Does Your Church Function Like the Early Church in Acts?
Doubt it.
Yes, you may see snippets of similarities, but if you look closely, you’ll find huge gaps. Don’t believe me?
Consider the early church’s astronomical growth. Does your church experience that?
When was the last time someone at your church died for their faith?
Does your church experience Holy Spirit baptism and speaking in tongues? Most don’t.
We’re Just Getting Started
What about sharing all your resources with other believers?
How about supernatural healing, signs and wonders, and exorcisms?
Do you take offerings for other believers and not yourself?
Wait, There’s More
Do you meet daily in people’s homes and public spaces?
Is community and getting along more important than just about everything else?
Do you minister to one another, serve as priests, and focus on telling others about Jesus?
Dear Theophilus, Acts is
a devotional. It’s a Bible Study. And it emerges as a manifesto for today’s
church.
It’s time to realign your thinking. Dear Theophilus, Acts will ease you into it. It gives forty devotional insights from the book of Acts for today’s church—and for you.
Peter DeHaan, PhD, earned his doctorate—awarded with high distinction—from Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary. He lives in Southwest Michigan with his wife and plays with crossword puzzles in his spare time.
[Note: Dear Theophilus, Acts has been updated and republished as Tongues of Fire.]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
We arrive at church to find an empty lobby. Hearing an amplified voice, we head towards the sound. We find a large sanctuary with 162 chairs and 20 people.
Like last week, we slink into a back row. A young woman turns around, smiles broadly, and mouths “hello.”
I assume Sunday school is running late, but if that’s the case, it’s lasted 90 minutes. The speaker makes a few concluding remarks and asks everyone to stand.
He publically acknowledges the presence of visitors and apologizes that there is no church service today, just Sunday school. Their minister had an emergency and they canceled church. He hopes we’ll visit another time.
After a short prayer, the people begin leaving. The young woman comes up and greets us, embarrassed for there being no service. With a late starting time of 11:30, there’s no opportunity to go elsewhere, so we linger to talk.
Our new friend shares her faith journey. Her testimony encourages me. Perhaps we’ll have church after all, unofficially so. She introduces others and we learn a bit about their history.
She asks if I know what an apostolic church is. We’ve been to several claiming that label but possessing little in common. “It seems apostolic means different things to different people,” I say. She nods and then explains their doctrine.
Then she shares God’s work in her life, including starting a youth program, leading worship, performing clerical tasks at church, and preparing for next week’s Christmas program. She smiles with joy as she speaks of her faith in action.
Though a formal church service did not occur, an informal fellowship did. We proclaimed Jesus, worshiped the Father, and celebrated the Holy Spirit—and it all happened without any music or sermon.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
How We View and Handle Money Matters to God and to Us
Paul writes to his protégé Timothy, warning him that the love of money is the source of all manner of evil.
An unhealthy preoccupation with wealth is especially risky for followers of Jesus, for their pursuit of money can distract them from their faith and pile on all kinds of grief (1 Timothy 6:10).
Keep in mind that Paul is not condemning
money. Paul warns against the love of
money.
For anyone who has money, this serves as a solemn warning to make sure we have a God-honoring understanding of money and what its purpose is.
Accumulating wealth as if it’s a scorecard of success is a fruitless pursuit with an insatiable appetite.
Money is not the end but the means to the end. Money shouldn’t be our aim. Instead we should focus on how we use the money we have, the money God blesses us with.
When it comes to the pursuit of
money—our love of money—we risk having it pull us away from God. Consider these
proper uses of money.
Use Money to Take Care of Our Needs
First, we need money to take care of ourselves. (Consider 2 Thessalonians 3:10.) We must focus on what we need, not what we want.
While our wants may never be satisfied, we can meet our true needs. We need food, shelter, and clothing.
These are the essentials. Everything else is extra. In the strictest sense all else is a want. We must be careful to curb what we want and instead focus on using money to cover what we need.
Use Money to Help Others
Once we take care of our needs, we should consider the needs of others. What do they need?
