Monday Morning Rewind: What’s a Congregation to Do?

Yesterday we turned our attention away from the pastor’s role in church life and looked at the life of the congregation as a whole. The Bible clearly spells out responsibilities that the church must assume, too. Since the congregation is not the same as a crowd or a club or a non-profit organization, it must recognize its role as the family of God, where each member is commanded by God to fulfill their calling for Him. Church is not a “spectator sport;” every person in the family depends on the others to do their part.

As such, the congregation lives out four primary commitments: one to God, one to each other, one to its leaders and one to the world. First, the congregation is to serve God (Ephesians 4.16). While it is true that the highest and greatest command in the Scripture is to love God with all our being (Deut. 6.4), the Bible also helps us understand that true love is shown in obedience (“If you love me, keep my commands,” Jesus says.) In fact, I am convinced that one of God’s “love languages,” to use a popular term from Christian literature today, is service. James teaches us this,too; our actions speak louder than our words. In other words, our love for God will SHOW. After all, service is the way “each of us does our part” in the Body of Christ. If we don’t, the rest of the Body suffers; it’s damaging to all. On the other hand, service leads to growth, internally and externally, for both the individual and the congregation as a whole. Thus, our responsibility starts with our relationship and service to God.

Second, we have a responsibility to each other: to love one another (John 15.12-13). Of the fifty or so “one another” commands given in the New Testament to the church, none is repeated nearly as often as this one. At least seven times we are told to love one another (a reciprocal  pronoun, meaning it is to go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth). This love has a comparative element to it: we are to love each other as Christ has loved us. That certainly “ups” the command, since no longer can I compare my love to another member’s, but rather, only to that of Christ, the Head of the Church. We are to sacrifice, serve and ultimately, put each other first in all our decisions and lifestyle. It’s the nature of what Jesus did for us–the nature of true agape love.

Third, we are to follow our God-given leaders (pastor, etc.) (Hebrews 13:7, 17). These leaders mentioned by the writer of Hebrews are your spiritual leaders, who have “spoken the Word of God to you.” As parts of the Body we are to follow and obey them, strong words indeed, until you take into account their accountability and responsibility to God Himself for their leadership. He will judge them accordingly we are told. In addition, we are reminded that to fail in following their leadership we will create a scenario that will be “of no advantage to you.” In other words, it won’t be a benefit to your own life and well-being if you resist the leadership of God’s undershepherd. He is placed by God and deserves our follow-ship.

Finally, there is a responsibility to the world: to be witnesses (Acts 1.8). This term was, and still is, a legal term, used in a court of law for those who take the stand to testify. They are called upon to share first-hand experience of what they know to be true. The passage reminds us, as Jesus uses the future tense with imperatival force, that being a witness is not an option: it is mandatory. The role we play will, though, demonstrate to the rest of the world whether we are a “good” witness, pointing people to Jesus as Savior and Lord, or a “bad” witness, casting aspersions upon our Lord and His church, through our inappropriate behavior and/or attitudes.

So, stand up and be the church you were intended to be! “Live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4.1).

Monday Morning Rewind: What’s a Pastor to Do?

Does your church have a job description for the pastor? Most do, and have it written in their by-laws or other foundational documents. Ours does too, but did you know the Bible shares its own job description for pastors? Yesterday we looked at that during our time of worship.

Ironically, the word, as we use it for leaders in the church, is found as a noun only once in the English Bible (Ephesians 4.11). It is , though, found other places in verbal form. The word traces its roots to the Hebrew concept of “shepherd” used of those, like David in the Old Testament, who were actual “protectors of sheep.” Later, Jeremiah to a large extent, and Ezekiel to a lesser extent, used the word as a metaphor to describe the (failed) leadership responsibilities of those guiding and influencing God’s people during the pre-exilic and exilic period.

But it is in the New Testament where its role becomes prominent in the early church. As such, it is used as a synonym for other biblical words which we translate “elder” or “overseer” in English. This is seen in the use of all three words/concepts in passages such as Acts 20 and 1 Peter 5. In these passages and others, we learn that a pastor is primarily a servant of God, not an employee of the church. Thus, a pastor focuses on serving God and His people by fulfilling his “calling” to the best of his ability.

