Early Church

My last post ended with the question, “What if the church looked like the church of Acts, instead of the churches lining our streets today?” 

We are so out of whack that nowadays that is a radical concept.  But what if we did model today’s church on the early church—like the church we see in the book of Acts.  Of course, we need to adapt to cultural and technological changes that took place over 2,000 years and nearly 7,000 miles.  But the principles shouldn’t change.

So what did that early church look like?  In the epistles, the letters are addressed to the church in Corinth, the church of the Thessalonians, etc.  In each case, the church consisted of all the believers in and around the city.  The churches met in homes, where they prayed, studied Scripture, took communion, and enjoyed love feasts.  They took care of one another, sharing what they had as it became necessary. 

But the church was not only a gathering; it was also a scattering.  Christians went out to non-Christians, sharing the good news of Christ and helping those in need.  The New Testament doesn’t mention many by name, but we do have examples such as Stephen, Tabitha, Joseph, Philip, etc.  These new Christians didn’t rely on their leaders to go outside their community and reach the lost and hurting—they did it themselves (guided by the Holy Spirit, of course). 

Is there anything wrong with having a building that’s dedicated to worship?  I don’t think so.  What about paid staff, or programs, or business meetings, or custodians, or building funds, or stovepiped ministries?  All these things can be good.  But doesn’t it seem like something is off kilter when these eat up so much of the church’s time and treasure?  What would the early church think about our obsession with these things?  More importantly, what does God think?

Next: Some signs your church may be in trouble.