Becoming New: 5 Days of Transformation Through God’s WordSample

Transformation Day

There was nothing wrong with what the church was doing in the upper room (Acts 1), but if they had remained in that mode, everything would have been wrong. But God likes to surprise us…suddenly! The Holy Spirit came upon the believers and transformed Pentecost from a harvest festival into the birthday of the church.

The major change that occurred was that the Spirit moved the believers out of the private upper room and into the public arena. They still praised God and prayed, but there was a new sense of joyful awe among them. The sound of the wind, the tongues of fire, and the praise of the Lord in other languages caused a crowd to gather, and this was Peter’s opportunity.

Christians are not meant to just assemble week by week and carry on our “religious duties” behind closed doors. We must take the message out to the people and allow them to trust Jesus Christ. After Peter preached Christ to the crowd, three thousand of them believed and were saved. What a “harvest” at a harvest festival!

The work had just begun. All these new believers were baptized and assimilated into the fellowship of the church. They were taught the basics of the Christian faith, how to worship and pray, and how to share both their faith and their possessions. They experienced the blessings of fellowship and stewardship, sharing their possessions with others and daily sharing the gospel with the lost. There was an atmosphere of joyful reverence in their meetings as they prayed, observed the Lord’s Supper, heard the Word taught, and encouraged one another. The believers were united in heart and faith, met in the temple and private homes, and all the people respected them.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of each believer made the difference. Let’s not confuse crowds for conviction, conversion, and communion. Instead, let’s ask the Spirit to distinguish us from the world in a way that makes outsiders sit up and take notice—and then pursue their transformation through Christ.

This is the time to be a transformer, not a conformer. God is patient in transforming us into the image of His Son, and He takes His time. There is no greater journey than to come to know the truth of Jesus and become new in Him!

Reflect: To what degree do you consistently engage with basic practices Christians are to devote themselves to (Acts 2:42)? How have they been a catalyst for change in your own life?

Pray: Ask God for boldness to proclaim the gospel with the power of the Spirit and do your part to bring the transformation of Christ to the world around you.

This plan is presented to you by Becoming New by Warren W. Wiersbe, edited by Dan Jacobsen. To learn more about this book, please click here.