Pattern Of The Church

Acts 2: 36-42 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."

On the day of Pentecost the Church, immediately, gained three thousand members. Imagine that: three thousand people came to Christ, and began actively participating in this new faith. Before we make light of this in our minds, you need to understand that becoming a Christian in the early Church was far more demanding than it is today. Today the Pastor preaches the sermon, begging you to accept Christ as Saviour. If at the end of the sermon the Holy Spirit pushes hard enough, you feel led to get up from your seat, walk 20-30 feet down the aisle, and make a public profession of faith. In most cases you only need answer "Yes" when the Pastor asks if you are saved. Later that day or next week you will be expected to be immersed in a heated tub of water to signify Water Baptism, and at that moment you become an active member of the Church.

In the early Church things were quite different. First, it was considered an act of treason to become a Christian, or to worship any gods other than those endorsed by Rome. Christians often banded together in homes, or in caves to worship. When they worshipped they did so quietly, lest the authorities discover their activities. Believers went out and witnessed, often door to door, knowing at any instance they could be arrested, imprisoned, and killed. Death under Rome was far from merciful, often so torturous that you literally begged the executioner to finish the job.

Yet, when comparing the early Church with the modern Church of today, we see that the early Church grew whereas the modern Church often seems to be staggering along. This is not true in all cases: Berachah Church in Texas, and Coral Ridge Church in Florida, even Morningside Baptist in Valdosta Georgia have large attendance, well over 1000 members. Yet in most of our modern Churches, regardless of denomination, each Church has to recruit 2 people to Christ in order to gain 1 active member.  This means that if we want to have a Sunday School with 100 members, we have to recruit 200 members to do it! This in a society that is religious tolerant, unlike Rome of yesteryear.

What did the early Church know that most of us have forgotten? What did the early Church practice that we often fail to practice?
 

Matthew 16:13-18 "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? [14] And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. [15]  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? [16] And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. [17]  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. [18]  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

One day Jesus took His disciples aside to determine whether their minds were fixed on the Truth of God's Word or on the spirit of compromise. He asked them: Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?. The answers He received were startling. This is the same Christ who stood outside of Lazarus' tomb and cried "Lazarus come forth", and the dead arose. This is the same Christ who, in Matthew Chapter 8 (5-10), was approached by a Roman Centurion to come and heal his servant. When Jesus said, "I'll come and heal him", the Centurion, a General in the Army, said "You only need say the word and I know he'll be healed". This same Jesus spoke and that servant was healed that very moment. This same Jesus walked through a crowd, and in Mark 5 (30-35) a woman reached out and touched Him, and was healed just by that touch. This same Jesus felt the power leave His body at that moment, and turned to the woman and said "Thy faith has made thee whole".

This is the same Jesus who people, after witnessing all these miracles, said Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. These are the people who allowed the spirit of compromise come in, people who witnessed the Divine Acts committed in Jesus and attributed them to certain famous Prophets, but only mortal men.

The Jesus asked His disciples, whom say ye that I am?. Simon Peter spoke up and said, THOU ART the Christos, You are the Messiah, You are God in the Flesh come to save us from our sins. The disciples had a certain knowledge that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. This certain knowledge gave them the power to risk everything: their homes, their families, their very lives and comfort, in order to follow Him and proclaim His word.

Jesus' next words, though often misinterpreted, highlighted how important this certain knowledge of Christ is. Jesus told Peter:

[17]  ... Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. [18]  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

This part of the text is often obscured, misinterpreted by believers. The Roman Catholic Church uses this text to prove that Peter was the first Pope, the foundation of the Church. Yet this is not what Jesus-God is saying at all. First, Jesus says "flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee", that is, this certain knowledge that He was indeed Messiah did not come by Peter's own powers of intelligence, but because Peter submitted himself to the Word of God and because of this gained this supernatural knowledge. Second, Jesus says "That thou art Peter [PETROS - A little Rock] , and upon this rock [PETRA - A large cliff, a huge Rock] I will build my church". The Church was not built on Peter, Petros, the Little Rock, but was built on PETRA, the Huge Rock, The understanding that Jesus was and is, of a certainty, the Messiah for whom we waited, the Saviour we so desperately need.

Do you have the certain knowledge that Jesus is the Messiah, God in the Flesh? Or have you allowed the spirit of compromise in? Have you compromised your stance on the Word of God: is it only an ancient text, or is it really the Word of God to you? Do you study it? Have you built up that certain knowledge through God's Word and the Holy Spirit?

Illustration

Four preachers had a series of theological arguments, and three were always in agreement against the fourth.  One day, the odd preacher out, after the usual "3 to 1, majority rules" statement that signified that he had lost again, decided to appeal to a higher authority.

"Oh, God!" he cried. "I know in my heart that I am right and they are wrong!  Please give me a sign to prove it to them!"

It was a beautiful, sunny day. As soon as the preacher finished his prayer, a storm cloud moved across the sky above the four.  It rumbled once and dissolved.  "A sign from God!  See, I'm right, I knew it!"  But the other three disagreed, pointing out that storm clouds form on hot days.

So the preacher prayed again: "Oh, God, I need a bigger sign to show that I am right and they are wrong.  So please, God, a bigger sign!"  This time four storm clouds appeared, rushed toward each other to form one big cloud, and a bolt of lightning slammed into a tree on a nearby hill.

"I told you I was right!" cried the preacher, but his friends insisted that nothing had happened that could not be explained by natural causes.

The preacher was getting ready to ask for a *very big* sign, but just as he said, "Oh God...," the sky turned pitch black, the earth shook, and a deep, booming voice said, "HEEEEEEEE'S RIIIIIIIGHT!"

