You Cannot Stop the Kingdom

Acts Chapter 4

It is so easy for us to look around and feel that the Kingdom of God is not spreading. It is scary to think that the church is not overcoming the difficulties in the world. How is it that a pandemic can seemingly cripple the churches’ progress and make us feel like we are stagnant, or even moving backwards?

Stagnation for many congregations did not begin with Covid. Often, stagnation is the result of a lack of religious zeal. We are afraid to do something seemingly crazy like show someone the gospel, especially when failure is right around the corner.

In his book, “The Search for the Ancient Order,” the author argues in this way, “the history of the church has well shown that the less zeal and devotion there is in the church, the more institutionalism and human organizations are needed” (West 170). Religious zeal begins with biblical conviction, and it is lived out in outreach. This is not something that can merely be “hired out.” In other words, a congregation cannot hire a “located evangelist,” and all their evangelism will be taken care of.  Perhaps men like Tolbert Fanning took this idea too far in the mid 1800’s, but his fears have resulted in many inactive congregations. Fanning’s primary belief was that elders elder, deacons deacon (minister), and Christians walk in the footsteps of Christ. This is a very simple model, but it requires that every member of the church fulfil their role.

The “let someone else do it” mentality was not how the church grew in the first century. The “hiring it out” method was non-existent. Someone did it, or it didn’t get done. The church did not grow in Acts 4 because there wasn’t adversity, it grew because there was. The reason is not because of a complex outreach organization, but simply because the converts believed the word (4:3). The apostles’ sermons of healing were an annoyance to many in the first century, but they believed that the resurrection of Jesus must be preached, no matter what. Their conviction was so strong that even at the request that they stop speaking the truth, they continued to speak the truth. “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (4:20).

This required boldness. Boldness means confidence, fearlessness, and speaking in a way that conceals nothing. This is not controversy for the sake of being controversial but speaking the truth for the sake of saving souls. So, they prayed for this boldness. What every disciple of Christ needed (and needs) was (and is) a profound zeal, now more than ever. They did not need to wait for someone else to do it, but they needed to get out there and speak the truth. If they did not feel ready, they got ready. The church continued all the while to care for and encourage each other. But ultimately, conversion was the result of Jesus and His resurrection.

These are the variables for unstoppable Kingdom growth. Here is a question to consider, if the church did not grow numerically in Acts 4, would the disciples have continued spreading Christ, His resurrection, and His healing?

I believe the answer is this: let the church worry about showing the world Jesus, let God worry about Kingdom growth.