And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles….And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2: 42-47, ESV)
A stock eight iron for you might fly 130-140 yards. For younger and stronger players, a stock eight iron might fly 170-180 yards. We certainly recognize and admire their unique strength and technique in this latter case, but we don’t swoon over it.
A crisply-struck shot produces admiration, but we hardly go on and on about it after the round. We marvel at the skills displayed by world-class players, but we don’t light candles and sing “kum-ba-yah” every time they smash one 350 yards. We see young men and women oozing talent at the professional level, but we don’t build altars and worship them.
It would probably be safe to wager that Tiger’s chip-in on the 16th hole at Augusta in 2005 is on your list of great shots. That shot, at that moment, under those circumstances, was extraordinary! But, as Hal Sutton once quipped, “I don’t pray to him.”
Ricky Fowler’s triumph at The Player’s Championship in 2015 was, as we say, “unbelievable!” You will probably remember that he birdied the devilish 17th Island hole five times in six visits. He repeatedly stuffed it when everything was riding on it. Those shots were amazing! As great as Ricky is, nobody thinks he is the “second coming.” At least, I hope not!
All this to say, we should consider reserving words like “awe” and “awesome” for those things that deserve our highest admiration. If we use all our best adjectives and superlative expressions for things on earth, what words will we use for those heavenly matters?
In the second chapter of Acts, we see the risen Savior pouring the Holy Spirit into his church. All sorts of supernatural events are occurring. The apostles are doing signs and wonders. The disciples are speaking in the tongues of the surrounding nations. The Holy Spirit has arrived with the sound of a mighty rushing wind. Now, that, indeed, is “awesome!”
The bystanders are confused. They don’t have the categories to explain supernatural phenomena. They suppose that the disciples are drunk. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, takes his stand and explains that this is what the prophet Joel had foretold many years before.
Peter explains that the promised Holy Spirit has been sent to empower the people of God to preach the good news of Christ’s atoning death, burial, and resurrection. Furthermore, this same Jesus is now seated on David’s throne, just as King David had prophesied.
As should be obvious, this “last days” event is filled with awe-inspiring moments. Yet, it is also filled with what appears to be ordinary moments. For instance, these disciples devoted themselves to apostolic teaching (Scripture). They broke bread together. They prayed! They shared their wealth with those in need. They spent time praising God. And they did these things continually.
In the flurry of activity in these early hours of the church, we observe two other responses from those filled with the Spirit: They felt a sense of “awe,” and they saw God adding to their numbers day by day those who were being saved.
May Christ the King create this same awe and devotion in our Links Fellowships! May we give ourselves to the Word and prayer! May we share with those in need! May he add to our numbers day by day those who are being saved!
Prayer: Jesus! Pour out your Spirit on your church in awe-inspiring ways again and again so that we might see thousands repent and believe.