Church
![The Early Church
Blessing, Imperfection, Persecution, Discord, Refinement,
and…a Future!
The Biblical Story, Pt. 23
By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© January 18, 2015
www.pastorkennedy.com
When we think of the past, we often think of it as more perfect than the time in which we are currently living…we might even call it the “Good Ol’ Days”.
Sometimes we treat our memories of “the Early Church” the same way.
We think of the Early Church as a time when:
• Many came to acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and Savior – three thousand were converted to faith at Pentecost. (Acts 2:41)
• A time when there was exemplary peace, love, miracles, and evangelism in the Church.
The Book of Acts gives us a breadth of understanding of the early church and the Church’s beginning, following Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit was truly blessed…
Acts 2:42–47
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
• A time when they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching.
• A time when they enjoyed great fellowship, meals and communion services together.
• A time when they experienced awesome signs and wonders being done through the apostles.
• A time when the believers had everything in common – no want, no poverty and no frustration – the rich sold their possessions and distributed the proceeds to all as any had need.
• A time when the church met for spiritual fellowship day by day, at the temple and around meals in their various homes, “receiving their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people!”
• A time when the Lord added to the church day by day those who were being saved!
• This seemed to be the perfect example to all other generations of church fellowships.
Why does the Church Exist?
Does the Church exist to prove that Christians are always blessed to be successful and in blissful harmony, or does the Church exist for a much greater and eternal purpose?
At Times, Jesus’ Ministry Exampled Great Success and Blessing
We must remember that only a few months before Pentecost, things seemed to be going pretty well indeed, if a casual observer had been evaluating Jesus’ ministry.
At that time, Jesus seemed to be at the apex of His earthly ministry. Thousands of people were following His teaching…everyone in Jerusalem and surrounding areas knew about Jesus (Luke 24:18).
Jesus taught and fed five thousand on one occasion (not including women and children) (Matt. 14:13-21), had miraculously healed many, many people, and had even raised Lazarus from the dead after he had been dead and in the tomb four days, just before His triumphal entry into Jerusalem – the week before His crucifixion (John 11).
Yet in Reality, Jesus’ Ministry was Not for the Purpose of the Blessing and Success of His Earthly Ministry…but for Suffering and Sacrifice for our sins!
It was not long before Jesus was deceptively captured by night, wrongfully tried and vilified by Synagogue leaders…condemned to death and nailed to the cross through the underhanded betrayal and manipulation, by “godly” religious leaders – for their own purposes of power and retention of “spiritual authority”.
But, Jesus Rose Again from the dead and 50 days later, following Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection, at Pentecost the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell those who believed in Jesus Christ as their Messiah, Savior and Lord…this initiated the beginning of the “Church Age”.
Did the Early Church always Enjoy Blessing without problematic issues?
What issues faced the Early Church following this initial time of blessing, fellowship and exponential growth? We may look at Acts 2:42–47 as verses of blessing to be emulated by all churches for years to come, and not be aware of the problems the Early Church experienced…which still face local churches today.
Let’s look at some External Factors Causing Extreme Change in the Nation of Israel and the Church
• Intense Persecution against Christians caused a dispersion of those taking the Gospel with them to the Jews in other countries. (Acts 8:1; 11:19-21) Eventually, the Gospel was taken to the Gentile nations through the missionary endeavors of Paul and those who travelled with him – but those missionary journeys were filled with great peril, confrontation, sacrifice, and blessing.
• Great political unrest and rebellion enveloped the nation of Israel at this time against the Roman government…so much so that in 70 AD, in order to quell the uprising, the city of Jerusalem and the Temple were burned to the ground by the Roman army.
• World Evangelization – the Apostles commissioned and sent out the first missionaries to the Gentiles: Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and John-Mark, etc. (Acts 13)
Paul’s summary Account of trials while sharing the Gospel
2 Corinthians 11:23–27
23 … Imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
Persecution and turmoil not only faced Christians in their communities, nation, and evangelistic endeavors, the early Church faced struggles of its own …
Let’s Look at some Internal Issues also Facing the Fledgling Early Church
• Ananias and Sapphira sought to financially deceive the Church so they could have greater recognition – (Acts 5:1-11).
• There was Bickering over leadership styles, knowledge and personalities within the Church
1 Corinthians 1:11–12
11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
• There were Problems with the fair distribution of meals (“meals-on-wheels”) to the Greek-speaking widows. Seven deacons were chosen and appointed to this duty. (Acts 6:1-6)
Acts 6:1
6 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.
• False teachers rose in the Church
1 Timothy 1:3–4
3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
• Stark Loneliness in ministry while standing against serious opposition to the Gospel
2 Timothy 4:14–18
14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
• Carnality and Personal Clashes were evident within the church
2 Corinthians 12:20
20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder….
Philippians 4:2–3 (NIV84)
2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Acts 15:36-41 – the heated separation of Paul and Barnabas over accepting John-Mark’s reentry into missionary service since he had previously left the ministry.
• Arrogance in condoning blatant sexual immorality was in the Church
1 Corinthians 5:1–2
5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! …
• Power seekers like Diotrephes who sought to rule congregations
3 John 9–11
9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.
11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.
In Essence, the Early Church was no different than what can be found in Churches today. People are people. Churches can be a wonderful loving place and they can also be places of considerable conflict…just like what can be experienced in individual homes and families…because people in churches also have a sinful nature and carnal desires that rise from time to time, when they do not keep sin in check by the power of the Spirit of God.
In Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus Christ spoke of the Spiritual condition of seven Churches in Asia, and the majority of His evaluations involved serious concerns.
1. The Church in Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7)
This was a church of many outward good works, but a church, which had lost their “first love” for the Lord.
