Christian Living

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We have departed from it. We have lost the plot. Today’s western Christianity is as far removed from the Book of Acts as Sydney is from London.

Imagine having an authentic repair manual for your Ford or Volkswagen car, then abandoning it for some cheap version full of errors. This is exactly what we are doing today in what passes for following Jesus.

Most church programmes contain news of men’s breakfasts, ladies’ dinners, teen picnics etc. No outreach programme. Nothing about evangelism, it has become almost a forgotten word in church circles. While we are entertaining ourselves, people are slipping into hell—at least all over Australia. It is surely fair comment to say 90 per cent of Australians are heading for the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). People are rich but godless.

Acts. The very word means action. The apostles and disciples took action for Christ. Their reason for living was not their career, their uni degree, their house, their wife. Their sole purpose was to proclaim the gospel. They didn’t wait and hope for people to come into the church, which is the pattern today. They did exactly what Jesus told them to do – go, preach the gospel, make disciples, heal the sick, even raise the dead!

We read in Acts they would go to jail for Christ if need be - chapter 4:1-4. And again in chapter 5. In chapter 12 Peter was jailed and an angel visited and released him! Paul sang praises to God after being beaten, put in prison and in stocks. (chapter 16) What happened? Because of their faith, boldness and courage God responded with a miracle. An earthquake. The whole place shook, men were released, and the jailer was so terrified he cried out “What must I do to be saved?”.

That is the supernatural, dynamic Christianity of Acts. Many today see Christianity as just another religion. Nothing much happens to change that. In Acts people saw the power of God. It wasn’t just talk. Those believers were so dedicated to Jesus they would gladly die for Him— and some did! Acts shows us how God responds to that kind of gutsy Christianity. If our attitude were right, the same would happen today.

The very few Christians who do venture into the streets meekly go home when the Council man says “You can’t do that here.”

That lone preacher on the street corner is regarded by many as a freak, but not by God. Imagine five street preachers in that town, or ten, or twenty. People would take notice! “The harvest is great but the labourers are few.”

Nothing has changed since Acts was written. Jesus certainly hasn’t. Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever." The devil is the same. Sin just as widespread. Heaven and hell are still real.

So today we need a Christian revolution. Pastors and ministers have to think deeply as to what it means to follow Jesus. Inward-looking social activities must cease - except perhaps for Bible study and prayer meetings. So the congregation diminishes? Better a church with six full on for Jesus than sixty-six who are half-hearted.

It means going back to basics. Forsaking the trendy and the “in thing”. Back to the manual of Acts for dynamic Christianity, supernatural events, seeing people saved – not a few, but thousands in one day! (Acts 2:41).

Church priorities have to change. The church has to become outward-looking instead of inward. A springboard for launching evangelists into the community — not a refuge in which to cower from the big bad world. The believers in Acts should be our role model, our mentors. Acts is the Bible how-to manual for evangelism. We should settle for nothing less.

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