Hannah considered characteristics of the early church in this passage, drawing two key observations. Firstly there is a significant change in the apostles as they are filled with the Holy Spirit, and they are emboldened and empowered. The daily experience of the church community was one of healings, or miracles and of people becoming believers. We perhaps sometimes experience glimpses of this in our own lived experience, but Hannah suggested that it might be our willingness to seek God’s empowering and emboldening that is a reason this is not our own daily experience. Our willingness is certainly something to consider in our church life together, as there is cost involved in being available for God’s purposes.
Secondly, Hannah noted a characteristic of awe and holiness. Great fear gripped the entire church (Acts 5:11), and others dare not join them (Acts 5:13). This awe came from works carried out in Jesus name, and Jesus is perceived as the distinctive focus of this church community. Hannah suggested that we can have a tendency to reduce Jesus to a powerful friend, but he is so much more, and our praises, adoration, and worship are demanded of us by him.
The community of the early church was chaotic and messy in an exhilarating way where God was at work in so many ways. This was the result of a community who were willing to pay the price for placing God first. In our own church community, how willing are we to seek God first. Often we want to see results, we want to see miracles and people coming to faith, but are we willing to pay the price of putting God first, without any guarantee of ‘results’?
Secondly, Hannah noted a characteristic of awe and holiness. Great fear gripped the entire church (Acts 5:11), and others dare not join them (Acts 5:13). This awe came from works carried out in Jesus name, and Jesus is perceived as the distinctive focus of this church community. Hannah suggested that we can have a tendency to reduce Jesus to a powerful friend, but he is so much more, and our praises, adoration, and worship are demanded of us by him.
The community of the early church was chaotic and messy in an exhilarating way where God was at work in so many ways. This was the result of a community who were willing to pay the price for placing God first. In our own church community, how willing are we to seek God first. Often we want to see results, we want to see miracles and people coming to faith, but are we willing to pay the price of putting God first, without any guarantee of ‘results’?
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