How can we help them? Again, as with our own balancing of needs versus wants, we must guard against supplying someone with what they want, instead of focusing on what they truly need.
Yes, when we try to help others, sometimes they’ll take advantage of us. Then we aren’t being good stewards of the money God blesses us with. How do we guard against this?
We ask for God’s wisdom, and we follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance. That’s the best we can do.
However, the only way to make sure our generosity is never exploited is to never give money to anyone, but that would dishonor God who wants us to help others, especially widows and orphans (James 1:27), as well as foreigners and the poor (Zechariah 7:10).
Use Money to Serve and Honor God
In addition to taking care of our needs and helping others who are in need, we should use money to help fund the things that matter to God. With the wise use of our money, we can serve God and honor him.
We must remember that we can’t serve two masters: God and money (Matthew 6:24). Our love of money will distract us from the love of God. May it never be.
However, just because I list God third, doesn’t mean it’s third in priority. It’s first. We should give to God first (Exodus 23:19) and then concern ourselves with our needs and helping others with theirs.
God wants our best, not what’s left over. This applies to our money and our actions.
Does this mean we need to give our money to the local church? Maybe, but it’s much more than that.
Read more about this in Peter’s thought-provoking book, Jesus’s Broken Church, available in e-book, audiobook, paperback, and hardcover.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Nathan’s Prophetic Words May Carry a Double Meaning
Once King David has his kingdom established, he wants to build the temple for God and tells the prophet Nathan. Nathan gives him his blessing to proceed, but later God gives Nathan a different message.
Nathan returns to David and says, “You are not the one to build a house for God. Instead your offspring will build God’s temple.”
Then Nathan shares a prophecy about David’s legacy and his offspring who will build God’s house (1 Chronicles 17:11-14).
Solomon Builds a Physical Temple
In expectation that David’s son Solomon will erect the
temple, David amasses resources for its construction. After Solomon assumes the
kingship, he proceeds to build God’s temple in Jerusalem.
The finished temple is a stunning tribute to the
Lord God. It’s a grand edifice that will serve as a center of Hebrew worship
for centuries. It’s completion fulfills Nathan’s prophecy.
Or does it?
Jesus Establishes a Spiritual Temple
Read Nathan’s prophecy again—carefully. Consider
every word. Is the prophet speaking of Solomon or about Jesus?
Nathan prophetically says that after David dies, God will raise up one of David’s offspring to succeed him, one of his own sons (Solomon succeeds him, but this happens before David dies, not after).
This king will build God’s temple (Solomon does), and God will establish his rule forever (Solomon’s rule ends, but Jesus rules forever).
God promises to be this future ruler’s father, who will be his son (Jesus, the Son of God, fits this perfectly).
Furthermore, God promises to never take his love
away from this future ruler (though God strips the kingdom away from Solomon’s son,
God’s love for Jesus is without question).
Last, God will establish this future king’s rule
forever. His kingdom and his reign will never end (Solomon dies. Jesus rules eternal).
When Jesus becomes our perfect sacrifice in payment for all the wrong things we have done, he fulfills the Old Testament. This includes the practice of worship. There is now no more need to go to a physical place to worship God.
Who builds God’s temple, Solomon or Jesus? Who best
fulfills Nathan’s foretelling? David certainly understood this prophecy to be
speaking of his son, Solomon. Solomon acts accordingly and constructs the
temple for God.
But I don’t think this is what God intended with
Nathan’s prophecy. God was looking much farther into the future. He wasn’t
speaking in literal terms about Solomon as much as speaking in figurative terms
about Jesus, his son.
Though both Solomon and Jesus emerge as fulfilling Nathan’s
prophecy to build God’s temple—albeit in different ways—Jesus accomplishes it more
fully than Solomon.
Many prophecies are like this, carrying a double
meaning. But we can best see Jesus as fulfilling this prophecy.
Thank you, Jesus!
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
What would you learn if you visited 52 churches? How might that change the way you treated visitors at your church?
