The early church was ordinary too

Have you ever felt like you don’t have what it takes to be a witness for Jesus? Do you think of yourself as ordinary? Then you are in good company. The early church was ordinary too.

At our NextGen Ireland event in 2021, OMF General Director Dr Patrick Fung shared about how God uses the unschooled, ordinary people of the world to share the gospel with boldness. He took us through Acts 8 and 11 and showed us how the early church community had six main characteristics:

1.     A united community.

The early church prayed together and were united in their love of Christ. For us today, it’s good to know that even when we can’t meet in person, we can still be united. We are together in Christ, no matter what. 

2.     A confident community.

The early church prayed to God in confidence. We may be fearful and not feel bold, but we can be confident in the fact that God is in control of it all and isn’t surprised by a thing.

3.     A waiting community.

The early church waited on God to act. They prayed for him to consider what was happening and to act and then waited. The waiting is not easy. But we can wait with confidence because we know who God is.

4.     A proclaiming community.

The early church asked God to enable them to speak with boldness. They knew they couldn’t proclaim the Gospel without his help. But with him, they could be bold in their faith.

5.     A healing community.

The early church also asked for healing and for God to perform signs, and he did.  

6.     A Spirit-filled community.

When the early church prayed in Acts 2, the place was shaken and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were able to be bold in proclaiming the Gospel because of the Holy Spirit that was in them.

So what should we learn from this?

The power of unnamed people. The early church didn’t get training courses, but they went and preached the Gospel boldly anyway. God can give you the boldness even in the most difficult of circumstances.

The power of faith. When we put our faith in Jesus, we can be bold and have confidence that God will work through us.

The power of discipleship. You’re not alone in this. It takes time and energy to follow Jesus, but you’re not alone. The early church cared deeply about discipling each other.

In the end, we know that God is our confidence and we can be bold in proclaiming the Gospel. But even if you don’t always have the right words, how you live your life will show how God has made a difference in your life.

You can check out Patrick’s talk below. We’d also love to see you at one of our upcoming NextGen events!