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What can We learn from the First Century Church? Part 11

May 15, 2025 / / 2 Comments

In Spirit And In Truth

In previous messages I have noted that the book known as the Acts of the Apostles is often neglected in our studies of the scriptures. There is another side, however of which many of you might be aware. It is also a fact that some churches and individuals might tend to over emphasize the importance of the book of Acts in general. I am talking of course of Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. I can speak fairly confidently on these movements as my mother was part of a family whose parents and siblings were predominantly Pentecostal in their doctrine. While our family was among those who took all of the bible seriously, I know that many have properly earned their reputation of being fanatical and overly emotional.

To this day I continue to meet and have discussions with those who place their personal experiences over the written Word of God. In some cases their views have been harmless and in other cases they can cause great confusion in the church. It is the extreme cases that often cause extreme reactions from leaders and those who trust in them. It is often difficult to have a rational conversation on this topic because of the harm that has come from both sides of the controversy. At one point even I became so discouraged by some of the strange teachings and practices of Pentecostal and Charismatic churches that I distanced myself from them for over 10 years.

On the other hand, in the more conservative congregations I have seen an unhealthy reaction to these excesses. The spontaneity and enthusiasm found in the early church is often lost in the desire to maintain full control and “respectability” in our gatherings. The freedom to openly share our testimonies, experiences and to enjoy the supernatural gifts together is severely restricted. A bias against the supernatural aspects of life in Christ cannot help but cloud some minds from understanding the Scriptures in their proper context.

There is a solution to this dilemma. In Acts we see great emotion, enthusiasm, demonstrations of the power of the Holy Spirit, AND a tremendous interest and devotion to wholesome, profitable and instructional teaching from the Word of God.

In the first chapter Jesus spent a considerable amount of time continuing to teach His disciples about the Kingdom of God. As you might remember from the four gospels, Jesus laid heavy emphasis on heart issues: humility, love, faith and faithfulness, holiness, righteousness and the absolute sovereignty of God. These and other important principles were communicated in His parables of the Kingdom of God. Later, when the power of the Holy Spirit came down from heaven and into them, His followers were filled with Kingdom Life! The Word instructed them and the Spirit empowered them!

They never left the foundation that was laid for them by the inspired words of their scriptures which were clarified to them by Jesus Himself. When people were drawn to them by the supernatural signs and wonders, they always used them to point to the Scriptures. In these Scriptures they revealed that Jesus had come as the real purpose of all things. The Holy Spirit in fact led them back to the Scriptures every time!

The Scriptures themselves are of supernatural origen. It was the apostle Paul who wrote:

2 Timothy 3:16-17:
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
NASU

Peter also wrote these words:

2 Peter 1:20-2:1:
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
NIV

Many times Jesus Himself affirmed the divine origin of the ancient Hebrew Scriptures. Prophecy after prophecy were fulfilled in Him, and He made this bold statement:

Matthew 5:18:
18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
NIV

Christians of all ages have believed in the divine inspiration of both the Old and New Testament Scriptures. The Scriptures themselves testify of the strange and unsettling circumstances under which some of the writings came into being. And yet, many modern Christians want no part in anything that cannot be explained in terms of human logic. In fact, some of the groups most committed to the supernatural origin of the Scriptures are the most dogmatic in declaring that God no longer works in His people through signs, miracles and gifts of the Spirit today! I find that contradiction strangely unreasonable.

The believers in the First Century were not perfect, but they were not so foolish as to abandon the very power that they recieved from both believing the Good News of salvation and teachings about the Kingdom of God, and from receiving every supernatural gift that He has offered unto them!

What can We learn from the First Century Church? Part 10

April 29, 2025 / / 3 Comments

Victorious Faith

Just recently I have become aware of the burden I have for both the leaders and the members of many of churches in my country.

If there ever was a time when we needed the power of God in our lives, I strongly believe it is now. Certainly many communities of believers are thriving and growing in Christ around the world. For this we praise God! Yet here are great concerns as well. This past year a number of Christian leaders have been in the news concerning moral failures that bring shame to the name of Christ and discourage many believers. At the same time, far too many ordinary believers continue to be enslaved by the power of addictions and numerous temptations.

