Vital signs- Friday, October 7th, 2022

Do it Together

George Barna conducted a study that found 92% of Americans proudly claim to be independent. He claims that this quality is now considered a virtue in our country. We see prominent jargon that says, "I want to be independent. I want to be financially independent. I want to be professionally independent. I'm a self-made businesswoman. I'm a self-made businessman.” 

When it comes to spiritual matters, God doesn’t want us to be independent. He wants us to lean on Him. He wants us to lean on each other. He wants us to have relationships. He wants us to be connected with each other. That is the cause of Christ: to love God, to love people. 

God called you to be a disciple: fully devoted to Christ by participating, engaging, and waking up those around you from their spiritual coma. 

What does that look like? That looks like reconciling relationships that are broken. Division is the hindrance that blocks people from walking in the fullness of their faith. 

In the first century church, the book of Acts repeatedly says that they were in “one accord”. They were united. They were breaking bread together. They were meeting in one another’s homes.

You cannot have unity without community. Revival begins when we purposefully build community with each other.

When we spend time together waiting on the Lord, the Holy Spirit shows up. The disciples waited 50 days together when fire fell on them. They started speaking in other languages in the Spirit. Revival broke out among them. They were being spiritually awakened and purposed to spread this spiritual revitalization with those around them.

While this was happening, thirteen different people groups were walking the streets, all different ethnicities and races. The Bible says that even the passersby in the street felt this move of the Spirit. 

They heard the disciples’ prayers, and the disciples’ prayers were being heard in many different languages. It was amazing. The same prayer heard in all different tongues and was understood. Peter preached to the people that day, and over 3,000 people gave their lives to Jesus. Miracles were breaking out throughout the city. It was a revival. God can do amazing things when we are unified and waiting on Him. 

“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In order for revival fires to fall on each of us as believers we must do everything we can to restore the broken relationships in our lives. If we do all we can within the power of the Holy Spirit and that relationship is still not restored we are no longer held responsible. We must be in one accord!

Grant it Lord Jesus!