Long Story Short | The Church 8.24.25
Long Story, Short-The Church
Sermon Recap
This week we wrapped up our Long Story, Short series by looking at the final chapter: the story of the church. The book of Acts shows how the Spirit takes Jesus’ small band of disciples and sends them outward—Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The church grows not by clinging to boundaries, but by crossing them. Enemies become family, outsiders are welcomed in, and the Spirit keeps expanding the movement.
Acts 1:8 gives the mission statement: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses…” That word “witness” means to tell the truth about what you’ve seen and experienced. The early church was animated not by a spirit of death, but by the Spirit of life—3,000 died at Sinai when the Law was given, but 3,000 were saved at Pentecost when the Spirit was poured out.
The book of Acts ends without a neat conclusion—Paul under house arrest, still proclaiming the Kingdom. It’s as if Luke intentionally left the story unfinished so that every generation could write their own chapter. Now it’s our turn.
Go a Little Deeper
One striking feature of Acts is how it shifts the center of God’s activity. For centuries, Israel saw the temple as the place where heaven and earth met. But in Acts, God’s presence shows up in an upper room, in Samaritan villages, in a Roman centurion’s household, in prison cells, and in a rented apartment in Rome. The Spirit moves the “holy space” from a building to a people.
Theologian Willie James Jennings puts it this way:
“Acts is about nothing less than the revolution of the intimate. God will draw people to each other who have no reason to be together, no reason to share life, except that the Spirit of Jesus has joined them.”
That’s the miracle of the church: strangers become family, not because they share background or politics, but because they share the Spirit.
Discussion Questions
Acts 1:8 calls us to be “witnesses.” What does being a witness to Jesus look like in your everyday life?
Where have you seen the Spirit crossing boundaries in your own story—or in the life of our church?
Nick mentioned that the church can sometimes “swing the sword” (judging others) or “fall on it” (living in self-condemnation). Which one do you lean toward, and how might the Spirit bring life instead?
Acts ends with an open story. What might it look like for our church community to “write the next chapter” in Columbia?
Practice to Try
This week, practice being a witness in a simple, concrete way. Think of one person you can invite in—not just to a church service, but into your life. It might mean sharing a meal, sending an encouraging word, or telling your own story of how Jesus has made a difference. Don’t worry about having the perfect words. Just bear witness.
Closing Prayer
Spirit of the Living God,
you poured yourself out at Pentecost and you are still moving today.
Cross the boundaries in our hearts, break down the walls we build,
and draw us into a bigger family than we could imagine.
Make us bold to witness to the life of Jesus—
in our homes, our neighborhoods, and our city.
Help us write the next chapter of your story with joy, grace, and love.
Amen.
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