The Early Church with Character - A Model
The Early Church with Character – A Model
Most of us have had various Church experiences. Some are positive and others are not so positive. Church as we know it today is quite different from that of the early Church. What is it that made the early Church unique being the first fruits of the Holy Spirit outpouring? Was the life of the early Church a prescription or model of what Church should be today?
To really answer and investigate these questions, it is worth noting that the whole Book of Acts is a historical narrative and in a class by itself among the books of the New Testament. As such, we must first understand what the history Dr. Luke (the writer) wanted to convey before we start making applications. The intent of Dr. Luke, I believe was to account for us the history of what the Holy Spirit began to do through the lives of the apostles through the establishment and spread of the Church within and outside Jerusalem. It is necessary that we see any chapter in the big picture of the whole book and not make quick judgments and conclusions.
Acts 2: 40-47
40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. The Church was born by the Holy Spirit. On the first day, 3000 people came to believe in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. It did not stop at 3000. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved”. God is the Church grower and not man. I hope we learn from the early Church and not depend on our methods and endless programs.
2. The Church was taught sound Biblical doctrines by the apostles. They taught the people what Jesus had taught them on the kingdom of God. The Church was willing and devoted to learning the Word of God. This is the first sign of a living Church – hunger for the Word of God. Are you hungry and devoted to God’s Word? Individually and corporately we must hide God’s word in our hearts. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (Psalm 119:105).
3. The second character of a living Church is corporate fellowship of the believers in worship. The early Church did not forsake the gathering together for the purpose of worshiping God and encouraging one another. There are no lone rangers in Christianity.
4. The third character of a living Church is “the breaking of bread” together. I believe that they gathered corporately to break bread meaning having the Lord’s Supper and communion. But they were also “breaking bread from house to house”, meaning they visited one another and ate meals together and just enjoyed the company of one another. How so important it is even in our day. We all live so far from one another and the pace of life are so fast. We must learn from the early Church to slow down and spend time with other believers in their homes. When was the last time you visited a fellow believer at his/her and ate meals together? I challenge us to invite other believers into our homes for fellowship and breaking of bread. Hey, try it you will be blessed.
5. A family that prays together stays together. The early Church had a character for praying. They lived on and by prayer. They gathered corporately and individually to pray. They prayed in the temple and from house to house. Show me a prayer-less Church or individual and I will show you a lifeless Church or lifeless Christian. The early Church prayed in response to their new found faith and trust in Jesus. They prayed to worship and honor God and to grow in their relationship to God.
6. The Church was united and enjoyed the company of one another. They had “everything in common”. It did not say they lived in “communes”. They had their individual houses where they lived hence they went from house to house. The things they had in common signified a voluntary sharing to meet the needs of all. Those who had wealth used it for God’s purpose. Those who had wealth did not let their wealth have them. They recognized that all they had belonged to God and they used it for Him. Like in every situation, there are exceptions like Ananias and Sapphira who lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5).
7. When it says, “Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need”, does it now mean we all must sell all our stuff as a matter of practice? Remember that the early Church was filled with the Holy Spirit and moved and did things as they were led by the Spirit. Those who sold things did so willingly and not by coercion. I believe they took Jesus’ teaching on giving seriously. The point is that we learn the principle to give to help those in need. Later, in Acts, we learn that people like Apostle Paul worked hard for a living so there is a balance.
8. Notice that taking care of the household of faith comes first in meeting the needs of the people. We reach out to all but we must first reach out to believers among us who are in need. The point being, if we can’t take care of each other, why should an outsider believe in our Christ?
9. The early Church met daily in the temple. This practice did not last too long because of persecution. Another reason is that the temple was later destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. We are free to meet any where for Church after all we are the Church and the building is only a meeting place and not the Church. Later in the epistles, we see more meetings of the Church from house to house.
10. The people outside the church recognized the difference in the believers of the early Church. “Everyone (within and without) was filled with awe” These days there is not much difference in character between the believer and non-believer in Christ. It ought not to be so. The believers were “glad” ‘joyful”. Are you glad and full of joy? Can someone tell from your face and countenance that the Holy Spirit of God lives inside of you? Lord, help us to live out the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Amen.
