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42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. – Acts 2:42-47
The stories we read in the book of Acts give us some of the best pictures we have of Christian movement. Oh sure, there are many movements throughout history as well, but this movement is the bedrock for all subsequent movements in Christian history. This wildfire advancement of the good news is the foundation of even this devotional thought today. Why did this flurry of growth take place and more importantly, why would we want to be a part of a similar movement?
The beauty of Christian movement is that it echoes the compassion of Jesus. When people begin to follow the teachings of Jesus, by the power of the Spirit, they begin to see the world as Jesus did. If you read about Jesus’ ministry, you see his compassion on broken, hurting, poor, and downtrodden people of the world. When such a beautiful picture is painted, it becomes increasingly difficult to avoid dealing with people’s needs. In Acts, we see a group of people gathering to hear the teachings of Jesus. As they listen, they learn compassion. They notice the needs among them and react in practical ways – by selling their possessions and taking care of each other.
Compassion and goodness is the content of Jesus’ teachings, and therefore the content of Christian movement. If that’s not wonderful enough, notice how compassion fuels the movement. When onlookers see the amazing things happening among this group of Christ followers, they want in. It says, “the Lord added to their number day by day.”
We can join the same movement when we see the needs around us and step in to fill those needs with the compassion of Jesus. What needs or injustices break your heart? That nagging sense of, ‘this is not right’ is a deposit of God’s heart in you. Let holy discontentedness well up in your soul and then do something about it. Uphold what is good for those around you and you might just spark a wildfire of good Christian movement today.[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]
By Aaron Bjorklund
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