Some
people are frustrated with the church and want to give up on it.
Matte reminds us Jesus left no option to follow Him while isolating
ourselves from other believers. Christians would be known by their
love for one another and if you want to be used by God, Matte writes,
“then you need to learn to love His church.” (13)
He
takes us through the book of Acts where we see that the gospel (and
the church) was unstoppable. The same power of the Holy Spirit that
turned the world upside down is available today. “The first-century
church set a pattern that is still the model for producing explosive
results in the twenty-first century...” (19)
There
are many lessons Matte brings out of the Acts narrative. He writes of
the primary importance of prayer, paying attention to God's timing,
the tension of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility, believers caring for the needs of one another, paying attention to the
opportunities God provides, and preparing for persecution.
I
like that he reminds us, “Apart from the power of the Holy Spirit,
we can do nothing. But once His power comes upon us, we can do
anything.” (24)
Matte's emphasis is on the first
half of Acts. He adds many examples from his own life, that
of his church, and experiences of others to illustrate his teaching. I did feel that he told
plenty of stories about successful ministries in his own church. Some
pastors of smaller congregations may find those stories a bit
intimidating.
I
recommend this book to those looking for a very readable look at the
early church as seen in the book of Acts. There is good encouragement
to actively participate in the mission of the church.
Food
for thought:
“The
church is all about Jesus. Anything else is not the church.” (67)
My
rating: 4/5 stars.
Gregg
Matte is senior pastor of Houston's First Baptist Church and founder
of Breakaway Ministries at Texas A&M University. He and his
family life in Texas.
Baker
Books, 224 pages.
I
received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the
purpose of an independent and honest review.
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