An Incredible Truth from the Book of Acts

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I have been a follower of Jesus for 43 years now. Amazing.  I have been a Pastor for 33 years.  I have one of the best seminary degrees in the world (an M.Div. from Talbot Seminary) and an almost (ha ha) D. Min. from TEDS in Chicago.  You would think that I would know what I am about to share with you....but I missed it, completely missed it.

Here it is: In the Book of Acts, there are 30 accounts of conversion.  In 90% of those cases, it is NOT individual conversion-- it is family, group or mass decisions!  There are only 3 cases of individual conversion in Acts (Saul/Paul (Acts 9) , the Ethiopian Eunuch (8:35), and Sergius Paulus (13:12). 

90% of the conversions in the Book of Acts happened in mass.  That is difficult to imagine in the west because we are highly individualized in our thinking.  We hear of "people movements" in other parts of the world- whole tribes coming to faith in Jesus and we wonder how that could possibly be genuine-- but it is and (incredibly) sometimes it is more real and lasting than "individual" conversion.

One of the benefits of being highly engaged in the world Christian movement and studying the Bible and culture and movements and hearing from people all over the world is that it often exposes my own cultural prejudice that I have placed on scripture.  I just don't see some things because my own culture blinds me to it. 

So, in light of this, how can we begin thinking of encouraging WHOLE groups of people to embrace the faith?  Whole families?  Whole cities?   Whoa!  It happened before, it can happen again.   It actually seems to be God's way.

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