No one else dared join [the believers], even though they were highly regarded by the people. (Acts 5:13)
People were reluctant to join the early Church for a variety of reasons. For one, religious leaders felt threatened that their authority would be diminished. For another, people were intimidated by the high expectations of the community, particularly when it came to sharing resources and being brutally honest. Perhaps another was that there was such Spirit-filled power flowing from the faith community that you didn’t quite know what would happen if you got too close.
But the Word got out. The Spirit-filled Church became known in the community and, eventually, throughout the world. What seemed intimidating to some was incredibly attractive to others - just what was needed to mend their broken lives.
When the Church becomes Spirit-filled, there will be some who keep their distance, even though they may respect us for who we are and what we do. There will be others, however, who are drawn into the fold. This is “the rest of the story” -
Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. (Acts 5:14)
