Last Sunday, marked the beginning of a new season in the life of the church–a season where we reflect on what happened after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus? What did the risen life actually look like once the disciples were sent into the world filled with the Holy Spirit? The Book of Acts of the Apostles gives us the answer. The story begins on the Day of Pentecost, when the disciples were gathered together in Jerusalem waiting, just as Jesus had commanded them.
Suddenly, the sound of a mighty rushing wind filled the house, tongues of fire rested upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. In that instant, fearful disciples became bold witnesses; and ordinary men and women began proclaiming “the mighty works of God” in languages they had never learned. What happened that day wasn’t emotional excitement or religious spectacle; it was the fulfilment of the promises Jesus had made to His followers. Before His ascension, Jesus told them in Acts 1:8, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses.” And in the Gospel of John, He promised that He wouldn’t leave them as orphans, but that the Helper, the Holy Spirit, would come to teach them, guide them, strengthen them, and remind them of all He’d said.
This new series called “Marks of the Early Church,” will explore not only what happened next, but also the character and calling of those first believers. After the resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, something remarkable began to happen. A frightened and uncertain group of disciples became a bold, joyful, Spirit-filled community that would eventually carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth. The Holy Spirit didn’t just produce dramatic moments; it formed ordinary believers into a new kind of people, marked by devotion, courage, generosity, worship, holiness, and love. They weren’t perfect people, but they were a Spirit-shaped people, learning to live resurrection life together.
As we walk through these passages from the Book of Acts, we are not just looking backward at church history; we’re asking what it means for us to be that kind of church today? What should the presence of the Holy Spirit produce in a Christian community? These are important questions to ask because in every generation, the Church faces the temptation to drift away from its center. It’s so easy to become busy without becoming faithful, to become active without becoming spiritually rooted, and to fill calendars, maintain programs, and still slowly lose sight of the life of Christ Himself. And so, the question remains: If the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead and filled the early Church has been given to us, then what marks should be visible in our life together today?
SERMONS
Title: “Devoted to Teaching, Fellowship, & Prayer”
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering
Date: Sunday, May 31, 2026 ~ Trinity Sunday
Scripture: Acts 2:42-47 and John 15:1-11
Handout: Part 1. HO
Title: “Transformed Living”
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering
Date: Sunday, June 7, 2026 ~ The 2nd Sunday after Pentecost
Scripture: Psalm 130 Acts 3:1-10 Mark 2:1-12
Handout: Part 2. HO