9 May 2025
The remarkable growth of the early church wasn’t the result of human strategy but of gospel faithfulness. As Mark Penrith observed, “This passage begins and ends with the disciples increasing in number.” The key to this growth? “People were added to their number as they became obedient to the faith.” Even religious outsiders—”a large group of priests”—were transformed when the church kept the gospel central.
Mark cautioned against modern distortions of church growth: “When I hear the phrase church growth I cringe… Churches fixated on numbers. And for the sake of numbers going to inappropriate lengths to fuel growth.” True growth, he explained, comes when “Spirit’s sovereign work through the preached Word proves the Gospel’s power to redeem.” The early church’s expansion wasn’t manufactured but miraculous—”not by human strategy, but by the Spirit’s power.”
This challenges our priorities today. We’re tempted to measure success by attendance figures or programs rather than transformed lives. But as Mark emphasized, “Luke doesn’t care about numbers for numbers sake. But Luke does care about how many ransomed lives have become obedient to the faith.”
Application: Today, reset one priority. Swap 10 minutes of screen time for Scripture reading or prayer. Ask God to reveal areas where good activities might be crowding out the best—knowing Christ and making Him known.
Family Twist: Memorize Acts 6:7 together: “So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.” Discuss: How can our family participate in spreading God’s word this week?
Question for Discussion: What’s one “good” thing in your life that might be distracting you from the “best” (the gospel)?
Prayer: Lord, keep our hearts fixed on what matters most—Your transforming gospel. Use us to spread Your word in both word and deed. Amen.
This week’s series of blog posts have been created from Mark’s notes. Read them for additional insight into the passage.
Watch the sermon here.
This devotional content is not penned by the preacher. It is derived from the sermon notes. We aim to provide bite-sized reflections throughout the week for devotion and reflection.