What does the Bible say about his role and work? First, it acknowledges that he is called by God to lead His flock, under the supervision of Christ Himself (1 Peter 5.1-4). Here, as in 1 Timothy 3, which we looked at last week, he is called an overseer, “one who has a charge or responsibility.” The pastor recognizes that this is a stewardship, for it is “entrusted” to him by the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Himself, who is the Body’s Head. He is to lead through the vision God gives and through his example, as He calls God’s people forward and models what it is to follow Christ, who leads the charge. Pastors recognize the sacred trust they have under God to lead the flock under their care.

Second, the pastor is called of God to proclaim His Word (2 Timothy 4.1-5). This is done primarily in preaching and teaching, as he heralds the Good News and gives attention to the “full counsel of God.” Three words are used to share his responsibility here: he is to correct, rebuke and encourage. In other words, he is to straighten out where the flock is off the path, he is to stop them from going the wrong way and he is to support them when they are doing well. He is feeding them the Bread of Life when he does this!  His proclamation is to flow out of his own relationship with Christ and must be done with a longsuffering patience (people often take time and resist “getting it”) and instruction (careful exegesis of God’s Word…all of it!).

Third, the pastor is called of God to care for His flock (Acts 20.17-31). The word “keep watch over” here literally means to “guard, care for, protect.” He must be one who will always be alert to concerns and threats from both outside and in, as well as nurturing and loving upon the precious sheep of God’s fold. As such he is a Caregiver, a Counselor, a Protector and a Friend. He is a lover of people and recognizes that God’s “assignment” is the people (not really a task) that God has given him to love. To do that effectively he must guard his own life as well as those of others, because he is aware of (1) false teachers who will seek to distort and destroy the work of God and (2) other dangers, including temptation, that can lead the flock astray.

Finally, the pastor is called to equip the saints for ministry (Ephesians 4.11-13). Paul notes in this passage that the pastor is one of God’s gifts to the church and, should thus, be treated as such. His role as an equipper has become more prominent in literature during recent years. This role emphasizes his service in training, encouraging and empowering others to live out their God-given potential. This preparation is similar to the picture word used to “set a broken bone” or “mend a broken net.” If done correctly, the work does far more than teach; it helps discover, coach, empower and release God’s people for works of service themselves, just as God intended all along.

Well, there you have it…a multifaceted job description for an amazingly called man of God. The key is for him and the congregation to stand assured that he is indeed called to the church for “such a time as this,” and that he is ready and willing to live out that calling through the character of his life (what we looked at last week) and the assignment God has given him (above).

Cul-de-Sac or Intersection?

A few years ago when my brother bought his first house in the Richmond, Virginia area, his family located a property on a cul-de-sac that they wanted. At the time, it was quite in vogue for young families with growing children to desire a cul-de-sac home.

There are many reasons why. There is limited traffic on a road like this. Since it’s a dead end drive, rarely does anyone drive onto a cul-de-sac road that does not intend to go there. Limited traffic means limited noise, too. This inevitably is much more convenient for the neighbors who live on the street. In fact, it tends to improve the quality of life for those who live there. Safety is another contribution that living on a cul-de-sac makes to families that live there. Especially if children are growing up in the home, this is an important value that parents want. Cul-de-sac homes also grow in property value over time, since they afford all of these benefits and more.

Intersections are the mirror reverse in reality. Always busy with lots of traffic and its accompanying noise, intersections are dangerous places to live. They are never as safe. Instead of valuing property, they tend to value people. In fact, people by the thousands are always coming and going, never stopping and staying. They are on a journey somewhere, and the intersection affords them  opportunities to choose. More than that, it offers them a way to discover their destination.

Which is your church more like—a cul-de-sac or an intersection? It has occurred to me that too many churches in the world today are more like a cul-de-sac, seeking to play it safe in an all too dangerous world. It doesn’t have to be that way. There are ways to get off the cul-de-sac and intersect with people where they are. Consider the following:

Start a different kind of worship experience. A new worship opportunity will attract new people. This is especially true if the service is held on a different day  of the week or in a different part of the church facility. Different styles of music and preaching will also connect with a different crowd. Some churches may go so far as to use this strategy to start what is called a “church within a church.” This idea revolves around the concept of having a new and different congregation forming its own identity (and often leadership from the church staff) in a symbiotic relationship with the main congregation. This can be a daring move, since the new congregation may eventually outgrow the relationship and move on. But it’s a Kingdom move that puts reaching new people above anything else.

