THE PODCAST

The success of the gospel can be credited to the membership of the church. The strength of Eastland is directly tied to the missional mindset of each and every member.

Stephen was a man of faith so filled with grace that those murdering him saw in his face the countenance of an angel. They saw not hatred, anger, or pain but the manifested grace of God. The grace of God allowed Stephen to overcome unbelievable abuse and hardship. Mastering self is life’s hardest task. God’s grace enabling us to take abuse and hurt is a miracle in itself. We must ask ourselves: to what degree do we have power over our own selves? By whom and what are you controlled?

God is a God of order; that is clear in creation. He expects there to be order in the church. However, the church is not a business, and if you remove the Holy Spirit, the church becomes worthless. We must be both organized and Holy Spirit filled. We must be people of God who walk with God, and we must get our hands dirty in the service of the church. The church will be hurt by a neglect of the spiritual and the organizational. We all must do both, and we all must do our part.

The miracles of the early disciples were done within the context of sharing the gospel. Multitudes of people found healing, and this healing gave opportunity for preaching. All of Jerusalem was filled with the doctrine of the early church. This preaching of the gospel led to imprisonment by the religious establishment on multiple occasions. However, the early church was determined to obey God rather than man and they went right back the preaching the gospel, which is what had led to their imprisonment in the first place. God has given the church a singular mission, and it is vital that we keep the main thing the main thing.

God takes issue with concern for self over concern for the group, especially within the context of the church. Shared purpose and mission has as its by-product a deeper fellowship and unity. To act selfishly is to distance ones self from the church and, therefore, to fail to accomplish the mission the church has been given by God to accomplish.

We live in an egalitarian, ecumenical age that holds to a relative view of truth. However, Christianity espouses a different view, and to hold to Christianity places you at odds with the age. If we are not facing resistance from the culture, there’s something wrong with our Christianity.

Peter in the healing the lame man of Acts 3 was acting under Christ's authority and was doing what Christ would do in that same circumstance. Peter simply gave of what he had to help the man in need. It was this act of kindness on the part of Peter that led to the lame man praising God. Sometimes an act of kindness needs to precede the declaration of a truth. Kindness draws people to the sound of the gospel, and the truth keeps them and makes them disciples.

Our concept of the individual has been greatly affected by our culture. Historically speaking, people have thought of themselves as part of a larger whole, part of a community. However, modernity has led to an emphasis on self over against community. The idea that a person would be a Christian and grow spiritually apart from commitment to a local church community is a cultural idea not a biblical one. Church is a big deal. Gathering together faithfully is a big deal. And it is not optional.

In this powerful sermon of Peter's, he unapologetically presents Christ in masterful fashion. The Holy Spirit, through Peter's preaching, pricked the hearts of those who heard, leading to over three thousand souls being saved. We must never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit to change a life through the simple preaching of the Word of God.

The mission initiated in Acts 2 is supposed to be continuing today, and the same power is available to accomplish that mission. This fundamentally verbal ministry of proclaiming the gospel is simple; we are commanded to speak and the Holy Spirit uses our language to work in the hearts of people.

Using an administrative detail in the early church, Luke reminds us of the story of Judas and teaches as invaluable lessons. Evil and treachery did not catch God by surprise, but no doubt, Judas likely never thought his treachery would lead to his demise.

The ascension of Christ was a spectacular, awe-inspiring event that left the disciples dumbfounded, both because of the glory of it…and because of the let down. Christ their constant companion, teacher, and leader for three years was now gone. His earthly ministry had culminated in this moment and now—silence. They were standing gazing into heaven, but the work was only just beginning. They were left for a purpose. They should have been going. How many of us have been guilty of gazing instead of going?