Easter is over. We finished off the chocolate bunnies, found all the plastic eggs, and put away all the Easter baskets. We've celebrated the resurrection of Christ and heard the words, “He is not here, He is risen.

So now what? It's probably the same question the disciples asked while they were locked in the upper room. The women brought back news that Jesus was alive. The disciples did not believe. So now what? Suddenly Jesus appears to them and offers these words, “Peace be unto you.” The disciples began to rejoice but Jesus was not finished, He had more to say. “Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” (John 20:21) I imagine that those words explained it all to the disciples. They make it all as clear as mud. Can you picture the disciples saying, “send us where?”. Then they probably asked, “to do what?”.

Then Jesus does something rather strange. He breathes on them and says “receive ye the Holy Ghost.” It seems clear to me that just as God breathed life into Adam in the Garden, Jesus was now breathing life into them. They would now be sustained by the breath of the Holy Spirit.

Throughout the book of Acts the disciples began to live out Jesus' command. They preached. People by the thousands were professing faith and receiving baptism. Still others were being healed.

Reading of the early church is pretty amazing. The church was preaching all they knew and heard from Jesus. Even more importantly they were living out what they were preaching. The scripture says that they were witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus. No one did without, everyone shared what they had. They “were of one heart and of one soul.” (Acts 4:32-34)

I am sure that did not mean that they agreed on every single issue. But I am also sure that it meant that they were united in their love and devotion to Christ and to each other.

“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7)

The first step to unity and fellowship with one another is to insure that each of us is striving to be in right relationship with God. None of us is perfect and that is not the expectation here. But as followers of Christ we are expected to confess our sins when we need to and strive to live like Christ. Then as 1 John tells us, we can have fellowship with one another.

So now what?

Grace and peace,

Pastor David