Revival happens personally before it happens corporately. Revival comes to people, not churches. We simply see it better when lots of people in a congregation are experiencing the same commitments to the plans of God at the same time.
This is exactly what happened in the Jerusalem Church as recoded in Acts 2. Thousands of individuals were making commitments to belonging to one another, to worshipping together, to growing together, to giving to each other, to caring for one another, to sharing the message of Christ together, and making more disciples together. As thousands of individuals became obedient to God’s plan it became very visible in the city of Jerusalem.
The Church in Jerusalem was marked by several signs of revival. These signs were not just true about one or two individuals- they were true about thousands of people. We can look for these same signs of true of revival today.
A Revival of Belonging!
One of the very first signs of revival in Acts 2 is that they had a revival of belonging. Following Peter’s message, we read in Acts 2:41 that thousands “…accepted his word, were baptized, and added to the church.” This tells us that God’s plan for His people is that we belong to Christ and to other Christians. It shows us that being a member of the family of God is important. It is very healthy for us to be committed and involved in the Body of Christ. We are more alive in Christ when we are connected to His family. Something is missing when we are not actively involved with other believers.
A Commitment to Growing!
One of the signs of revival demonstrated in Acts 2 was that it was a revival of spiritual growth. Acts 2:42 tells us that the believers “… devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” These believers were hungry to connect to God’s word, to each other, and to God in prayer. These believers were desperate for more. Connecting with God’s Word and other Christians was not an obligation to them – it was an opportunity they did not want to miss. Christians met together in homes for spiritual growth because they needed spiritual muscle for the battles they were fighting. These New Testament believers grew stronger by growing together.
I find it interesting that the believers in the Jerusalem Church were not arguing about belonging to a local body of believers. They did not push back on taking steps of baptism. They didn’t make excuses for growth either. These fired up believers were not too busy to meet together for study, fellowship, and prayer. They made time to connect to a growth environment. The Jerusalem Church was filled with thousands of individual Christians who were experiencing true revival.
This post by Ken Adams first appeared here. Used with permission.