Most of us have had various Church experiences. Some are positive and others are not so positive. Church as we know it today is quite different from that of the early Church. What is it that made the early Church unique being the first fruits of the Holy Spirit outpouring? Was the life of the early Church a prescription or model of what Church should be today?
To really answer and investigate these questions, it is worth noting that the whole Book of Acts is a historical narrative and in a class by itself among the books of the New Testament. As such, we must first understand what the history Dr. Luke (the writer) wanted to convey before we start making applications. The intent of Dr. Luke, I believe was to account for us the history of what the Holy Spirit began to do through the lives of the apostles through the establishment and spread of the Church within and outside Jerusalem. It is necessary that we see any chapter in the big picture of the whole book and not make quick judgments and conclusions.
Acts 2: 40-47
40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. The Church was born by the Holy Spirit. On the first day, 3000 people came to believe in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. It did not stop at 3000. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved”. God is the Church grower and not man. I hope we learn from the early Church and not depend on our methods and endless programs.
2. The Church was taught sound Biblical doctrines by the apostles. They taught the people what Jesus had taught them on the kingdom of God. The Church was willing and devoted to learning the Word of God. This is the first sign of a living Church – hunger for the Word of God. Are you hungry and devoted to God’s Word? Individually and corporately we must hide God’s word in our hearts. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (Psalm 119:105).
3. The second character of a living Church is corporate fellowship of the believers in worship. The early Church did not forsake the gathering together for the purpose of worshiping God and encouraging one another. There are no lone rangers in Christianity.
4. The third character of a living Church is “the breaking of bread” together. I believe that they gathered corporately to break bread meaning having the Lord’s Supper and communion. But they were also “breaking bread from house to house”, meaning they visited one another and ate meals together and just enjoyed the company of one another. How so important it is even in our day. We all live so far from one another and the pace of life are so fast. We must learn from the early Church to slow down and spend time with other believers in their homes. When was the last time you visited a fellow believer at his/her and ate meals together? I challenge us to invite other believers into our homes for fellowship and breaking of bread. Hey, try it you will be blessed.
5. A family that prays together stays together. The early Church had a character for praying. They lived on and by prayer. They gathered corporately and individually to pray. They prayed in the temple and from house to house. Show me a prayer-less Church or individual and I will show you a lifeless Church or lifeless Christian. The early Church prayed in response to their new found faith and trust in Jesus. They prayed to worship and honor God and to grow in their relationship to God.
6. The Church was united and enjoyed the company of one another. They had “everything in common”. It did not say they lived in “communes”. They had their individual houses where they lived hence they went from house to house. The things they had in common signified a voluntary sharing to meet the needs of all. Those who had wealth used it for God’s purpose. Those who had wealth did not let their wealth have them. They recognized that all they had belonged to God and they used it for Him. Like in every situation, there are exceptions like Ananias and Sapphira who lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5).
7. When it says, “Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need”, does it now mean we all must sell all our stuff as a matter of practice? Remember that the early Church was filled with the Holy Spirit and moved and did things as they were led by the Spirit. Those who sold things did so willingly and not by coercion. I believe they took Jesus’ teaching on giving seriously. The point is that we learn the principle to give to help those in need. Later, in Acts, we learn that people like Apostle Paul worked hard for a living so there is a balance.
8. Notice that taking care of the household of faith comes first in meeting the needs of the people. We reach out to all but we must first reach out to believers among us who are in need. The point being, if we can’t take care of each other, why should an outsider believe in our Christ?
9. The early Church met daily in the temple. This practice did not last too long because of persecution. Another reason is that the temple was later destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. We are free to meet any where for Church after all we are the Church and the building is only a meeting place and not the Church. Later in the epistles, we see more meetings of the Church from house to house.
10. The people outside the church recognized the difference in the believers of the early Church. “Everyone (within and without) was filled with awe” These days there is not much difference in character between the believer and non-believer in Christ. It ought not to be so. The believers were “glad” ‘joyful”. Are you glad and full of joy? Can someone tell from your face and countenance that the Holy Spirit of God lives inside of you? Lord, help us to live out the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Amen.
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