You don’t need to go to a boatload of churches. Peter
already has. The 52 Churches Workbook is the perfect tool to gain
valuable insights without the pain and hassle of going to a different church
every Sunday for a whole year.
Merely thinking about making your church better isn’t
enough. It’s time to act.
With over 200 thought-provoking questions to propel you and your church forward, you’ll explore:
How to greet visitors well.
The importance of making a good first impression and a parting memory.
The way one person can make the difference between success and failure.
Best practices from churches that treat visitors well, along with what to avoid.
Why a website is critical and shouldn’t resemble a dating profile.
The 52 Churches Workbook is the perfect companion for
52 Churches, but it also works great as a standalone book for those who
haven’t read 52 Churches.
Don’t go another Sunday without this essential resource. Perfect for leaders and members.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Two weeks ago we stumbled upon this church. They are new to us, not coming up in any of our research. Once we know their name, my wife finds them on Facebook, confirming their location, but nothing else.
Their denomination’s website lists service times, but no contact information. Candy sends them two Facebook messages (our only means of contact), but there’s no response.
I wonder if they even want visitors.
We arrive to a pleasant sight: cars in the parking lot. We pull into one of the last remaining spaces and walk towards the entrance. Once inside, no one greets us.
Everyone is sitting and people are singing. Confused, I check the time; we think we’re early but seem to be late.
We slink in, easing into the last row. I nod at the man to my left and try to smile. He returns the courtesy but then looks away. The song ends and nothing happens. We sit in complete silence.
We squirm for about ten minutes, and finally the service starts for real. We open with a hymn and hear a message from Zechariah; then we take Holy Communion. They share the bread in typical fashion, but skip the cup.
Perplexed, I feel I’ve only received half of communion. Is omitting the wine a theological statement or a practice of convenience?
The service ends. Only then do people talk. Up to this point, they’d been stoic, but now they’re friendly. Many introduce themselves, ask our names, and thank us for visiting.
I’m appreciative of worshiping with them today and glad we went despite a lack of communication.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
So, Moses receives ten commandments from God and teaches them to the people. God gives other directions and instructions, too, which Moses also passes on.
But the people begin to disregard and forget God and what he told them to do.
This displeases him, so eventually, he sends a series of wake-up calls, first in the form of judges and later through prophets. Sometimes a foreign power is used to get their attention.
(There’s nothing like a crisis to send us scurrying back to God.)
This happens gradually, over time, right? Not necessarily.
They Forget God and His Commands in One Generation
Several hundred years after Moses, Nehemiah comes along and reinstates the “festival of booths”—which had not been practiced since the days of Joshua, Moses’ immediate successor.
(It is unclear if it is disregarded fully or partially or if it happens during Joshua’s watch or after, but either way, Joshua drops the ball for not perpetuating it.)
It didn’t take hundreds of years for the festival to be dismissed, but less than one generation. They forget God and what he instructed them to do.
Turn to God
In only one generation, a people can forget God and turn away from him—or turn towards him.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
Our Spiritual Health Should Be Our Most Important Healthcare Concern
Many people today worry about their health. This can relate to their physical health, mental health, or emotional health. They have less concern, however, about their spiritual health—if they give it any consideration at all.
But our spiritual health is the most critical of all our healthcare concerns. It’s important for today and essential for eternity.
To pursue our spiritual health, seeking to maintain the status quo isn’t enough.
This will fall short. Instead we must strive for spiritual growth. Here are the
main steps we can take to grow spiritually.
Study Scripture
Daily Bible reading is an important aspect of spiritual health. I encourage everyone to do it, whether in short passages or in a grand plan to read the Bible in a year.
As we read the Bible each day, we hide it in our hearts (Psalm 119:11) and immerse it in our souls.
Just as we need to eat each day for our physical health, we need regular doses of Scripture for our spiritual well-being.
Bible reading, however, is just the start. As we read scripture, we should meditate on it (Joshua 1:8) and study it (John 5:39 and Acts 17:11). Then we should allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the words we read.
