36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
—The words of the Apostle Peter from Acts 2:36-47
Few will argue that in North America we live in a post-Christian culture. It seems that very little separates the Body of Christ—the church—from the rest of society. Many evangelical leaders struggle with calling the church to a “missional” mindset that synchronizes with the mindset of the early New Testament church.
Believers across the then-known-world of the first century existed in a hostile milieu. More and more today, the evangelical church lives in a hostile milieu. Yet, we evangelicals have not persisted with the same mindset that propelled the early church.
About A.D. 125 the Christian philosopher Aristides wrote,
They walk in all humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them. They love one another. They despise not the widow, and grieve not the orphan. Whoever has distributes liberally to whoever has not. If they see a stranger, they bring him under their roof, and rejoice over him as if he were their own brother: for they call themselves brothers, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit of God. When one of their poor passes away from the world, and any of them see him, then he provides for his burial according to his ability; and if they hear that any of their number is imprisoned or oppressed for the name of their Messiah, all of them provide for his needs, and if it is possible that he may be delivered, they deliver him. And if there is among them a man that is poor and needy, and they have not an abundance of necessities, they fast two or three days that they may supply the needy with their necessary food.
Does this apt description of the first century church even come close to describing the evangelical church in the United States today? I fear it does not. The question we all have to struggle to answer: “What do we do about it?”
I will offer some suggestions in a future blog post.
Will you pray with me?
Thank You, God, for loving us. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us.
We acknowledge, gracious Father, that we find ourselves in a situation where we have become enamored of our culture. We have allowed the very philosophy that has moved our nation away from You to draw us into a place of confusion and inactivity.
We implore You to help us return to the place where we can live “in the world, but not of the world.” By the power of Your indwelling Holy Spirit, purify us in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Help us wake up and come to know that we are the church. Help us to delight in serving You and in serving others.
Enable us to consciously and purposefully devote ourselves to becoming Your disciples. Grant us the ability to lay aside every sin that so easily besets us. Help us run with assurance the race You have laid out before us.
Thank You for the promise of Your abiding and strengthening presence in our lives. And, thank You for hearing our prayer in and through the precious Name of Your Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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