And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. … And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. --Acts 2:40-42, 47
I heard the story about a couple of brothers who were notorious reprobates. One of the brothers died, and the other went to the preacher and said, “There’s a thousand dollars in it for you if in the funeral service you will say my brother was a saint.”
The preacher said, “I’ll take that deal.” So when he went to speak at his service he stood up and said, “This man that we’re burying today was a liar, thief, drunkard, adulterer, blasphemer; but compared to his brother, he was a saint.”
You have to be very careful about comparing yourself to others. Likewise, the
God has called every believer to the church so that we might fellowship with one another and give glory to Him. There are three marks of a Spirit-filled church today according to the first-century church of the New Testament: the people are unified, the Savior is magnified, and the kingdom is multiplied.
When a church is filled with the Spirit, God can do great things just as He did in the first-century church. For in this Spirit-filled church, “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” This was purely the work of the Holy Spirit. Determine that you will not move from mission to moving to maintenance to mediocrity in your spiritual life. God forbid that we would ever stop being on mission as His church and people. Let’s go and tell the world about Jesus and bring them to salvation.
BE A MEMBER OF GOD’S CHURCH — SPIRIT-FILLED AND VICTORY-THRILLED!