and private teaching, a commitment to preaching Jesus Christ is evident -

And the church grew! - ; ; ; ;

You may not have talent to preach the gospel or lead a public study, but if you have a home and family or friends, then you can lead others to Christ. Make your home a place where Bible studies happen. Invite people over, ask a teacher/preacher to come lead the study.

Do you host a Bible study to reach out to your neighbors?

Do you invite people to come hear the word of God?

We all need to be zealous to see the word of God increase in the community.

Conclusion:

The early church was a motivated, driven, and committed group of disciples.

The first Christians understood the importance of being together, praying and worshipping together, and spreading the gospel.

It is easy to become lackadaisical and apathetic—it happened to churches in the first century as well.

However, we need to be renewed and look to the book of Acts to see the action we should take.