Fellowship

In Acts 14, Paul is persecuted in the Lycaonian cities. Jews from Antioch have followed Paul to his current destination. They incite the crowd with hatred against Paul, ultimately resulting in a murder attempt against Paul. The crowds physically throw stones at Paul until he was presumed dead. They then dragged him outside the city and left him to the vultures.

As I meditate on our daily reading in Acts 14, verse 25 speaks volume to me. This is where the disciples gather around Paul’s body, and after some indeterminate amount of time Paul astonishingly gets up, and returns to the city with the believers. In analyzing this verse three words are key, disciples, gather and up.

The disciples represented a group of people who were followers of Christ. They have abandoned worldly aspirations, turned their back to cultural dictates, forsaken personal dreams, and have latched on to Jesus Christ for fulfillment and meaning.

Their gathering represents their potency. In multiple places throughout acts we see several instances of what happens when disciples gather. In Acts 2 gathered in a room, the supernatural power of God invades their fellowship, and people speak in tongues. In Acts 4, after being persecuted by the Sanhedrin, Peter and John gather with the disciples, and upon praying the place was physically shaken. Elsewhere in Acts, Peter is led out of Jail by an angel, while the disciples are gathered in a home praying. Gathering together of God’s people ultimately results in a powerful display of the supernatural. That is the message that Acts leaves us with.

The final word is up. Paul we are told got up. Due to the gathering of the disciples around him, Paul got up. This speaks of encouragement. We are not told the intricacies of this miracle. All we know is Paul was presumed dead and deserted by his persecutors. This means he would have been hideously wounded, up to the point where he looked dead. Thus, for him to even get up and walk away with the disciples would have been a miracle. As I reflect on this event, I wonder if maybe God supernaturally healed Paul as the disciples prayed. Or maybe the disciples lovingly massaged his body back to life. They could have even been with him for hours waiting for signs of life, and then once he revived they helped him as he got up, and walked to the city. The point here is it was all miraculous and this would have never happened without the fellowship of the disciples.

What do you do in your gathering? Whether you go out to minister as a group, or just collectively fellowship in a coffee shop is immaterial. What happens at your group times? Understand that God’s power is literally present each time his disciples come together. It’s up to you to apply that power to the current situation. Next time you are visiting the homeless with your crew, be very aware, his power is there to lead that conversation. When you pray for that sick residence mate, look out for God’s supernatural hand. Let the power of Christ move you to minister as you gather with the body, all for the glory of God.