“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles…They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42-47).

I love this passage. I have always wondered what it would be like to live out this passage…

• The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved…What Christian doesn’t want to see this? What an amazing picture. Could you imagine if that were taking place today?

Is such a revival possible today? Was this only a thing of the past? Was this only something from the early church days to never be experienced again?

We may never find out until we too devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching (the Bible), to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and prayer.

It’s my take that we are doing pretty well on the first three items – devoted to God’s word, to fellowship, and to the sacrament of communion. The place where I think we are the weakest is communal prayer. Praying like ministry and renewal depended on God and God alone. 

The revival that took place in the Book of Acts was the result of the Holy Spirit. Only God’s Holy Spirit can convict us of our sins and turn us to repentance. That’s the reason why prayer is essential to revival and renewal. Revival and renewal are things we cannot generate or create. Revival and renewal only take place as the Holy Spirit of God moves. And that’s the reason why we pray. We are asking God to do that which we cannot.

Would you commit to praying for renewal and revival? Would you devote yourselves to prayer? No renewal or revival has ever occurred without being accompanied by prayer.

I am inviting you to pray. Not just individually. I trust that you are praying. I am challenging you to devote yourselves to prayer on Wednesday evenings with your pastors. The worm of the ministry of Jesus Christ is a work that will only happen through the movement of the Holy Spirit.

Will you join me in devoting yourselves to prayer for God to move upon the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace in Lakewood and beyond?

Join me in prayer, asking God to do what only God can do on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm in the office or by zoom.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit…”

Why? Because our standing as sons and daughters of God has nothing to do with us; it has everything to do with God. If we are Christians it is because God saved us through Jesus Christ. If we are Christians it is because God’s Holy Spirit has convicted us of our sins and helped us to repent and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. It’s all God’s doing. It’s all God’s grace.

We are told by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Because salvation is all God’s doing, it would be silly for us to take credit for being Christian. That’s just embarrassing. We didn’t do anything to earn it. God did it all.

That’s why, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.”

“Rather,” we are told, “in humility value others above yourselves.” Because of all that God has done for us, in humility value others above yourselves. The word “value” there means literally to “count,” “think,” “consider.” Because of all that God has done for sinners through Jesus Christ, we who have been redeemed are to value, count, think of, consider others above ourselves.

Why? Because the primary difference between those who have been saved and those who have yet to be saved is forgiveness. We are forgiven. Those who have yet to be saved are yet to be forgiven because they have not repented. We are no better than anyone else. As a preacher once said, “Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar to find bread.”

That’s what we’re doing when we tell others about Jesus. We are telling others how to find forgiveness.

So, “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

Every moment of the day we are being shaped, discipled, molded.

If we do nothing, if we are complacent, if we do not discipline our thinking, we are constantly being shaped by unhealthy ideologies, discipled by social media, and being molded by false beliefs of the popular culture. It’s no wonder you can’t tell a difference in the way most “Christians” think and perceive the world around them from those who do not know Jesus Christ. The same things are important to both. The same things are valued by both. There is no difference.

Or, we are being shaped, discipled, and being molded by God’s truth revealed in his Holy Scripture, by solid biblical teaching and preaching, and through the peer-pressure of other God-believing Christians. When the Bible shapes our character and our values, there is a visible and tangible difference in the things that Christ-followers value compared to those who do not know Jesus.

When Paul writes, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world…” Paul has in mind the image of a mold squeezing and tightening clay. The world is constantly pressuring Christians to act like the world. The political correctness of “woke” people put the squeeze on Biblical committed ideologies.

Be wise on who is shaping, discipling, and molding you. If you are a Christ-follower, this is a no brainer. The word of God is our authority.