Much Grace Was Upon Them All

When Jesus walked the earth—teaching, and preaching, and healing—-strange things happened. Not strange as in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. More like strange as in counter-intuitive. Strange as in turning upside-down what everyone knew to be true about how the world worked—what was important and what was not, who was important and who was not, what made for success and what did not.

Otherwise responsible men picked up and left home—-left behind jobs and families, all that was familiar-—and followed him. Fishermen became evangelists. Tax collectors became teachers. Zealots became servants.

Lepers were cleansed. Paralytics were healed. Sinners were welcomed. Storms were quieted at the sound of his voice. Demons fled. Dead boys and girls were raised to life.

The greatest became servants. The proud were humbled. The outcast were welcomed. The conventionally powerful found themselves on the fringe. The last became first.

Wherever Jesus went, life happened. Real life. Abundant life.

Even when Jesus walked no more, and his body was laid in the tomb, life happened. On the third day he rose again from the dead.

Some six weeks later, on Pentecost, the church was born.

According to the Book of Acts, everywhere the church went, strange things happened. Or maybe I should say, wherever the Holy Spirit led the church, strange things happened. Strange as in turning upside-down what everyone knew to be true about how the world worked—-what was important and what was not, who was important and who was not, what made for success and what did not.

An uneducated fisherman from the boonies preached in the capital city, and thousands repented and were baptized.

A man who had not walked, ever, danced on the temple steps and praised God.

The chief persecutor of the church became its greatest missionary. Prison doors did not stay locked. Threats to personal safety did not intimidate people.

Wherever the Holy Spirit led the church, life happened. Real life. Abundant life.

The Book of Acts is the longest book in the New Testament.

Reading the Book of Acts yields all sorts of wonderful insights…about prayer, about missions and evangelism, about church history and church government, about leadership development, about cross-cultural interactions, about stewardship, about perseverance, about preaching, about deacons, about challenging the powerful, about reaching out to the weak, and more.

It can be a lot to keep track of. It can be almost overwhelming. Sometimes it can even be distracting. Have you ever wanted someone just to come out and tell you what the main idea is? You know-—not so you could skip reading the Book, of course, but just to help keep you focused while you read the Book.

When I was in 8th grade, I took confirmation class at my church—every Wednesday evening for months. For several of those Wednesdays, we traced the travels of Paul, largely by reading the accounts in the Book of Acts. It was quite interesting. It was informative. It was worthwhile. It was also really easy to get lost in the details.

What I needed was a card to paste to the front page of my notes…a card that contained a simple summary of the main idea…something I could have re-read every time I was about to enter into the next leg of Paul’s journeys…something that would have given me focus even as I readied my pen to draw a line from Antioch to Laodicea to Ephesus.

It took me a few decades, but I finally have that card. And I’m going to share it with you. Not so you can skip reading the Book, of course, but just to help keep you focused when you do. Not so I can skip preaching on the Book, either, but just to help keep me focused when I do.

It’s a two-part message.

First, Jesus is alive. Really alive. Abundantly alive.

Second, because Jesus is alive, a new community of people is formed-—people who demonstrate the reality and power of the risen Christ in their life together. Real life. Abundant life.

This isn’t all that the Book of Acts has to say, but all that the Book of Acts has to say is said in light of these truths. Whatever insights the Book of Acts gives on prayer or missions or leadership development or anything else, these insights are best understood in light of and as a consequence of these two truths.

Jesus is alive. Really alive. Abundantly alive.

Because Jesus is alive, a new community of people is formed-—people who demonstrate the reality and power of the risen Christ in their life together. Real life. Abundant life.

Sometimes, when I look around the church…all the people I have worshiped with over the years, all the people I went to seminary with, my own less than perfect Christian walk, the debates and arguments in our denomination and in others, the maneuvering for power and influence… Sometimes, when I look around the church, it’s harder to believe the second truth than it is the first.