When I think about the first people who carried the Good News of Jesus into all the world, I picture almost larger than life characters who were perfectly equipped to take the message to others. When we do this, we miss the call for ordinary people to know Jesus, walk with him, and share him with others. I spent some time thumbing through Acts this morning and want to share some findings. Spend some time with these passages and allow Scripture to encourage and challenge you.
Starting at the end of Luke 24:45-53 - What does Jesus give them in verse 49? He then tells them to wait.
Luke ends with an offering of the Spirit and Acts picks right up with this theme. The rhythm of the early church was to look and listen for the movement of the Spirit to move them into mission. They also carried the message “as they went.” As we turn to the book of Acts, how do you see the gospel spreading? What are people doing? What is their attitude to the world around them?
In Acts 1:1-14 we see Jesus promising the Holy Spirit and the Apostles, the women, Mary, and Jesus’s brothers all gathered in prayer, waiting for the Holy Spirit to come. In the beginning of chapter 2, the Holy Spirit comes down on the Apostles, the women, Mary, and Jesus’s brothers. The tongues of fire allowed them to speak in the languages of all who gathered, and Peter preached the first sermon that points to the Spirit’s work in the world through the Messiah. He offers the gift of the Spirit for all who are baptized into Christ. Out of this promise comes a transformed community of ordinary people (2:42-47).
Acts 4:8-22 – What gave Peter the power to do and say what he did? What credentials did they notice that Peter and John had in v13? Pause for a moment and think about what it looks like to be recognized as someone who had been with Jesus.
Acts 8:1-8 – After Stephen was martyred and Saul began persecuting the church, followers of Jesus were scattered. Verse 4 tells us that those who were scattered preached the word wherever they went. They’re bad circumstance was greeted as opportunity to share the gospel. What bad circumstances do you see in your life around you right now? Ask for the Spirit to reveal what God will do through you to share the gospel in these circumstances.
Acts 8:26-40 – What instructions does the angel of the Lord give Philip? All he is given is a direction and nothing else. “On his way” (v28), Philip saw the Ethiopian and the Spirit told him to go and stay near that chariot. Philip then creates space for the Ethiopian to ask questions and have conversation. What does it look like for the Holy Spirit to guide you to people like this in your life?
Acts 16:12-15 – When Paul enters a city, he usually finds a synagogue to begin his work of sharing the story of Jesus. Since Philippi did not have a recognized synagogue, he went outside the city to find a place of prayer. When he arrived, he only found women there, so he shared the good news with them. What did these women then do with this news? There is a vibrant church in Philippi that supports Paul and has many women that Paul considered companions in the cause of the gospel. These ordinary women came to know Jesus, walk with him, and established a faith community that would play a vital role in Paul’s ministry.
Acts 18:1-17 – This is an interesting passage. How long does Paul stay in Corinth? What all is he doing while he is there? The Jews take Paul down to the “place of judgement” to complain to Gallio that Paul was causing problems in the Jewish community. He dismisses the complaint because he doesn’t care about the Jewish issues. How does the crowd in v17 respond to Sosthenes the synagogue leader? Why would a crowd of non-Christians stand up for Paul the way they did in a complaint about Jewish issues? I suspect that Paul was a good tent maker, business owner, and made the community around him better because of the way he lived out the gospel. What does it look like to live the gospel in such a way that even non-believers will stand up for you when you undergo persecution?
There are tons more stories, but I hoped to cast a wide vision of how the gospel was lived out, carried forward, and shared through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the awareness of those who walk with Christ, and through how Jesus followers lived the gospel in proximity to others. Let us go and do likewise!