Add a multi-site campus. Another way of reaching new people is to go to a new place to begin a worship experience. Placing a worship opportunity in a location near the group of people you are trying to reach makes it easier for them to participate in your church. While this approach is usually more expensive than the first approach listed above, it has the potential to connect with many other people, too. Why? Because you’ve gone to them where they are, instead of expecting them to come to you. While multiple worship experiences as mentioned above will eventually reach a point of saturation on your church campus, multi-site campuses can be added over and over again.

Try a video venue. Another way of adding congregations with lower overhead than a church plant and more “sameness” than a multi-site campus is known as a video venue. This strategy can be done either on the campus of your church facilities or off campus at a new and different location. Either way the venues are intentionally developed to reach different groups of people by the way they “do” church. Music usually varies, the focus is on different age groups or lifestyles, and the atmosphere can be more or less formal. But in a video venue, the  message remains the same. While the speaker is seen live in one setting, he is seen on videotape or a video screen in the others. Surprisingly, this strategy has worked very well with younger adults and with large churches whose membership is scattered over many, many miles.

Plant a church. The ultimate method of living dangerouslyand intersecting with others is to plant a new church. This approach releases and empowers people to serve as local missionaries sent out from your church for the express purpose of finding new people and establishing a church just for them. It is a challenging undertaking, but one filled with excitement and adventure for the entire church. The advantage it has above all the others here is that it brings into being a second autonomous entity, which can in turn do what your congregation has done, and multiply itself. As such, it has global possibilities today, just as it did in the days of the apostles.

Don’t be a dead-end church. Be a church that lives where the people are, multiplies itself time and again, dares to be different and is dangerously on mission for Jesus Christ.

This post was previously published in my book, PlantLIFE: Principles and Practices in Church Planting. You can secure more information about the book or purchase it by going to the publisher site here or to Amazon.com here.

Fridays are for Friends & Family on 9.11.09

Welcome to Friday everybody and with it the uniqueness of the day we commemorate. On September 11, 2001, two thousand eight hundred and nineteen people lost their lives in the tragedies of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and the farmlands of Pennsylvania. As a result, our nation was changed forever. Many of those who died were rescue workers, whose courage and determination remain an example of selfless sacrifice to those of us who remain.

One of our church planters at the time, Dave Cowan, traveled to New York in the first couple of weeks after the tragedy of 9/11 and recorded a moving tribute on film. He has since posted it on YouTube. Some of us have used it with our church; others find it a private opportunity to grieve for these innocent victims. You can watch it below.

We must never forget: “God is our refuge and strength, an EVER-PRESENT help in trouble” (Psalm 46.1).

A Church Planting Manifesto, part 2

I Believe…

16. That denominations are only helpful if they exist for the local church and not the local church for the denomination

17. That church planters can shift their love all too easily from Jesus to the church, which is a subtle but very serious form of idolatry

18. That seeking to be a “full-service” church is a sure and certain journey to plateau or decline for 9 out of every 10 churches (try to do too much and end up doing too little)

19. That the most “earthly good” the church does happens Monday through Saturday, not on Sunday

20. That planters must not be more passionate about their methodology and “being cool and hip” than they are about reaching people with the Gospel

21. That we mistake compliance for commitment all the time and it’s killing us in churches across the Western world

22. That we must use biblical models more than business models to inform our church planting efforts

23. That it’s time to measure success by how many a church releases rather than retains

24. That a new church will mirror its leadership within the first two years of its ministry

25. That a church cannot be the church that Jesus intended without reproducing disciples and congregations

26. That prayer is the most important church planting work one will ever do

27. That planters must guard their hearts and their marriages with utmost priority in time and attention

28. That effective assessment is the gateway to everything else in a church planting system

29. That coaching is the greatest leverage leaders have with those who are planting new churches

30. That planting a church is NEVER the ultimate objective

to be continued…

(This post is part two in an ongoing series; part one can be found by clicking here.)

Monday Morning Rewind: Willing Service

Yesterday we looked at the eighth characteristic of effective churches found in the early chapters of the book of Acts with an analysis of “willing service” from Acts 6.1-7. Unlike the previous characteristics, this one surfaced as a result of internal conflict, the first such conflict in the history of the church. The response to the conflict–over the (lack of) distribution of food to the Hellenistic Jewish believing widows–showed the character of the early church and resulted in even greater growth.

Effective churches seek out ways to serve the Lord by serving others. Even in the midst of growth and conflict (something that can go hand-in-hand), the early church looked for ways to maximize the lives they could touch for Jesus’ sake. How did they do it?

