…and the word of God continued to increase and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem.

-Acts 6:7

The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is the pivotal point of all of history.  Thankfully, the world could not be the same after Jesus’ ministry.  This year at GPBC on Easter Sunday, April 20th, we will embark on an exegetical journey through the book of Acts.  Here’s a sneak preview of what we will find:

The good news about Jesus (the gospel) spread.  Rapidly.  Miraculously.  Exponentially.  In Acts we read about the “increase” of God’s Word (6:7), that “the word of God increased and multiplied” (12:24), that “the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily” (16:5), and that “the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily” (19:20).  

Acts tells us the story of the advance of God’s word.  It advanced geographically from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and the expanse of the Roman Empire.  It advanced ethnically in people groups; starting from exclusively Jewish believers the gospel spread to Gentile populations.  Acts concludes with the gospel landing in Rome, the mighty capital of the empire.  As Darrell Bock said, “This pictures the movement of God’s promise into all the world.”

We learn in Acts that God will bless his church and cause it to grow.  This means that the advance of God’s word doesn’t end in Rome in 62 AD.  It continued to advance, and the church continued to grow.  As believers in Jesus Christ we must ask ourselves, is the word of God advancing in our hearts?  As a church we must ask, what are we doing to advance God’s word in our community?  

We will hear of conversions, testimonies before governments, healings, martyrdoms, imprisonments, worship services, journeys across the world, beatings, jail breaks, shipwrecks, and snake bites.  All along this tumultuous journey we will be comforted by the truth that it is God who is advancing his Word.  Above all else the world must know that salvation only comes through faith in Jesus Christ.  

Spread the word: we embark on this journey Sunday, April 20th.