In the Wordنموونە

Week 37, Day 1 Read Acts 1–2:13 Church and Growth - Birth of the Church The Great Wall of China and the Body of Christ have a lot in common. Considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall of China is a structure 2,000 years in the making. And because of its size (5,500 miles long — visible from space!) and the amount of work it took to make, the Great Wall is considered a man-made marvel. Various rulers spanning many generations had citizens and slaves alike constructing this massive wall. Over the years, repairs and additions have been made. Today, the structure is comprised of an estimated 4 billion bricks. The Body of Christ is a 2,000-year-old project, too, beginning just after Jesus returned to the Father. And like the Great Wall construction, God has used multitudes of people throughout many generations and from a variety of classes—Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free—to help create His Church (Galatians 3:28) But in the Body of Christ, the builders aren’t just the bricklayers—they’re also the bricks! God’s Church is made up of people. The Book of Acts chronicles the very beginning of this building project, and its rapid growth. In the Gospels, Jesus’ disciples have already been instructed and trained. Now, they receive the Holy Spirit (as promised) and follow through on Jesus’ command to go and spread the Good News. So the Church begins to grow, penetrating most of the known world—in spite of persecution. Acts also offers a model for the Body of Christ today. How believers fulfill God’s call to be a witness, as well as how they should treat one another, is demonstrated beautifully. As you study, consider how you can follow in the example of the early Church. Scripture Coverage: Acts Scripture Reading: Acts Book Genre: Historical Main Theme: God establishes and expands the Church through the obedience of His followers Main Events: Birth of the Church, Church Growth and Persecution, Paul’s Missionary Journeys, Paul’s Imprisonment Main Characters: Peter, Paul Think about: About how many believers are there at this time? (Acts 1:15) Where are all the believers on the day of Pentecost? What happens to them? How does the crowd outside perceive what takes place?