Passage: Acts 6:1-1:7 Speaker: Pastor Jon Kopp Series: The Book of Acts: Neighbors & Nations
Speaker: Jon Kopp - In the early chapters of the Book of Acts, the church is experiencing an extraordinary growth spurt. On the day of Pentecost, 3,000 people embraced faith in Jesus, and by Acts 4, an additional 5,000 were added. And as we saw in our last message in this series, that growth is happening even in the face of threats from within and without. God’s word and work will not be stopped. You attack the Apostles and tell them to stop talking about Jesus, and they count it worthy to suffer with Jesus…and they go right on preaching about Him in public and private. The gospel is advancing powerfully, and as Acts 6 begins, the number of disciples is increasing too. But, another threat is about to arise. This time the threat is more subtle than violent persecution or blatant hypocrisy. Growing pains are threatening gospel advance. May God help us to recognize that growth often brings challenges, but when the church unites around the priority of God’s Word and sharing in ministry, God’s word and work will thrive.