In Acts 6.1-7, the Scripture records that they first discovered a need (v. 1). Growth had caused a problem to surface; it often will, because our “systems” are not created with future possibilities in mind. With growth came new believers, not Hebraic Jewish believers (like the apostles) from Jerusalem and the surrounding area. Rather, new believers were Hellenistic Jewish believers, having been born and raised in a culture and with a language different from the former group. Quite unintentionally it seems, these latter believers were overlooked and a cross-cultural need was realized. The early church had learned something new: not everyone they could touch would “be like them,” and as a result, they needed to “look” for needs beyond their “box” or framework of thinking. The important point here is that they were willing to do so, for open eyes follow open hearts.

Second, they determined how best they could meet this need (v. 3). They did not ignore the need; they saw it as an opportunity. They then did what was necessary to adjust their structure to meet these new needs and demands. They, to use Blackaby’s verbage, “found where God was at work and sought to join Him in it.” How did they do it? By working with the church to find seven servant-hearted men (some call these the first “deacons” in the church, though the word is not used here), all of whom appear to be Hellenistic Jewish believers (exception: Nicolas, a Jewish proselyte) since their names are Greek. The selection of these particular men seems to send a clear message that the church did not want this oversight to continue, but rather, these needs to be met in the best possible way. The Jethro principle of Exodus 18 had been put into effect within the early church, signaling a desire for maximum impact through maximum involvement.

Finally, everyone did their part (v. 2). The Twelve apostles made the point that it would not be “right” for them to do this work. Thus on moral and spiritual grounds they recognized their calling was to the Word of God and prayer. However, they also acknowledged that this work of service was a calling for others too, specifically characterized by faith, wisdom and the Holy Spirit upon their lives. They differentiated the specificity of roles within the Body of Christ, but recognized the necessity of everybody doing what they were called and gifted to do. They knew that no one–apostle or pastor included–can or should do everything (it’s not biblical or “right”); however everyone can and should do something (this is biblical and right).

The results? Because more people were involved and the church was serving as it should, the Word of God continued to spread and many, many more people were reached with the Good News of Jesus Christ.  They had become the “hands and feet” of Christ, and it had shown His love in ways that ushered more people into the Kingdom.

Today, perhaps more than any time in recent history, the world needs to see the church as servant-hearted, caring, loving, sharing and willingly giving of self for the benefit of others. They need to experience the Gospel through service, which adds authenticity, relevance and integrity to all we say and adds credibility to our witness. After all, “even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10.45). So, find a need and fill it; be the hands and feet of Christ in the world today, so that others may come to know Him, too.

(The previous seven characteristics of effective churches have been placed on this blog on the Monday Morning Rewind posts of the past two months, for any who might be interested in the messages on dynamic community, Holy Spirit leadership, focused purpose, bold faith, daring prayer, faithful stewardship and dangerous obedience.)

A Church Planting Manifesto

I Believe…

1. That healthy planters are the number one key to a healthy new church
2. That we too often focus on making converts rather than disciples
3. That we educate people beyond the level of their obedience
4. That we have fallen into the subtle mis-priority of focusing on “the unchurched” rather than “the lost”
5. That seeking to make disciples that result in new churches should be a higher priority than planting churches that may result in making disciples
6. That ongoing sponsor churches in only rare instances will come from churches over fifteen years in age
7. That the problem that we have is not with the harvest, or even with the lack of laborers, but with us and our lack of prayer
8. That turfism (competition rather than cooperation) is one of the greatest sins of the North American church
9. That the DNA of churches is essentially set in the first five years of life and will only alter dramatically in times of great change
10. That the day of the attractional church is over (or at best limited) for those churches under 400 in size, and it’s necessary for the church become incarnational instead
11. That the spouse of church planters is the most neglected, and yet in some ways, most vital person in the church planting system
12. That the church still struggles with the correct order of these three verbs for dealing with lost people in new churches:  Belong, Believe, Behave
13. That God created all living organisms, including His church, to reproduce “after its own kind”
14. That the church exists as a means primarily to two ends: to advance the Kingdom of God and to be the necessary incubator community for making disciples
15. That a church planting movement can never happen if the system is built on outside funding, professional clergy, and real estate

to be continued…

Monday Morning Rewind: Daring Prayer

When we left Peter and John last week, they had exhibited bold faith in the name of Jesus to heal a lame man…and He did! Two results followed: they were able to preach the good news of Christ to the crowd that gathered so that now the number of believers grew to over 5,000 men, and they were arrested for their witness to Jesus. After keeping them in jail overnight and threatening physical harm in the future if they kept preaching in the name of Jesus (which the disciples made clear they would do regardless of the consequences), the religious leaders released them.

