When things get really dark in the world, it is the church alone, that can become the brightest beacon of hope. Today the Holy Spirit is bringing new strength to the church. When the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, they had a new love for God, a new love for those who don’t know God and a new love for the people of God, of all backgrounds and ages. From that moment the church grew rapidly both in numbers and in its impact on society. Over the coming weeks, looking at Acts 2:42, we are going to see how strong churches can be built with the help of the Holy Spirit and by following the example of the first century church.
This week we see that they were committed to ‘the apostles teaching.’ We have to be well-taught to be strong Christians because it matters what we believe. What you believe will determine how you live or die, and your beliefs or non-beliefs about God will have big consequences in this life and the next. It is so important to know what you believe and that your beliefs are shaped by the teaching of the Bible. The Apostles' teaching was all centred on Jesus, and this was one big reason the church grew strong and very quickly brought great change to the world. So what did the Apostles teach about Jesus?
1. They taught that Jesus is alive (Acts 2:22-24; Acts2:31-32; Acts 10:39-40)
2. They taught that Jesus is the only Saviour from sin (Acts 13:38, Acts 4:12)
3. They taught that Jesus is the Healer of sickness (Acts 3:16; Acts 4:10)
4. They taught that Jesus is the Deliverer from evil (Acts 10:38)
5. They taught that Jesus is the Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42)
6. They taught that Jesus is the Lord of all (Acts 2:36, Acts 10:36, Phil 2:10-11)
7. They taught that the only way to know Jesus is through repentance (Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19)
Apply
Who and what is shaping your worldview and the worldview of your children? Is it the latest news or the good news of Jesus? How well do you know and follow the teachings of the Bible? Do you value the eternal teachings of Christ more than the shallow opinions of a temporary celebrity? And, for Christian families, are you ensuring that your own children are being given a solid foundation of Biblical teaching to equip them for life (Deuteronomy 6:6-8)? The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16: 'All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.' Jesus himself constantly taught his disciples and He told them in Matthew 28:19-20: 'go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ And that is exactly what they did after the Holy Spirit came. The apostles did not teach and preach politics or nationalistic and racial issues, neither did they seek to fit in with the ideas of the time to appear relevant or modern. Simply put, the Apostles teaching was all centred on Jesus (see the 7 points above). So what teaching are you devoted to, and what is shaping the views of you and your family?
Do you believe what the Apostles taught, and do you apply this teaching to all areas of your life? The Apostles taught that every day we can know the living Christ in a personal way (Acts 2:22-24), and it is only through the blood of Jesus that we can be made clean and reconciled to God (Acts 4:12). They taught that in the name of Jesus you can be healed of your sickness (Acts 4:10) and that Jesus can still free people from occult power, from addictions and everything that holds you prisoner (Acts 10:38). The Apostles taught that Jesus will judge us for how we live (Acts 10:42), that there is no greater authority than Jesus who is Lord of all (Acts 10:36), and that the only way to know Jesus is through repentance.
Do you truly know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour? Have you repented, turned to God, and received Jesus' forgiveness and wiping away of all your sin? Have you been baptised? To repent means to completely turnaround from living without Christ to living with Christ as your Saviour and Lord. It doesn’t matter who you are or how 'good' or 'bad' you've been. We all need to be forgiven for our sins. We need to be washed clean through His blood. We need to be baptised in water showing that we have now died to our old ways of living and thinking and have been raised to a new life through Christ. These teachings of the apostles will make the church grow strong, will bring change the world and change your life, starting right now. Take time today to repent of all sin in your life up to now, to ask God to forgive you and to receive the forgiveness and cleansing that Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection brings. Welcome Jesus into your life as your Lord and Saviour, and commit to live for Him and with Him every day by the help of the Holy Spirit. If you haven't been baptised as an adult, make the decision to be baptised and talk to your small group leader about this.
