Life Bible Study: Personal Evangelism
Continuous Evangelism of the Early Church
From the desk of Rev Zheng 2 June 2024
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2: 42, 46-47)
This passage shows us that the early Jerusalem church expanded rapidly not just because of the public gospel rally held by the apostles (such as that in chapters 2 and 4) but also because of the continuous evangelism of the church. The continuous evangelism is evident from the fact that the church gained the favour of the people who came into contact with them.
Acts 2:41-47 gives us a snapshot of the community life of the Jerusalem church in chapter 2. The apostles faithfully conducted bible study sessions on a regular basis, as commanded in the Great Commission. They had the Lord’s Supper, prayer meetings, and the brotherhood in Christ. They shared with each other generously, and none of them were lacking in physical needs. Joyful singing can be heard from their homes, fostering a strong sense of community and unity.
The effect of the church’s community life was profound and transformative. Believers’ lives were changed with a new purpose, a new lifestyle, a new personality and relationships. They were transformed into the likeness of citizens of the Kingdom of Light. People were impressed and began to like Christians. They could see in the church the beautiful reflection of Israel in the eyes of the Old Testament psalmist: “How good and present it is when God’s people lived in unity!” (Psalms 133:1) It is impossible for a group of people of different ages, social strata, walks of life, and educational backgrounds…to live in lasting harmony. Surely, a transcendent power is at work—the Holy Spirit.
The presence of the Holy Spirit itself creates sacredness in the proclamation of truth and in the liturgy of corporate worship. This sacredness alone could satisfy the spiritual appetite of a God-seeking soul. The Holy Spirit convicts the sinners and adds them to the church.
So, the life of a believer evangelises continuously, in and outside the church. So does a true church. A true church evangelizes continuously in her dispersed and gathered forms. Dear brothers and sisters, how are you doing as part of this continuous evangelism, both in your personal life as well as in the
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