They returned to the “church” and what did they do first? They prayed. It was their top priority and reveals much of their passion and concerns for the days ahead. I would go so far as to say that any church that is going to be effective for Christ will pray passionately and expectantly for God to move in their midst.

The better we know God, the more mature our prayer will be. It will grow in faith, “see” greater needs, delve beneath the surface level issues of life. This is the kind of prayer the early church exhibited in the stories of Acts. In fact, there are 36 references to the church growing in the book; 21 of them are within the context of prayer.

So what do we learn from the early church about such prayer in chapter 4, verses 23-31, that can help us to be more daring in our petitions and intercessions with the Almighty?

First, daring prayer confronts the challenges of Satan with the sovereignty of God (vv. 24, 29). The believers uses a word of God here, translated “sovereign Lord,” found only five times in the entire New Testament. It is the word from which we get our word “despot,” and it is being used in a way that reflects upon His ultimate, unconditional, uncompromised authority. They find great comfort in that authority, because they know their Lord. They also find comfort in the fulfillment of prophecy they see right before their eyes (Psalm 2–a Messianic psalm–is quoted in their prayer). As a result of these realities they ask God to “consider the threats” brought against the apostles. Their request is not for vengeance, but for vindication, that others would see that they are representatives for Him.

Second, daring prayer asks in accord with God’s will (v. 29). Their second request is for continued opportunity to speak God’s word with boldness. Take note of the fact that they don’t ask for removal from persecution or threats, but for God to see and give them the courage they need to continue to speak for Him in the face of it. This request harkens back to Jesus’ words that they will be witnesses for Him when the Spirit of God comes upon them. It’s already aligned with His will for their lives and birthed out of His power. So instead of giving in to their fears, or hesitating to take action, they ask God for more of what they need to address the opposition to Christ. And in the filling of the Spirit which comes at the end of this passage, we learn that they are enabled to speak the word with boldness as they requested. God is indeed pleased with such requests.

Third, daring prayer desires to demonstrate the supernatural presence and power of God (v. 30).   The final request the early church made of God in this prayer is that He would do what only He could do (heal, miraculous signs and wonders). They wanted others to see the hand of God at work in and through them. The word “signs” is instructive here, because it suggests that they were not asking God to do these things so that others would be amazed or enamored with the miraculous; rather, these things would point to the reality behind the miracles themselves.  They would direct people to see the power of Jesus’ name alone.

So I ask you today: what unselfish, GOD-SIZED prayer have we (you) asked of the Sovereign Lord lately? When’s the last time you dared pray something so audacious, so incredible that if God didn’t show up, it wouldn’t get done?

Effective churches–and believers–offer God-honoring, daring prayers. And because they do, the world sees the difference they are making—for Jesus.

(This message is the fifth in a series on characteristics of effective churches, based on the early church’s experience as recorded in the book of Acts. Message one dealt with “dynamic community,”  message two dealt with “Holy Spirit leadership,” message three dealt with “focused purpose,”  and message four dealt with “bold faith.” You can find the notes to all of these messages also on this blog.)

Fridays are for Friends & Family 07.24.09

Time for Friday’s Friends and Family edition once again! This week we start on a sad note, reporting that Gidget, the 15 year old chihuahua who became a star in the Taco Bell commercials at the turn of the century has died.  People magazine this week posted this pictorial montage of famous television animals, which have impacted our lives and invaded our memory. Below, I’ve posted the first of many commercials the dog did for the Mexican food chain in 1997. Yo quiero Gidget! R.I.P.

Tim Tebow is once again in the news, this week on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. The article, You Gotta Love Tim Tebow (Man of Many Missions) deals with much more than football. In fact, the majority of the story is about his ministry to prison inmates and in the Philippines as a part of his father’s evangelistic association. It’s a great article about his passion for God and his desire to see others coming into a relationship with Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. While I’ve been an avid Alabama Crimson Tide fan from my earliest days, I can’t help but admire this guy and his commitment to the Savior. Kudos, Tim!

