Adding to the Fellowship | Acts 2:44–47

“And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:44–47 NLT)

I love new believers. They are the lifeblood of the church. When I have the privilege of speaking to other pastors, I tell them that if they don’t have a constant flow of new believers coming into their congregations, they will become spiritually dead. We can either evangelize or fossilize.

Show me a church where new believers are not coming in, and I’ll show you a church that is stagnating. Show me a church that has new believers coming in on a regular basis, and I’ll show you a church that has vibrancy and life.

That said, new believers need older believers to stabilize them. New believers’ hearts are full of zeal, but they don’t understand the ground rules yet. They need older believers to teach them.

Older believers also need new believers. They need their zeal. They need their passion. They need their excitement to remind them of what they’ve forgotten.

Sadly, it’s usually the new believers who want to do the most when they know the least. When we ask people to help out with something at Harvest Christian Fellowship, we often have new believers who come and say they want to help: “I’ll do whatever you need. I would like to sign up for six ministries.”

While we’re very appreciative of their willingness to serve, we want them to have a good foundation first so they can be properly trained and equipped to do what God has called them to do.

On the other hand, there are older believers who have known the Lord for years, maybe even decades, who don’t give a passing thought to helping out at church. It should be just the opposite.

But as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, I want to point out that what’s true for the church is also true for our country. New believers are the lifeblood of our country. Our nation was forged in the flames of revival. And we pray for a new revival to sweep across this country.

The description of the church in Acts 2:44–47 serves as a model: “And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved” (NLT).

In the meantime, every new believer, every decision made for Christ, represents a mini revival. As these new believers commit themselves to the biblical truths and principles on which our nation is built, our nation becomes incrementally stronger, more vibrant, and more attuned to God’s leading.

When we share our faith, we’re not only changing lives, but we’re also changing our country.

Reflection question: What would it look like in your life to prioritize sharing your faith? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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