There is no doubt that there are number of direct or indirect causes for these failures. Having grown up in church and after being involved in leadership for 45 years, I have seen much and have made many mistakes myself. I have sat in numerous leadership meetings and observed how situations are addressed and how answers are sought after. It has often been difficult for me to offer suggestions for the very reason that I do not often understand the perspective from which other leaders today are coming. My main area of knowledge and experience for all these years has been from the study of the scriptures, rather than from modern day administrative techniques. One day a fantastic thought occurred to me! How could we apply biblical understanding to these issues? Could not the Holy Spirit lead us in the same as He did back then?

Sometimes though, I wonder how people in the First Century church could even understand our 21st Century problems!

In these messages we have been considering what we in our time and culture might learn from the First Century Church. Of course there are the differences in cultural and historical situations that must be taken into account. At the same time there are principles that can still be applied for our benefit. However, some of these principles will not even work while we are building on a different foundation. When we build on a foundation of how modern business or political organizations are formed, our successes will only mirror the successes of business and political organizations. Is that what we want? Is that want God wants?

The church of Jesus Christ is built upon a supernatural foundation, on a totally different set of principles. Many today are returning to that foundation. Praise God! For some this can even mean starting over completely!

From the beginning of Luke’s account of the Acts of the Apostles, we learn that Jesus made a promise to His followers:

Acts 1:3-8
He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
(NIV)

So the Early Church started out with total dependence on God and obedience to His command to wait in Jerusalem. Guess what! This principle, if you want to call it, worked! The church did receive the power to bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus and to live holy lives in His presence! There were obstacles, pressures, and persecutions, but there was also phenomenal growth. During this time there was an explosion of joy in them and in the communities they formed!

Many are concerned today that Christians are beginning to trust more in political and economical power to further the Good News of the Kingdom of God. This is the temptation of our time and in many countries of the world. Yet, the church has often shown the greatest power when it was devoid of these things. Consider the words of James, the Lord’s brother:

James 2:5-6:
5 Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have insulted the poor.
(NIV)

Then we must consider the times in history when Christian institutions actually used their political power to persecute unbelievers and even fellow believers! Of course, wealth and political influence can be used for good, but how much better it is to see God’s supernatural work in the world in a situation where no one could deny His superiority in love, wisdom, grace and power.

The first thing some people think about concerning power is the power to heal the sick and to work miracles. This is true, many miracles were recorded in the early days of the church. However, there is more to it than miracles when it comes to bearing witness to the Lordship of Jesus the Messiah. Jesus spoke of the fact that the kingdom of God was a realm where people lived a new life by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3). This new birth was foretold by God through the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Jeremiah 31:33-34:
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD.
(NIV)

Ezekiel 36:26-27:
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
(NIV)

By faith in Jesus, these promises have been extended to those of us who are not the natural children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And yet, many believers today are content to confess that they have no real victory over their own hearts and their sinful ways. Is this the result of misunderstanding or pure unbelief in the Words of our Lord? Could this unbelief explain our unrealistic and illogical dependence upon worldly wisdom?

Are you like me and many others who desire to see a victorious community of believers in Christ, continuing to bear witness of Him to the ends of the earth? Today we are not among those who personally saw Jesus after He returned from the tomb. And yet, Paul prayed for believers like us, who also missed that experience:

Ephesians 1:17-23:
… that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
(NKJV)

This vision of Christ, and of Christ IN You is the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) He is building His powerful Church, one against which the gates of hell will not prevail! By faith in His sacrifice for us on the Cross, we receive salvation and the forgiveness of our sins. But the Gospel of the Kingdom does not stop there. By faith we are also overcomers!

1 John 5:3-5:
4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
(NIV)

Believe the Good News! God is working in you both the will and the ability to do His good pleasure! (Philippians 2:13) You are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus! (Romans 8:37). That is if you have heard the Word, believed in Him, repented of your sins and are following Him. Today God is calling us to stop at nothing until we fully experience the very same power from heaven that filled those first disciples. Some have not even heard that it is still available to them today. We affirm that it is! Peter announced that this promise is given to many, many others.

Acts 2:38-39:
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
(NIV)

Today I would ask you all to read and re-read the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Catch a glimpse of the possibilities. Consider what could happen if we would only return to the simplicity of believing God’s Word and acting on His promises by His grace today!

