By David Faust

A popular new spicy chicken restaurant opened recently near my home, but I haven’t eaten there yet because it’s so busy I would have to wait too long for service. It reminds me of the time someone asked Yogi Berra if he wanted to eat dinner at a certain restaurant, and Yogi replied, “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”

Why is the restaurant in my neighborhood so busy? Word of mouth. A satisfied customer is the best advertisement. Businesses grow when individuals share positive experiences with their friends, and something similar happens when Christians speak enthusiastically about their church.

Added to Their Number

Several times in the book of Acts, Doctor Luke includes a short summary statement about the church’s growth. “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). “More and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number” (5:14). “So the word of God spread” (6:7). “Then the church . . . enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers” (9:31). “A great number of people were brought to the Lord” (11:24). Why did the church enjoy such dramatic growth? “The Lord’s hand was with them” (11:21). Someone has said that the Acts of the apostles might better be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit. The church grew because the Spirit was at work. God moved powerfully to grow the first-century church from a handful of Christ followers to a dynamic force that changed the course of history.

Many Ways to Witness

What did this look like from the perspective of ordinary people living in the first century? Jesus had said, “You will be my witnesses” (1:8), and the disciples obeyed his calling. In a court of law, witnesses tell what they know. We count on witnesses to testify truthfully about what they have seen and heard. In the first-century church, Christian witnesses spread the word in a variety of ways:

• They witnessed by giving. “No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had” (4:32).

• They witnessed by preaching. “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus” (4:33).

• They witnessed by suffering. The Greek word translated “witness” in Acts 1:8 (martures) is the source of our word “martyr.” Stephen’s bold testimony led to his death, but he died expressing his faith in the living Christ, and his martyrdom sparked more church growth. When “a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem,” Christ’s followers scattered and “preached the word wherever they went” (8:1, 4).

• They witnessed by serving. A disciple named Tabitha (also known as Dorcas) expressed her faith by making robes and other clothing, “doing good and helping the poor” (9:36-39).

• They witnessed by worshipping. When Paul and Silas were beaten and locked in prison, they worshipped God in the jail, praying and singing hymns while the other prisoners listened (16:25).

• They witnessed by engaging in dialogue with seekers and questioners. In houses of worship and in the marketplace, Paul “reasoned with” others about faith in God (17:17).

There are many ways Christians can testify about the mighty acts of God. How will you spread the word this week?

David Faust serves as the Associate Minister at East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Based on International Sunday School Lesson, © 2013, by the Lesson Committee. Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©2011, unless otherwise indicated.

As you apply today’s Scripture study to everyday life, read Engage Your Faith by David Faust and the correlating Evaluation Questions.