Bible reading, study, and meditation is the first step for people who
want to grow spiritually.
Talk to God
Next is communicating with God, which we typically call praying. Yet for many people prayer is one way. They tell God what they need or want. Sometimes they thank him or even praise him (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Yet prayer should be bidirectional. It should be a dialogue. We talk to God, and we listen to what he has to say (John 14:26). It takes practice to hear the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit, but learning to hear from God is worth the effort.
Prayer is the second step that helps us grow spiritually.
Engage in Community
Just as God lives in relationship with himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so too does he desire to be in relationship with us. He created us for community. This means spending time with other followers of Jesus.
We should not neglect this (Hebrews 10:24-25). Wherever two or more hang out in his name, he is there (Matthew 18:20). A unique spiritual connection occurs when we do this.
This could happen at church, or it could happen in other places. While Church should be a great place for Christian relationships to develop, many gatherings lack this opportunity for meaningful connection.
God created us in his image to thrive in community.
When we engage with intention to connect with other followers of Jesus,
we grow spiritually.
There are limitless opportunities for us to help others. These can be to meet the physical needs, emotional needs, or spiritual needs of those around us. Often addressing one of these three areas connects with the other two.
Serving others can occur through giving our money or our time. Either way
it’s an investment in their overall physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual health.
And as we help them, we grow spiritually.
Summary of How to Grow Spiritually
The first two elements of spiritual growth—Bible study and prayer—relate
to our relationship with God. Our spiritual health starts there.
The third element—intentional Christian community—relates to our relationship with other followers of Jesus.
This is essential, but for us to get the most out of our time with other believers, we must first pursue God through Bible study and prayer.
Christian community looks internally at the body of believers.
When we put all three of these steps together the goal is an outward look
towards others to serve them and point them to Jesus. This is the purpose of
the first three steps: to help others with their own spiritual health.
To grow spiritually we must study Scripture, pray, hang out with other Jesus followers, and serve those outside our community.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
Discover How People in the New Testament React to God’s Good News
Jesus Was Loved. He Was Hated. But He Was Never Ignored.
Some people think Jesus was easy-going. Hardly. Everything
he did and said sparked passionate reaction. He polarized people. Some adored
Jesus to the point of dying for him. But those who feared and hated him ended
up killing him.
If You’ve Never
Looked Deep into Both Perspectives . . . It’s Time You Did
Discover the surprising things those who loved
him did—and how you can do the same
Dig into those who hated him and avoid their
tragic mistakes
See yourself in each character—the good and the
bad—and face some fascinating choices
Plus, at the end of each example, you’ll find a
thought-provoking question that will stir you into action.
Will this book challenge you? Yes. Will it make you
uncomfortable (in a positive way)? Absolutely. Will it change your life as you look
at the people who surrounded Jesus in a way you’ve never seen them before?
Without question.
Read about more biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Today’s destination is a tiny country church. Their pastor resigned a couple months ago and some families left as well.
Another church from their denomination (some forty miles away) has come alongside them, providing assistance in their revitalization.
Three couples from this other church now rotate in leading their Sunday services. “We’re in a rebuilding phase,” says one man.
The service begins with singing five songs, ably led by today’s assigned couple. The message, about revival, connects the birth of Pentecostalism in the 1900s with the early church, as portrayed in the book of Acts.
I’m glad to hear our speaker acknowledge and celebrate the Holy Spirit’s role in God’s church.
In Acts 1, the people wait and pray; this is part of their preparation. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit shows up, just as Jesus promised. The church is born.
Nineteen centuries later, the Holy Spirit again takes a lead role, as exemplified with the Azusa Street revival in 1906. Their denomination traces its roots to that event.
Unfortunately, “the church got complacent.” We need to “expect God to do miracles in our lives.” Our speaker shares an example from his own life, as well as from some of the pillars of the charismatic movement.
He concludes by quoting William Booth. “I don’t pray for revival; I am revival.”
Through the Holy Spirit, this tiny church can grow, just as it did in the book of Acts.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
