LEARNING DAILY

Acts 2:42-43, And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

“And they.” Pastor Jonathon Moore, Lead Pastor of NorthRock Church, emphasized that the early Church was “united.” The Church is the people together. They gathered together. They worshipped together. They met in each other’s homes. They were taught the Word of God by the Apostles Jesus had trained, and they prayed. As a result, God added to their number. “It’s a picture of the Church doing all the right things; God begins to work through them, and the Church grows.” (JM).

The early Church must have been a unique time as new Believers joined the others to hear, learn and share the teachings of the Apostles. It was a time of spiritual awakening with Believers hungry to hear, to gain an understanding of Jesus’s teachings. Both Community Bible Church and NorthRock Church stress the importance of building “community” by being in small groups to build relationships and support in growing one’s faith.

Pastor Moore stressed “the need for each Believer to grow, to live by faith each day.” May I also stress that this growing in the faith never stops. A Believer does what God’s Word says, and God’s favor comes. As the Believer walks the narrow way each day, being obedient to what the Word of God says, growth comes. Yes, that means even during the trials, the Believer knows that God is with him/her.

Romans 6:13, “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.” Pastor Moore encouraged Believers to “Go all in. Give all of yourself to God. Obey in every area of your life. Jesus came to give us abundant life, not to just get by. Be obedient!” Notice the command in this verse. Believers are to have control over what they do with their own bodies. They are not to be instruments of sin.

Galatians 5:16, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Pastor Moore defined “walk” as “a continuous, regular action, a habitual way of life.” Each of us choose what we want to believe which is reflected in the way we walk. The world would have us believe we can live, think, and do whatever we want and still be in a right relationship with Jesus. But the Word of God is clear that Believers are to live, think, and do as God directs in His Word. That’s why Believers are to be in His Word daily and to pray!

Exodus 6:6-7 (take time to look it up and read it), writes of when God set His people free from their slavery in Egypt and took them from there. It expresses what Jesus had done for every Believer. He set us free from the bondage of sin. The challenge to walk forward in this new life and not yield and return to those old ways that bound us. Jesus did not set us free to live life the way we want to. When Jesus frees the Believer, He wants to redeem or change him/her; He wants those unhealthy, sinful habits to be replaced with healthy habits. Healthy habits are those ways of living for Him on the narrow way. For Him to change you, part of the process is to be honest with yourself and desire to change. Spend time with Him every day through prayer and being in His Word. It is the only way to know His will and to desire for Him to change you.