The Church at Pentecost started out strong, but quickly deception seeped in. They were initially strong because they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and all were in one accord. They were growing in leaps and bounds because they were in one accord in glorifying Jesus Christ. Their hearts were sold out to Jesus, and their desire was to worship Him and Him only.
“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers” (Acts 1:14, emphasis mine).
They were in one accord with God in their prayers and requests.
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” Acts 2:1, emphasis mine).
They were in one accord with God in their meeting together.
“So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: ‘Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them'” (Acts 4:24, emphasis mine).
They were in one accord with God’s Word as they prayed and glorified Him.
“And through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch” (Acts 5:12, emphasis mine).
They were in one accord with God in one place.
They all were in one accord with God, and since they were all in one accord with God, they were also in one accord with each other. It is very important to understand that it is impossible for Christians to be in one accord with each other scripturally and spiritually unless we are first in one accord with God.
Satan, of course, hated this unity of the brotherhood, so he started out with Ananias and Sapphira to cause disruption among the saints. After that, he encouraged jealousy among the saints between the Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews in chapter six of Acts. He has actually gotten quite adept at this over the years. Today the Church looks nothing like it did at Pentecost with the apostles. Satan has been quite successful in many churches in breaking the bonds of being in one accord with God and with each other.
If you have ever been to a church business meeting, you understand where I’m coming from with being or not being in one accord. I’ve attended church business meetings since I was just a young pup. Some have been peaceful, and others have been knock-down-drag-out gatherings where the Spirit of God was over-ruled.
Before going any further, what does it mean to be “in one accord”? Simply put, it means “to be in agreement.” If a group is not in one accord, then, of course, they are in disagreement. Allow me to give one example. When an orchestra is tuning up, it is not in one accord. If you have ever heard an orchestra tuning up their instruments, you know what I mean. However, when they begin playing their musical selection, they are in one accord. They are in one accord because their instruments are in perfect tune, and they are following the conductor. They are in perfect harmony and provide beautiful music for those listening.
Are we going to agree on every little detail, like the color of the carpet, for example? No, but we should be gracious and loving to each other, following the Lord’s lead as the conductor of our lives.
Is it possible that the world is not listening to Christianity today because what they have been hearing is not the perfectly tuned instruments following the direction of the conductor but instead the tune-up session? Unfortunately, that is exactly what the world is hearing from Christianity today.
Instead of the churches today sounding like the beautiful waltzes of Chopin, we are sounding more like a nighttime catfight outside our bedroom window. We are not dancing to God’s tune but have chosen to dance to the Devil’s music. Why is that?
Going back to the book of Acts, we find that we are not all in one accord because we have taken our eyes off the conductor. Jesus is our conductor, and when we take our eyes off Him, we just make a lot of noise.
When churches fight and squabble, we’re like the Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews in Acts chapter six quarreling over their food portion. I have known many beautiful (beautiful of soul) Christians over the years, and I have also known many who are just plain cantankerous. I hate to say it, but some of the oneriest people I have met are in the church. Is it any wonder the world isn’t interested in what we say? They are watching what we do.
All churches are made up of sinners who have been saved by the blood of Jesus. It is through faith in Him and His grace toward us that we are His. We often fail in our church assemblies to glorify our Savior as we should because we are not in one accord with Him. So, what about outside the church walls?
My wife and I watched a movie the other day on Pure Flix called Power Of The Air. It is a 2018 movie starring Nicholas X. Parsons. Patty Duke is also in it. I rarely, if ever, recommend a movie, but I do recommend this one.
In watching Power Of The Air, it was impressed upon us just how much we Christians have allowed the world’s influences to guide our lives. We worship Jesus in our church assembles, but then, for example, watch movies that use our Savior’s name as a curse word and/or contain profanity and/or nudity. How can we even think we are in one accord with God when we support that which is against all our Lord stands for?
There is certainly nothing wrong with movies, television, radio, or even the internet, in and of themselves. The problem arises when what they provide dishonors our Lord … and unfortunately, that can be most all of them. We need to be very discerning with what we allow from these sources in our lives.
For example, we must admit that very few movies these days are exempt from using Jesus’ name as profanity, violence, nudity, and other profanity. Further, television is fine and can serve a good purpose, except for the same reasons. The internet is a great tool until one strays off into areas they should not.
We must remember that the world is not a friend of Jesus Christ.
“The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil” (John 7:7).
Neither is the world, and what it offers, our friend.
“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19).
God has warned us.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16).
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
When we indulge ourselves in the world’s influences, we cannot be in one accord with God. How many in this country say we are Christian but “rub shoulders” with Satan’s entertainment? Is it any wonder the churches have become so corrupt?
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).
“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).
If we love what the world provides and refuse to turn our backs to it, how can we honestly say we are in one accord with our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ?
“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:19-20).
Grant Phillips
Email: Phillip5769@twc.com
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
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