ACTS 2:42-47
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.
We are an Easter people. We are a numerical people. What do the two have in common. Usually one refers to the resurrection, the other refers to statistics and probability. One is used to describe the movement of Christianity. The other is used to describe the movement of trends and probabilities.
However, in a response to obedience, to fellowship, and to sharing, the Easter people became a numerical people. For the Lord was adding to their number day by day. Wait!!! The Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were saved. It’s one thing to run a great program, to offer the right things and bring people into the fellowship. It is a much more difficult thing to bring others to Christ, or in the words of the writer of Acts, to add to their number.
The Disciples model a way of life in which people want to live in. In a world which demanded productivity, resiliency, and independence, here is a group of people communing together, praying together, and living together much differently than the rest of the world. If we too, want to add to the number those who are being saved, how will we choose to live?
Prayer: God of abundance and grace, give us the power, will, and courage to live lives worthy of your calling. Help us to be numerical people because we serve an Easter God. AMEN.
