Acts 1:1-5:16
Acts continues the story of Jesus’ work in the world, through his Spirit, his gospel and his representative body – the church. It’s important to understand that it is God’s plan that these three – Spirit, gospel and church – must always go together.
Acts 1 describes Jesus’ transition from earth to heaven to take up his place at the right hand of the Father in glory and to send the promised Holy Spirit to live in believers (both individually and corporately). Acts 2-5 describe the remarkable transformation of the disciples and other believers upon receiving the Spirit. These chapters also describe the central place of the gospel in the life of the church and the way the church grew rapidly as the Spirit, the gospel and the church together testified to the truth that Jesus is Lord.
What we see in these chapters is the Spirit-empowered, gospel-proclaiming church loving one another as their Lord had called them to do. The impact of this radical life appears to have been irresistible so that all who came into the orbit of this new community was drawn in to experience it and become part of it by putting their trust in Jesus.
We have received the same Spirit, the same gospel and the same calling from Jesus. I believe that means God can work through us in Lismore in the same way he did back then in Jerusalem. Do you?
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