Life would be pretty dull without receiving or experiencing something new every now and then. Being from a rich country many of us receive a new gadget or new clothes fairly often – something others in the world seldom experience. In other ways, however, not just the rich, but everyone can receive and experience newness. Our chapter in The Story this week covers the first part of the book of Acts, and it is full of NEW stuff.
The Holy Spirit was given in a way that had never been seen before, giving the disciples the ability to declare the “wonders of God” in different languages. There was a new boldness in the way they spoke and a new fearlessness in the face of persecution. There was also a radically new kind of community called the church where Jesus’ followers, “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, and to breaking of bread and to prayer.” They were a community where “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.” There were new opportunities to serve ( the Grecian widows in chapter 6), a new kind of persecution, a new witness, message, evangelism, and new outlook on the world (Peter’s dream and experience with Cornelius). They were new people experiencing a new Spirit filled life!!!!
This new life is still available to us today, and in my work I have the opportunity to talk with people about it often. We die to the old and are raised to new life through a new birth to be a new creation with a new hope. The old king (your name) dies and a new king, Lord Jesus sits on the throne of your life ruling every aspect of it. We come into a place of forgiveness in a new relationship with God, with the Spirit living within us. We are made new. This all happens and is seen in no better place than our baptism. This is great news! But sometimes we fall back into the world of sin or we hide secrets within us that become heavy burdens. The new life fades and becomes a shadow of what it was. But thank God for grace that can make life new again. In fact, God doesn’t want us to just experience new life when we first come to him or when we fall and return, he wants us to experience new life every day (Lamentations 3:23; Psalms 40:3).
Another exciting new beginning is when we become part of a new church family either at baptism or by moving to a new location. It was that way for Michele and I over 30 years ago at Singing Oaks. We were so happy to be involved in an active loving church. It was a new start. Part of my job now is helping new members connect to the Singing Oaks church family, a family that strives to be like the New Testament church I described earlier as a radically new kind of unified community. We praise God for the more than 50 new members this year who are an important part of the body of Christ that meets here. Let me remind all of us of our responsibility to them and their new beginning with us; our responsibility to help them begin strong, get connected and become productive fruitful members in their new family and in God’s kingdom.
