As a church, we’ve spent the last few months journeying through the Book of Acts. There’s something powerful about staying in one book of the Bible for an extended period. More than a building, the church is a group of believers who are committed to following the way of Jesus. We stand on the shoulders of the early church, walking the path they established long ago. As we reflect on this collection, there are two main themes we’ve uncovered week after week: encountering Jesus and telling others what we’ve seen.‍

The church was not our idea — the church is God’s plan.

1. Come and Experience

You know those experiences in life that are just too good to put into words? This is what it’s like to follow Jesus. When Jesus was on earth, his invitation to his disciples was simple but significant: “Come and see.” They witnessed things too good to describe – healings, miracles, signs, and wonders took place not only while Jesus was on earth, but even after He ascended to heaven. We may be living in 2024, but the same invitation still stands. Jesus is always inviting us to come and see for ourselves.

2. Go and Tell

When the disciples saw what life was like with Jesus, they didn’t keep it to themselves. Their response was to go and tell others what they experienced. In fact, many of them dedicated their lives to sharing the Gospel. This is how we continue building the church today – by sharing our story of how God continues to transform us, advocate for us, and move on our behalf.

The last several weeks in this collection have been an adventure. We’ve studied forgiveness, seen miracles, discovered community, and so much more. Jesus charged us with the mission to be His witnesses, taking His message to the ends of the earth. A witness is someone who tells what they saw, heard, and experienced. If we want to be used by God, we must know Him first – a great encounter is what leads to a great witness. There is no greater privilege than knowing Jesus and no greater honor than telling others what we’ve seen.