The Birth of the Church

As a family, read Acts 2. Afterwards, share the following discussion.

What happened?

Acts 2 describes the way God sent His Spirit to the disciples who were gathered in an upper room. Since the days of the Old Testament prophets, God had promised that He would pour out His Spirit on His people in order to empower them to do the will of God. Well, the day foretold by the prophet Joel had come, and it had a ripple effect among the people in Jerusalem that spread across the region.

Thousands of people heard the message of Jesus in their own language and chose to believe that He is the Son of God who died for the sins of the world. God formed His church by redeeming people and calling them to do His work. The word church literally means, called out ones or a gathering of those called by God.

Jesus gave the purpose for the church in Matthew 28:19-20: Jesus came and told His disciples, I have been given all authority in Heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

When Jesus told the disciples that He would always be with them, He was talking about the very thing that happened in this passage – the Holy Spirit came to live inside each and every follower of Christ.

Why is this important to us today?

When we receive Jesus as our Savior, we become part of His church. At that moment, God’s Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us. His Spirit empowers and guides believers, both individually and collectively, as His church. When we obey God and follow the leading of the Spirit, God propels us to do things that we would and could never do with just our own abilities. The church is made up of all believers in Christ, empowered by God through His Holy Spirit.

As part of the church, we have to remember its purpose – to tell others the good news of Jesus Christ. Our mission can be summed up in four words: love God and love people.

Spend a few minutes talking about what you just read by answering these questions:

1. From your memory, how did the disciples and the new church fulfill the mission Jesus gave them?

2. How can your family love God and love others by being part of your local church?

How can we better follow God this week?

God’s church is made up of people who love Him. You can belong to something special by choosing to get involved in your local church. What current service project can you participate in with other members of your church? Have you considered serving together on a children’s ministry team or taking a mission trip as a family? The possibilities are endless. The church is alive and active when we go out and help others.