The Encourager
“Devoted to Worship - Jeff Curtis”
Devoted to Worship
By Jeff Curtis
The early Christians were devoted to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. There is a great lesson here for us: Worship is at the heart of our expressing our commitment to the Lord, at the heart of our growing as Christians, at the heart of our remaining faithful to God. Are we as eager as those early Christians to learn God’s will? Do we really devote ourselves to reading and studying the Word? Do we do it continually? We need to ask ourselves whether or not we are as concerned about our relationship with our fellow Christians as they were. Are we committed to getting to know our brothers and sisters in Christ and to express our oneness? We also must consider our attitude toward the Lord’s Supper. As we observe how haphazardly some today come together to remember the Lord’s death, we should long for a renewal of the spirit of those who continually devoted themselves to the breaking of bread. We must also consider the communication with God, our Power Source, through the avenue of prayer. Are we continually in prayer? Let’s notice 1Thessalonians 5:16-18; “16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Church Growth
By Jeff Curtis
Today countless words are flooding from platforms, pulpits, and papers on “how to make the church grow.” If we want know how to effect God-pleasing church growth, we can do no better than to take a crash course in Acts 2:42-47; “42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
Just because a congregation increases in size doesn’t mean its “growth” pleases God. God-pleasing growth doesn’t involve compromise of the truth. God wants us to grow numerically as well as spiritually, but faithfulness to God always takes precedence over growth in numbers. A cancerous tumor is a growth, but it is an unhealthy, life-threatening growth.
Wouldn’t it wonderful to part of a congregation like the one described in Acts 2:42-47? Before you nod your head with too much excitement, we should note that we can be part of such a congregation if each of us will be what we should be: worshiping, reverent, unselfish, happy, and sharing. Remember that the Bible is a mirror to help us inspect ourselves, not a magnifying glass to allow us to inspect others. Pray that God would help us to be the kind of Christians who would fit in “the church we would love to be members of.”
Meditate on these things:
Proverbs 19:11
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.