The preacher put his hands on his hips, turned to the other three, and said, "Well?"

"So," shrugged one of the other preachers, "now it's 3 to 2."
 

Matthew 28:19  "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20]  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

The mission statement of the Church is best summed up as "Go and teach, stay and teach". In the first part of the statement, "Go and teach", we are commanded to leave the comfort of this building and our homes and witness the Gospel message to all nations. All people need to hear about the Messiah, but too often we expect them to come to us rather than the other way around. Dear friends, the world will not come to you, you need to go to the world. If you wait for the world to come to your door you will be waiting a long time, for the world has other toys that it's fascinated with. We must be willing to reach out, to walk out, to knock on doors, and to let people know about Jesus. The early Church did this in spite of the persecution, and it grew in leaps and bounds:

Tertullian, a Christian Minister who lived during Roman times (160-240 AD) wrote:

"We are but yesterday, but already we fill your cities, islands, camps, palace, senate, forum. We have left you only empty temples".

Another great Preacher, Justin Martyr (103-165 AD) wrote:

"There are no people, Greek or Barbarian, by whatsoever name they may be distinguished, whether they dwell in tents or wander about in covered wagons, among whom prayers and thanksgiving are not being offered in the name of the crucified Jesus to the Father."

We must go out and witness, bring people to the Church. But just as vital we must follow the second part of the mission statement, "stay and teach", if we expect to grow as a Body. Jesus said, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you". The average person, on accepting Jesus Christ as his Saviour, comes to Church and is bored out of his skull. In many instances new believers come to Christ then, though they are still babes in Christ, they are ignored. The Church must emphasize teaching the Word of God regularly, teaching the Word in such a way that it can be applied. If you came into Church this morning and, at the end of this service, leave knowing no more than you knew when you first came in, then this is a failure on my part. If you went to Sunday School and were bored out of your skull by your teacher, this is a failure on your teacher's part. If you came to Church today with a heart full of apathy, unwilling to contribute your time and talent to this great Mission of God, then this is a failure on your part. Will we only heed and pay lip service to the Mission Statement Jesus gave us, or will we each make a commitment this morning to follow through and do as He said.

Romans 12: 10-19 "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; [11] Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; [12] Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; [13] Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. [14] Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. [15] Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. [16] Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. [17] Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. [18] If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. [19] Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

When the unbeliever or the visitors steps through the doors of this Church, do they find "cliches" of believers, or do they see a body? The one reason that anyone will faithfully attend this assembly, donating their time and their talent, is because they feel like they belong. This sense of belonging is very strong in humans, strong because God made it so. The early Church understood that they were in the world, but not of the world. They knew they were in a hostile environment, so they sought to bond together in Christian Love. Just like a Body (which we are supposed to be) they suffered when one member suffered, rejoiced when one member rejoiced. Outside of the Corinthian Church (which was carnal), the early Church avoided internal hatred and strife.

Let me tell you a little secret that you may not know: We are all human. We all make mistakes. People make the assumption that the Pastor and Deacons are above making mistakes because of their office, but Peter himself denied the Lord three times! Peter later repented, but started teaching the early Church that Christians had to be circumcised if they were going to be saved members of the Church. The Apostle Paul chewed Peter out over this false doctrine (Galatians 2.11), and Peter once more repented. If an Apostle can make mistakes, anyone can.

We are each one of us weak in certain areas, but we are made strong if we bond together in love and concern for one another. The individual strands in a rope are weak and useless of themselves, but if you bond many strands together you can moor a battleship with the resulting rope.

Illustration

A man stopped at a gas station one day to service his car. While he was pumping gas into the tank he saw two men, both city employees, working out on the side of the road. One person would dig a hole, walk forward three feet, then dig another hole. The second worker, following behind, filled up each hole as soon as the first worker finished digging it.

Finally the man couldn't stand it anymore, so he walked out to the road and asked the men what in the world they were doing. One man said, "Well, our job as City road workers is to plant trees on the side of the road. My job is to dig the hole, his job is to fill the hole. The man who usually drops the trees in the hole got mad and quit ... but that doesn't stop us from doing our job!"

The story makes sense in a weird sort of way, though it's conclusion is untrue. We are told in 1 Corinthians 12 that each member in this Body has a spiritual Gift, and that each one of us must exercise that Gift in such a way as to bless the rest of the Body. If we forget that we are human, if we let anger rather than love come between us and our precious brothers and sisters, then this Church will find itself doing something useless like digging and refilling holes. Nothing is accomplished in the Body of Christ if we are not in one accord.
 

".. they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."

The one question that best exeplifies the early Church is, "Does it honor God?". Prayer was not just a hobby, or something done like the Pharisees did it. The Pharisees often carried little ornate blankets around with them so that, at various times during the day, they could spread the blankets out in public and with load and orate voices cry out to God, just for the sake of the image it generated. Jesus illustrated right and wrong prayer in:

Luke 18:11-14 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. [12]  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. [13]  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. [14]  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Humble yourselves in prayer and service, for when we are humble, broken, is when God can use us most. Strive to take the "me" out of your assembly and out of yourselves - let Love be your guide. When I look in your faces I see people all created in the very image of God, people whom God so loved that He allowed His Son to suffer naked humiliation and torture. If we want to be like the early Church we must be willing to look at one another with new eyes, with a heart of acceptance, glorifying God in heartfelt prayerful service.

The choice is yours. Will you follow in the footsteps of the early Church, or will you stay, in comfort, where you are.
 

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