On the family front, daughter Rebekah has been accepted into the advanced Strings Orchestra with the Annapolis Youth Symphony Orchestra after one year in the Preparatory Strings. Way to go, Rebekah! You’re making exceptional progress and it shows. Your hard work and perseverance have paid off. We are so very proud of you and your achievement.

Twitter Picture of the Week

This picture that came across my newsfeed recently, purported to be from the sale of surplus merchandise at one of the religious cable networks. It’s another one of those pictures that make you want to go…huh? Podcast of the Week

Lauren Rodriguez chats with me on this podcast about the importance and value of social media (blogging, Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Lauren is our webmaster and communications expert at the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, so everything she’s says is worth hearing and applying. If you’re not involved in all of these things as a church leader, you’re missing tremendous opportunities to connect with and impact the people and prospects at your church. Listen to or download it here.

Church Planting Website of the Week

Chuck Cruise is church planter/founding pastor of Hanover Fellowship Church in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Chuck came out of Northwest Baptist Church in Reisterstown, Maryland and after completing seminary at Southern in Louisville, returned home to coordinate this church plant with Northwest as its parent church. By all counts, he’s done an incredible job. Check out his website to see what happening there.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Monday Morning Rewind: Holy Spirit Leadership

This is the second in a series of messages from the book of Acts on “Characteristics of Effective Churches.” Last week we noted in chapter one the characteristic of dynamic community; chapter two focuses on the Holy Spirit’s leadership in the life of His people. Specifically, the Holy Spirit is THE key to an effective church. In point of fact, these characteristics are just as true of us as individual disciples, too!

Chapter two begins with the mention of Pentecost, one of the three feasts every male Israelite was expected to attend (Dt. 16.16). In fact, the city of Jerusalem would swell from around 50,000 residents to perhaps more than half a million at this event (the perfect time for God’s Spirit to share the good news in a way that would quickly spread it to the ends of the earth!). This feast celebrated the completion of the grain harvest, and traditionally, the reception of the law of Moses at Mt. Sinai. It was to become a defining moment as “the birthday of the church.”

What truths can we glean from the first 41 verses to assist us in recognizing the Holy Spirit’s role in the life of His church?

First, His arrival is a reminder that God always keeps His promises (vv. 1-4). The apostles were told by Jesus that they would receive power when (not if) the Holy Spirit came upon them, and as a result they would be His witnesses. Now that promise had come true. They had been shown once again the faithfulness of God. Christ had not abandoned them when He returned to heaven. The Spirit was God’s gift to His people, as promised. This gift enabled them to be bold in sharing the good news for Christ. Their confidence had been bolstered by the assurance that their God was there for them, providing what they needed to meet every situation.

Second, we learn that the Spirit always points people to Jesus (vv. 14-36). Jesus had told His followers this weeks before, during the Upper Room Discourse (John 15:26). He informed them that the Spirit would not draw attention to self or His work, but to Christ. Peter’s sermon given here is indicative of a message preached in the fullness of the Spirit’s leading on His life. It is all about Jesus! In fact this passage is the first of several messages in the book of Acts that follow the same pattern. called the kerygma by commentators and scholars. In the kerygma (the core essence of the proclaimed message of good news), there is always fulfilled prophecy, the facts of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, followed by an appeal to the listeners to turn to God. The central part of the message is the resurrection of Christ. Peter points to three realities that confirm this essential truth: it was prophesied, they were witnesses of it personally and the coming of the Spirit required it.

Third, the Spirit led them to focus on others who needed Him, too (vv. 37-41). His coming was not for believer’s to “keep” to themselves; rather, this same gift that they had received–the Holy Spirit–is available to all would believe, too. Peter commanded them to repent (inward change of heart and mind) and be baptized (outward change in behavior, demonstrating the changed life now located “in Christ”). In so doing they are able to experience the gift of the Holy Spirit for themselves. In fact, they are told that the gift is “for you AND your children AND all who are far off.” Thus, this gift of the Holy Spirit has filled them, enabled them, given them boldness, brought conviction of sin and brought ones to the gift of salvation, all of which is evidence of God’s great love and presence for us.

This gift is for you too. Have you received this Holy Spirit of God within your life? And if you have, are you allowing Him to lead you as you should? He’s the key to effectiveness in our church; he’s the key to effectiveness in your own journey with God.

Perhaps today will be a defining moment in your life, too, just as it was for the followers of Christ on that Pentecost day so many years ago.