“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:14-17
When I think about the early Church, I see a gospel that was spread not necessarily in the temples and synagogues by priests, but by ordinary people whose lives were changed forever by Jesus Christ. They met in the temple courts, in the marketplace, in rooms all over the city and countryside, fellowshipping and taking care of each other. Mixed in among the great apostles, such as Peter, John, & Paul, were leaders who shared Christ in every day settings, such as Lydia the cloth-maker and Stephen the deacon. These men and women helped spread the gospel in a way that temples and synagogues alone could never do, and are a main reason why Christianity spread as rapidly and powerfully as it did.
That is why The Channel means so much to me and this city. The Channel is a throwback to the days of the early church, where the gospel of Jesus Christ was spread by word of mouth and community – a place where faith could be shared and you could find believers gathered at any time. Like Stephen, Lydia, and countless others, Jay & Amanda McAbee strive to serve the Lord in the marketplace and streets of this city.
Now, The Channel finds itself in tremendous need. They need a miracle and we, as brothers and sisters in Christ, CANNOT stand by and just say with our mouths, “Oh, we support you guys… We believe that God will provide” while doing nothing or very little. NO – That amounts to dead belief. The early Church did not operate in this way. They used what they had to take care of each other and make sure that brothers and sisters in need got what they needed. Now, in 2011, we have a chance to BE the Church in a very tangible, practical way. We have to ACT. We must fight to see that The Channel’s doors stay open and that the Enemy does NOT steal it… NOT ON OUR WATCH.
So what can we do? GIVE… Give hilariously. Give cheerfully. Give liberally. Then, when all is said and done, come and grab a burger at the best joint in town, see lives changed, and know that you did your part for the Kingdom of God in Greenville, SC. THIS IS UNITY. THIS IS THE BODY OF CHRIST.
Let’s not talk it… LET’S DO IT.
Lead Pastor/Director
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