Hello Friends,
I feel sure that each of you have been anxiously awaiting the third segment of the Church Alive. I've been a bit worried that you have probably been pacing the floors and hitting the refresh button over an over in anticipation. So sorry to keep you on pins and needles for such a long time! ha! Thank you for being patient- and for caring.
Before I dig in let's establish where we've been thus far on this topic. The 'church' is the people- not the building. An alive church is built upon repentant sinners. And, we have established all manner of what an alive church is not.
From here forward these segments are not based upon any order but will be rather random. So, for our next look into an alive church we will look to the book of Acts where we see the first church birthed. I recommend you read through at the very least the first eight chapters of Acts and if possible read the whole book looking for gatherings of the church.
Allow me to give you a bit of background. From the beginning chapter of Acts the church, as we know it today, is gathered and Jesus commands them to wait in Jerusalem for the gift of the Holy Spirit which he has promised. So, the apostles and Mary, Jesus mother and brothers and what the Bible calls 'the women' return to Jerusalem as Jesus said. Once there, the Bible tells us "they all joined together constantly in prayer." (Acts 1:14) Later we see in chapter two as they are together the Holy Spirit descends upon them.
The point I would like to make today about an alive church is this-an alive church is a church of
prayer. We not only see this evidence from the beginning of Acts but through out the whole chapter. We see in Acts 2:42 that this early group of followers devoted themselves from the very beginning to several elements that were vital to their life and the spread of the Gospel. "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to
prayer" (Acts 2:42). So let's take a deeper look into the prayer life of these early followers and see why it was so vital to them.
First, It was vital to their relationship with the Risen and Ascended Lord, Jesus. Many of these men and women had traveled miles with Jesus in the flesh- prayer gave them that continuing presence and relationship. Second, it was vital to the effectiveness of their ministry and the spread of the Gospel. These early followers prayed earnestly. Their very lives depended on God's intervention not to mention the spread of the Gospel. These devoted followers prayed often and expectantly.
Take a look at Acts 4:23-31. Peter and John have just been released from jail for preaching in the name of Jesus. Tensions were rising in the city and they felt it. Remember, not too long ago many of them watched as Jesus was arrested, tried, beaten and brutally killed. I imagine their fears were rising with every breath they took as their minds wondered if they could be next to suffer. Yes, Jesus rose from the dead but not before he suffered and died. In our human minds we can't grasp suffering like that nor do we want to be subject to it.
Peter and John, having just been released from jail, return to the fellowship of believers. I love what the Bible says about their return "Peter and John went back to their own people". I can't think of anywhere I love to be but with my own people (the church). There is comfort and safety that comes from being with your own. Peter and John didn't waste a moment of time when they arrived back with their own. Immediately they began to share their plight. There is something about the comforts of being with our own that allows us to be venerable and share our stuff. And, there is something very
special about this group of followers in Acts- they were all united in the same mission and I believe they all shared in the sufferings that were brought about by seeing this mission to
fulfillment. John and Peter's problems were their problems too.
Stay with me here for a moment as I share a side note to the topic of prayer. Do you see through Peter and John's story that the church is a place where we bring our fears, struggles, and our needs to? When is the last time you let down your defenses and were real with those in your fellowship (your own people)? This early group of followers at their core were real with one another. They didn't hold back for fear of looking stupid or for fear somebody might think they didn't have it together! Look back to Acts 4:13. Those in the crowd saw Peter and John's courage- why? Because they realized they were unschooled, ordinary men. I don't know about you but this helps me. If this early fellowship made up of ordinary men and women can receive power to do the unthinkable and lead an astonishing movement for Jesus Christ and still need to share their needs with one another so can we. Don't you and I (the church today) share a common unity with one another just as these young followers did? Of course we do!
What did that fellowship of believers do when Peter and John shared their need? They took it immediately to the One who was capable of handling it- Jesus. The Bible says "When they heard this they raised their voices together in prayer to God" (Acts 4:24). The word 'raised' here means to cry out or to sing. I'm not sure but I like to believe that for a time all their voices were audibly speaking aloud and possibly all at once.
Some of the most amazing moments I have ever experienced have been through prayer. I have traveled twice now to India for mission work and in both trips I experienced a depth of prayer I have never experienced before. What you may find most amazing is that I didn't understand a single word of most of the prayers prayed there because they were not in my language. Many times when the minister would pray the entire congregation would pray aloud too. I couldn't understand what they were saying but the desperation and adoration in the tone of their voices said what I needed to know.
After every church service we participated in those present were invited to come forward at the end if they had any prayer needs. Each time we were overwhelmed with people waiting at the front of the church for us to pray for and over them. There were all sorts of needs. Some brought
handicapped children or family members and laid them at our feet for us to lay hands upon and pray. Many would just fall to their knees at our feet. Once a lady brought a young girl
forward and shared that her mother had died and her father had ran away and she was homeless. Honestly, I have never felt so unworthy or humbled in my life. Who was I that I could take their needs to God when these precious ones could go straight to the Throne of Grace without my help (and probably have more success!)? I realized later it wasn't that I could take their need to God and they couldn't it was the need for our team to 'share in their sufferings' through prayer. To in some way carry their burdens if at all possible- but carry them to the Lord. The needs of the people were so overwhelming-so huge! But, our God is a HUGE God who is capable of handling every last one of them! So, we took the needs to Him. The people came- they were real- their needs were real and so was our love an compassion for their
needs. So much so that I'm still praying!
Unfortunately I'm terrible with words (grammar and spelling too- as you well know), but know this
experience is one I will never forget-It has been and always will be a
privilege to take everything to God in prayer.
If you read on in Acts 4 we find that these followers prayed specifically and they used scripture to express their need and God rocked the house! Sisters, I yearn to be a part of a movement like this. Where men and women come together to seek God's will, to ask big things of God and to EXPECT him to answer. How often do we pull away from the world and seek God's will for a situation instead of charging ahead, making a
decision and THEN asking God to bless what we have decided. I've done this myself and by the grace of God many times he has chosen to bless what I've decided without his input. (Thank you Lord!) But what would our lives and churches looked like if we let go of token prayers before meetings and really
sought God and listened for him before we made plans? I imagine we might experience a movement from the Lord where we felt like our lives had been rocked!
I've gone to meddling and preaching a bit now (so sorry). Bottom line- and alive church is a praying church. A church that seeks God through prayer for direction, discernment and vision. It is a church that brings the needs of the people before our capable God. It is a church that expects for God to hear and answer.
Again, I have so much to say on this topic of a praying 'alive' church. I am holding back a bit in order to bring the subject back up in our last segment.
Let me end by saying God answers prayers- all sorts of them and he answers them in all sorts of ways. I've heard it said, "A praying church is a staying church". I'll let you decide.
Blessings,
Lori
