So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly…
Why is the church growing so rapidly?
Of course, it is because the Word of God is being shared. The message about Jesus is taught and more people believe in Him. Become His students too!
Yes, the message must be shared if the church is to grow. Hearing and knowing the Word of God is indispensable!
Yet, it would be a mistake to think that preaching is the only thing, or even the main thing, that attracts new students.
As Jesus said, the world will know you are my students if you have love for one another...
The primary attraction to the group is the love for one another flowing within it. A love so dynamic it is visible to those on the periphery looking in.
One example of the love of Jesus in this first fellowship is the way they took care of one another’s needs.
Here we learn about a daily distribution of food. This would have been a highly unusual in the First Century. People selling land and houses to provide food for others, non-relatives no less!
How intriguing this must have been to any hesitant outsiders! Curiosity alone would gain a hearing for the message about Jesus that creates such a community.
But even a loving fellowship experiences problems. And as it happened, some resentment arose because some of the widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. The apostles lovingly handle this by appointing seven godly men as attentive administrators.
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