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“But the word of God continued to advance and gain adherents” Acts 12:24.
Praise God this is happening all over the world. Where the word of God is preached with boldness and confidence people come to receive the message, believe in the Lord and begin discipleship.
Maybe now is a good moment to give thanks for where you are seeing this happen where you are.
In East Manchester in England, where I live, we have people coming to hear the word of God in our church; not all are coming to new faith, but because the word is preached with confidence and boldness and that word shapes all we do, it is gaining adherents. There have been more opportunities this year in answer to prayer to speak in schools this Christmas.
At the GAFCON conference in Kigali in April 2023 I said “We appear to be in a place where the Church of England is now proposing to do, on the recommendation of the English House of Bishops and the Archbishop of Canterbury, what the Primates said in 2003 should not be done” (see EFAC website https://efacglobal.com/bishop-keith-sinclairs-address-at-gafcon-iv-april-18/ .
This move has now been formally agreed by the General Synod and I would ask you to pray for those in the Church of England Evangelical Council and Alliance of orthodox networks as they meet in this month for wisdom from above as to how they should respond. It is as if the Church of England has done what Psalm 50:17 says should not be done “You cast my words behind you”.
One thing is clear from the Book of Acts, it is only when the word of God is believed, preached and lived that the gospel spreads and the church grows. Re reading Acts 8-13 recently I have been amazed again that it is in a time of the utmost persecution, when Christian leaders were executed and imprisoned, that the Holy Spirit was not phased because the church knew her Lord and was not afraid to speak about Jesus’ cross and resurrection and the judgement to come. They knew that Herod, Caesar and all the rest must bow the knee to the Lord Jesus who was calling and equipping his church to be a light to the nations in the teeth of opposition (Acts 13:47 quoting Isaiah 42:6).
I have found the testimony of the church in Acts enormously encouraging. Far from being overawed by the force of the opposition, they were quietly emboldened; back in Acts 3 after they have been flogged, Luke can still tell us this about the apostles “As they left the Council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake of the name” (Acts 3:41).
May the Lord keep us from courting popularity or the approval of those who have no willingness to speak the word of God, and risk opposition and worse. May he strengthen us to be considered worthy of suffering for his name. May our ambition and energy be committed to seeing the word of God spread and gain adherents everywhere.
To me again this Christmas and New Year, and as we celebrate the coming of the magi from the East to Bethlehem, it is wonderful that the Lord God Almighty should humble himself to human birth, to being laid in a manger.
In our church as with believers around the world we have called our community to come and worship, and have bowed down again in consecration. May we do the same wherever we are in the Global South Fellowship.
In our church this morning as I write, we were running a group for those wanting to improve their English language, we welcomed ladies from Eritrea, Hong Kong and Myanmar. I thought praise God how the word of God has spread around the world! They were speaking of their prayer and reading the word of God with their children.
We are so aware of the darkness enveloping the world as war and hatred take hold. But it was into such a world that the Word of God came and dwelt among us. He is still with us and wherever his church is faithful to that word, whatever the circumstances, that word will spread and his light will come.
May we know that word at work in us and through us as we go into 2024, and may we rejoice.
With love in Christ,
Bishop Keith Sinclair
Member of Resource Group for GSFA Steering Committee and Chair of Trustees for EFAC
