Local Church Reboot

Local Church Reboot – It has become clear, as we are going through Acts verse by verse, that local churches need a reboot. The church has strayed and many have forgotten their first love. It would be beneficial, prudent and edifying for churches to open Acts and consider themselves in class 101. We all need to once again be unified and in fellowship, laying aside preferences and focusing on convictions based on sound doctrine.I challenge the local churches to conduct a verse by verse study in Acts and seek Holy Spirit empowerment. The revival we seek will not happen unless we return to what made the church great. Open Acts and look at our history. I assure you that God will bless and create within you a desire to mirror the joyous instructions laid out in Acts.

Now, more than ever, we need churches marching forward while shattering the road paved with our personal preferences and while raising a guidon symbolizing our unity of sound doctrine and unwavering conviction.
Ephesians 4 is a sobering and focusing chapter! Here’s a summary I found:
  • If Jesus loves his little followers, that means they should love each other.
  • Christians have a special bond with each other because of Jesus. That means they need to be humble, gentle, patient, loving, and peaceful with each other. Easy, right?
  • They’re all united in one body because of Jesus. The church isn’t just a group of random individuals. There’s one Holy Spirit, one God, one way of believing in him, and one baptism. So act like it, says Paul.
  • Christians may be one body, but they all have different and individual gifts.
  • The church had apostles or prophets. Now, some are evangelists, pastors, or teachers. It’s a mixed bag.
  • But in the end, all these jobs have the same purpose: making the church stronger. People can’t really do anything on their own. But together, they’re unstoppable.
  • Basically, Christians shouldn’t act like kids who change their minds about everything every day. Kids are also really gullible and will pretty much believe anything. Kids these days…
  • Believers need to act like adults. Like the parts of the body they are. If they do the right thing, the body will. But if they decide to stop contributing one day, the whole body will collapse. Yikes

DON’TS

  • Followers of Jesus shouldn’t live like non-believers.
  • A Christian doesn’t live the same way everyone else does. If you believe in Jesus, you need to toss aside your old life and embrace your new one. The new life involves way less selfishness and way more holiness.
  • Don’t let the devil into your life. He’s always looking for an opening.
  • Don’t say mean and nasty things. Be kind (and always rewind).
  • Christians have been marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit. Don’t grieve Him!
  • In short, just dump all the bitterness, wrath, anger, fighting, lies, and bad intentions.
  • Oh, and don’t forget to forgive each other. After all, Paul says, God has forgiven you.

Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008, November 11). Ephesians and Colossians Ephesians: Chapter 4 Summary. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from https://www.shmoop.com/ephesians-and-colossians/ephesians-chapter-4-summary.html

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