By Travis Warren
"All the believers devoted themselves… And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved." Acts 2:42, 47
Everyday people were giving their lives to Christ and experiencing the transformation, forgiveness and life, many of us experience, in the early church. Do you realize how exciting it would be to see that happen? Well it can and it will happen when God’s people live a life devoted to Him.
Devotion creates desires that mirror the desires of the one we are devoted to. When you are in love with someone you begin to do things and desire things you never thought you would. Some ladies would never have had the distinct privilege of watching football had it not been for a man they were devoted to desiring football. Some men would never have had the distinct honor of cleaning a home had it not been for a lady’s desire for cleanliness that they were devoted to. The same is true about God. When we are devoted to God we will desire what He desires. What does God desire…?
2 Timothy 2:4 NKJV says God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of Christ. What happened in the early church was the desire of God being fulfilled. God added to the church daily. God desires to add to the church daily. It’s up to us to position ourselves for Him to do so. Devoting yourself to Christ will grow your church.
Devoting yourself to Christ will cause you to pray prayers that grow your church, give finances that grow your church, volunteer in ways that grow your church, disciple others in ways that grow your church, share what God has done for you with others in a way that will grow your church and expect that God will grow your church.
I’ve heard it said that God is not moved by need, but expectation. Devotion creates expectation. What would happen to our church if each person expected God to fill it? People would have to be added daily because there would not be room for all of them on one day! Expect your church to grow! What would happen if we all expected lives to be transformed? Healings, transformations, salvations, freedom from sin, and needs being met would be the norm. Expect transformation.
Every week we should come to church expecting lives to be transformed. Every week we should come to church expecting to see a lot of new people, that we have invited and others have invited. When we all live devoted to God, He will add to our church daily.
This Sunday come expecting God to transform and add people to your church! Today pray a prayer of expectation for the salvation of your friends, neighbors and people in your community. Expect, expect, expect and watch what God will do in your midst!
