It Adds Up (2 of 4)
Series: The Math of God
Jeff Strite
Acts 2:36-47
OPEN: How many people were baptized into Christ at Pentecost? (about 3000 souls)
That story in Acts has inspired many churches, evangelists, missionaries and 1000s of others to attempt to reach as many as they can to bring more and more people to Christ.
One such church was one from New Jersey that held a series of evangelistic meetings back in the 1800s. They put posters, handed out handbills, invited everyone they could to come to the meetings where a well-known evangelist gave powerful messages. At the end of the service a number of people came down front at the invitation and one of the first persons to walk down the aisle was a prostitute who was well-known in the community. It was obvious she was truly repentant, and she was weeping openly. And the audience was pleased to see the change that was taking place in her... but then it became apparent that she wanted to join their church and the sanctuary became deathly quiet as everyone realized what this meant. This was a prostitute... a woman of low repute. They didn't mind her coming to Christ. They just didn't want her coming to their church.
Our text for this morning ends with these intriguing words: ''And THE LORD ADDED to their number day by day those who were being saved.'' Acts 2:47
Did you notice that I emphasized that phrase: ''the Lord added to their number''
As I read that it occurred to me that this signaled that something mystical was going on here. This early church was not going to be a mere mortal organization. It wasn't going to be like the Elks or the Eagles, or the Masons, or any number of other civic groups out there. When the Bible tells us God ADDED to His church... it's telling us that God intended to RUN His church.
Now granted as a local congregation, we need to make decisions about what directions this church should go, and how money should be spent. But when you get right down to it... this i ...
Series: The Math of God
Jeff Strite
Acts 2:36-47
OPEN: How many people were baptized into Christ at Pentecost? (about 3000 souls)
That story in Acts has inspired many churches, evangelists, missionaries and 1000s of others to attempt to reach as many as they can to bring more and more people to Christ.
One such church was one from New Jersey that held a series of evangelistic meetings back in the 1800s. They put posters, handed out handbills, invited everyone they could to come to the meetings where a well-known evangelist gave powerful messages. At the end of the service a number of people came down front at the invitation and one of the first persons to walk down the aisle was a prostitute who was well-known in the community. It was obvious she was truly repentant, and she was weeping openly. And the audience was pleased to see the change that was taking place in her... but then it became apparent that she wanted to join their church and the sanctuary became deathly quiet as everyone realized what this meant. This was a prostitute... a woman of low repute. They didn't mind her coming to Christ. They just didn't want her coming to their church.
Our text for this morning ends with these intriguing words: ''And THE LORD ADDED to their number day by day those who were being saved.'' Acts 2:47
Did you notice that I emphasized that phrase: ''the Lord added to their number''
As I read that it occurred to me that this signaled that something mystical was going on here. This early church was not going to be a mere mortal organization. It wasn't going to be like the Elks or the Eagles, or the Masons, or any number of other civic groups out there. When the Bible tells us God ADDED to His church... it's telling us that God intended to RUN His church.
Now granted as a local congregation, we need to make decisions about what directions this church should go, and how money should be spent. But when you get right down to it... this i ...
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