What can We learn from the First Century Church? Part 9

April 7, 2025 / / 3 Comments

Let’s talk about Parachurch

First of all, what is “parachurch?” The Greek word “para” means “alongside.” So the idea is that there are services by groups who are not specifically The Church, but exist to support the work of The Church. These are categorized as parachurch. They come alongside to help The Church. A good example would be organizations like Campus Crusade For Christ, or Food For the Hungry. These are not churches, but the efforts of Christians who are part of The Church, the Body of Christ. They believe they are called to focus on things like sharing the Gospel on college campuses, or feeding people in poorer countries in the love of Christ. Other known parachurch ministries would include Celebrate Recovery, which focusses on the needs of people who are recovering from “hangups, habits and hurts,” and even the more recent efforts to share the Gospel through the making of high quality movies like “The Chosen,” and “The House of David.”

From the beginning there were practical concerns that required some organization. In Jerusalem the church grew rapidly to about 5,000. In Acts chapter 6, the need arose for seven men to be chosen to oversee the care of the widows. It should not surprise us that over the centuries the need for other practical services would arise. From the New Testament we also see that men like Barnabas and Saul (Paul) had to leave the comfort of their local church when the Holy Spirit sent them out to the greater Mediterranean world to preach the Gospel of Christ. While they did receive support originally from Antioch, it is evident that they were on their own much of the time. Paul actually had his own trade which provided for his needs and those of his companions (Acts 18:3, 20:33-35, 1 Thessalonians 2:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:8-10). While missionaries like Barnabas, Paul, and Silas are not known as “parachurch” ministries, it is helpful to view them as “workers” whose extended reach is distinct from that of the local church setting.

Two thousand years later and around the world, the concept of parachurch ministries has proliferated. Ideally these should not compete with The Church of Jesus Christ. However, some church leaders are concerned that this competition might exist at times. At this point I am going to suggest something that might be even outrageous to many. One of the greatest hindrances to the vitality of the real Church of Jesus Christ, the community of born-again believers in the world today, can often be our understanding of the many institutions we call churches!

Please understand that I am not challenging the need for organizations and even denominations. Many of these have a purpose in God’s plan that I do not need to understand. They have served the needs of people for hundreds of years. However, the bible is very clear in describing the Church of Jesus Christ and how it functions.

The word that is translated “church” in most of our English bibles is from the Greek word “ecclesia,” or “assembly.” In New Testament times this word often applied to regular official gatherings (Acts 19:39), and at times agitated crowds that have gathered for different reasons (Acts 19:41). The first mention of the church in the New Testament is in the Gospel according to Matthew:

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
NKJV (Matthew 16:13-18)

The building that Jesus is referring to is not composed of brick, mortar, or wood. It is composed of individuals who are supernaturally joined together in Him! (Ephesians 2:18-22) It is founded upon the revelation that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God! Only individuals who have repented and are born again by faith in Jesus are members of this living organism called the Body of Christ! (Acts 2:38, 47, Ephesians 1:20-23) By One Spirit they are baptized into this One Body of Christ! (1 Corinthians 12:12-14) Only Jesus Himself is the Head of His body and He lives His life within each individual for His Eternal Purpose.

He has placed servants in His assembly whom He has prepared to lead by the example of their godly lives. Their devotion to Him and His people qualify them far more than their education and human abilities. They are more like fathers and mothers than CEO’s of corporations. The Church is their family, addressing one another as brothers and sisters, equally important in the eyes of God their Heavenly Father.

This is the Real Church.

In his book, “The Community of the King,” Howard Snyder puts forth the proposition that everything that is not of the essence of the Church as the redeemed people of God should be acknowledged as parachurch activity. He makes the outlandish suggestion that all institutions, including denominational structures, interdenominational structures, and non-denominational structures be included in the above category of parachurch organizations.

Personally, I have struggled with the very existence of Institutional Christianity in all of its forms. But after reading this book and also after serious observation, I believe that a paradigm shift such as the one Snyder proposes could be the solution to many of our problems today.

We love to quote the “Solas,” of the Protestant Reformation: sola scriptura (Scripture alone), solus Christus (Christ alone), sola fide (faith alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (glory to God alone). At the same time we have forgotten where the Scriptures, Christ, His grace, and faith would lead us— to a better understanding of the character and nature of the Church of Jesus Christ, His Body and the precious members of that body. This better understanding, and the genuine practice of this understanding, would certainly bring glory to God alone!

This building is made of up of living stones who make up a spiritual house, and a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:5-9). These precious believers are not simply “butts in the seats,” to supply “bucks” in the offering plate, to build fantastic edifices and empires for the glory of Christian super stars! However God wants to use these things, they are not the Real Church, the Body of Christ, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all!

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