Pastor Adam Gomez
Sunday, October 4, 2026
Scripture: Acts 2:47
Topic: Prayer and the Growth of the Church
In our core text of Acts 2:42–47 (NKJV), we read, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
Last week, as a recap, we looked at the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, and the breaking of bread.
This week, our focus centers on prayer and how the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Prayer
From the ascension of Jesus, Christ’s followers were devoted to prayer. As recorded in Acts 1:14 (NKJV), “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”
Jesus spoke to His followers about remaining faithful in communion with God. In Luke 18:1 (NKJV), “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” Martyn Lloyd-Jones famously wrote, "Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer." Indeed, life’s spiritual battles are won or lost in the private place of prayer.
I have listed three benefits of private prayer:
First, our hearts are adjusted. In private communion with the Lord, we see ourselves clearly and adjust our hearts to His plan.
Second, we gain spiritual sight and discernment. We see God, and our spiritual eyes open to recognize the enemy's strategies, open and closed doors, and the true nature of the battle. We see an example of this with Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6:16 (NKJV): “So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’”
Third, we intercede for others. Prayer moves us to intercede, and having faithful, loving, non-judgmental, and confidential prayer partners is a vital asset.
The Expansion of the Church: "The Lord Added to the Church Daily Those Who Were Being Saved." (Acts 2:47)
Evangelism: Our Part & God’s Part
Every one of us can remember our first months as Christians! We were so eager to share our new life with anyone who would listen! We called every single one of our friends. We’d begin conversations with the cashier at the grocery store. We’d exhaust our coworkers with our excitement and constant invitations to Christian concerts and Christian gatherings. We all had our tactics for evangelism. I practiced “contact evangelism” before I ever knew that term existed: “You ARE going to go with me to church in the morning, do you understand?” What happened?
In Matthew 28:18–20 (NKJV), “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”
To make disciples is accomplished by how we live, serve, and worship in front of others. To baptize them comes from the Greek baptizo, which means to dip, immerse, or submerge. Can any believer baptize? Yes. John 4:1–2 notes that Jesus’ disciples performed baptisms. I have a personal account of this from baptizing a close friend at Tarryall Reservoir after he surrendered his life to Christ. Finally, to teach them means that every believer can teach according to their understanding of God's Word. Evangelism is everyone's responsibility.
We see a clear pattern of growth throughout the book of Acts. In Acts 1:4, 5, and 8, the believers were waiting for the Holy Spirit to receive power to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. In Acts 2:41, about 3,000 souls were added in one day. In Acts 2:47 (NKJV), they were “...praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
By Acts 4:4, the number of men grew to about 5,000. In Acts 5:14, believers were increasingly added, with multitudes of men and women. In Acts 6:7, the Word spread, disciples multiplied greatly, and many priests became obedient to the faith. In Acts 8:5–6, Philip preaches in Samaria with great response and miracles. Later, in Acts 11:21, a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
Four Elements of Effective Evangelism:
The first element is purity. Purity in our eyes, ears, and lifestyle must be visible for the gospel to be validated in us. A holy life is tangible evidence of the gospel at work, and personal testimony is validated by genuine life change.
The second element is power. The early church saw miraculous manifestations of God’s power over disease, sickness, and demonic oppression. To see this power today, the church must return to prayer and public testimony of what God has done.
The third element is persecution. Enduring persecution demonstrates the sustaining power of God in a believer’s life. The world cannot tolerate a pure, powerful church that proclaims immovable, inflexible truth.
The fourth element is preaching and proclamation. As Jesus commissioned in Matthew 28:19 (NKJV), “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...” He added in Mark 16:15 (NKJV), “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’” Finally, in Matthew 24:14 (NKJV), Jesus declared, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Sunday, October 4, 2026
Scripture: Acts 2:47
Topic: Prayer and the Growth of the Church
In our core text of Acts 2:42–47 (NKJV), we read, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
Last week, as a recap, we looked at the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, and the breaking of bread.
This week, our focus centers on prayer and how the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Prayer
From the ascension of Jesus, Christ’s followers were devoted to prayer. As recorded in Acts 1:14 (NKJV), “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”
Jesus spoke to His followers about remaining faithful in communion with God. In Luke 18:1 (NKJV), “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” Martyn Lloyd-Jones famously wrote, "Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer." Indeed, life’s spiritual battles are won or lost in the private place of prayer.
I have listed three benefits of private prayer:
First, our hearts are adjusted. In private communion with the Lord, we see ourselves clearly and adjust our hearts to His plan.
Second, we gain spiritual sight and discernment. We see God, and our spiritual eyes open to recognize the enemy's strategies, open and closed doors, and the true nature of the battle. We see an example of this with Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6:16 (NKJV): “So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’”
Third, we intercede for others. Prayer moves us to intercede, and having faithful, loving, non-judgmental, and confidential prayer partners is a vital asset.
The Expansion of the Church: "The Lord Added to the Church Daily Those Who Were Being Saved." (Acts 2:47)
Evangelism: Our Part & God’s Part
Every one of us can remember our first months as Christians! We were so eager to share our new life with anyone who would listen! We called every single one of our friends. We’d begin conversations with the cashier at the grocery store. We’d exhaust our coworkers with our excitement and constant invitations to Christian concerts and Christian gatherings. We all had our tactics for evangelism. I practiced “contact evangelism” before I ever knew that term existed: “You ARE going to go with me to church in the morning, do you understand?” What happened?
In Matthew 28:18–20 (NKJV), “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”
To make disciples is accomplished by how we live, serve, and worship in front of others. To baptize them comes from the Greek baptizo, which means to dip, immerse, or submerge. Can any believer baptize? Yes. John 4:1–2 notes that Jesus’ disciples performed baptisms. I have a personal account of this from baptizing a close friend at Tarryall Reservoir after he surrendered his life to Christ. Finally, to teach them means that every believer can teach according to their understanding of God's Word. Evangelism is everyone's responsibility.
We see a clear pattern of growth throughout the book of Acts. In Acts 1:4, 5, and 8, the believers were waiting for the Holy Spirit to receive power to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. In Acts 2:41, about 3,000 souls were added in one day. In Acts 2:47 (NKJV), they were “...praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
By Acts 4:4, the number of men grew to about 5,000. In Acts 5:14, believers were increasingly added, with multitudes of men and women. In Acts 6:7, the Word spread, disciples multiplied greatly, and many priests became obedient to the faith. In Acts 8:5–6, Philip preaches in Samaria with great response and miracles. Later, in Acts 11:21, a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
Four Elements of Effective Evangelism:
The first element is purity. Purity in our eyes, ears, and lifestyle must be visible for the gospel to be validated in us. A holy life is tangible evidence of the gospel at work, and personal testimony is validated by genuine life change.
The second element is power. The early church saw miraculous manifestations of God’s power over disease, sickness, and demonic oppression. To see this power today, the church must return to prayer and public testimony of what God has done.
The third element is persecution. Enduring persecution demonstrates the sustaining power of God in a believer’s life. The world cannot tolerate a pure, powerful church that proclaims immovable, inflexible truth.
The fourth element is preaching and proclamation. As Jesus commissioned in Matthew 28:19 (NKJV), “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...” He added in Mark 16:15 (NKJV), “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’” Finally, in Matthew 24:14 (NKJV), Jesus declared, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Crossroads Church of Denver
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