2. The Church in Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11)
Christ tells them they might look poor and frail to the world and that they would suffer persecution, but they were rich in His sight. He tells them to hold on and conquer through their trials, and they will be greatly blessed and will not be hurt by the second death.
3. The Church in Pergamum (Rev. 2:12-17)
Christ would call this church a worldly church. They lived in close proximity to Satan’s throne. Many in this congregation embraced false doctrines and accepted worldly entanglements as part of their normal lifestyle.
4. The Church in Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-29)
Jesus confronted this church as a church that was more pagan than Christian! They had permitted an immoral woman in the congregation to lead them morally astray. He told them to overcome sexual immorality and hold fast to a life pleasing to God, and to be Godly conquers until He comes.
5. The Church in Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6)
The church that had a reputation for spiritual life among her peers…but the truth was, the church was actually spiritually dead. Christ told them to wake up, and strengthen what was about to die. They needed to remember what they had received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If they did not watch out, they would not be prepared for Christ to return. There were those who had not soiled their garments, and they would walk with Him in white, for they were worthy. The one who conquers would be clothed in white garments, and Christ would never blot their name out of the book of life, but would confess their name before His Father and before His angels.
6. The Church in Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13)
God had opened His door and had kept it open for this insignificant church. They had patiently endured, kept Christ’s Word and not denied His Name, even though there were deceivers in their midst. Jesus told them to hold fast to what they had, so that no one seized the reward of their crown…they would be eternally blessed if they overcame.
7. The Church in Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22)
This church acted outwardly wealthy, successful and in need of nothing, but did not realize they were actually wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. This church was despicably lukewarm in the sight of God – which He would spit out of His mouth if they did not repent. Christ counseled them to buy from Him gold refined by fire, so they could be rich, and white garments so that they could clothe themselves from the shame of their nakedness, and salve to anoint their eyes, so they might see. Christ was knocking and waiting patiently at the door of this church to have fellowship with them. Those who conquered spiritually in this life would, in eternity, sit with Him on His Throne.
These could be Christ’s Words to a variety of Churches in any Age.
Serious Issues in the Church, as well as Blessing
We have reviewed serious issues that existed in the Early Church congregations as recorded in Scripture. Just as God uses everything for His Glory…even the greatest trials for His refinement and purpose, so I believe the erratic and sometimes chilling history and current fluctuating condition of the Church is allowed to exist, to reveal His realistic and continuing plan – well thought out before the creation of the world.
Obviously the Church, through the ages, must exist for considerably greater and more eternal purposes:
God is allowing weaknesses and strengths in earthly congregations to purify each individual life, while winnowing out the dross from His Church, and refining His Chosen People, preparing them for His eternal Kingdom.
Those Truly God’s Children will be part of His Eternal Kingdom of Light
Each person in the coming Kingdom of Christ will have his or her own story:
• Their own serious problems that they faced,
• Their own near calamities,
• Their own great blessings, and
• Their own real-life stories of faith.
These redeemed from every tribe, nation, language and people group, will be brought together to form the greatest loving family imaginable to live in a City called “the Bride of Christ” … a dazzling gigantic cube of beauty, glory, brilliance, and light approximately 1,400 miles on each side, with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit at the Center and within those who live there.
(If transformed believers in Christ are “the Temple of the Holy Spirit” here on this temporal earth [1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19], what will we be in the Holy City in our eternal and incorruptible bodies?)
A Great Multitude from Every Nation
Revelation 7:9–10
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
The Holy City in the New Heaven and the New Earth
Revelation 21:1–4
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
The New Jerusalem
Revelation 21:9–27
9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia (approx. 1,400 miles). Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits (216 feet) by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
The last two chapters of the Bible primarily describes the physical characteristics of this dynamic Holy City…but the main dynamic are those who live in it. God lives with His People and His People reflect their God! The Bride – those who were truly part of the earthly universal Church, chosen through the ages, will be there.
Matthew 8:11
11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven….
No more will we be frail humans having the limited “down-payment” of the Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14; 2 Cor. 1:22) within our earthly vessels of clay (2 Cor. 4:7; Ps. 103:14); we will be totally alive in our new and transformed amazing heavenly bodies.
1 Corinthians 15:42–44, 50-54
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
God’s Full Presence will be Within our New Heavenly Spiritual Bodies
We will have the fullness of God’s Spirit, Light and Presence radiating throughout our being.
Daniel 12:3
3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
1 Corinthians 2:9
9 But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
are things God has prepared for those who love him”—
Matthew 13:43
43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Matthew 25:34
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
John 14:1–3
14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
Those who become God’s Children here on earth and are Spiritually born into His Universal Church will be those who seek to build His Kingdom right here and now, through the gifts God has given us. Those who do not, reveal that they are other than His Family. This is the implication of Jesus’ parable of the Talents.
The Parable of the Talents – [A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years’ wages for a laborer]
Matthew 25:14–30
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 24:45–51
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Why does the Church Exist?
• Does the Church exist to prove that Christians are always blessed to be successful and in blissful harmony?
• Does it exist so we can have a sweet community club of great friends who are considerate and kind people?
• Does it exist so we can have a safe and healthy place to raise our children?
• Does it exist so we can speak intelligently and confidently about religious subjects?
Well, many of those things may be significant outcomes because of the quality people in the local church, but that is not why the Early Church began, nor why churches exist now.
Churches have very human people who struggle with themselves and with sin in their lives, because they are human. These people are not perfect and each of them makes mistakes.
Churches exist…
• So that those who are born into God’s Family by the Holy Spirit, accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, can have fellowship and honorable support from and with those of like saving faith.
• So that Believers in Christ can learn and meditate effectively in God’s Word, commune with God in prayer, and understand what God expects of their lives, and to not be led astray by false teachers, or fall under the bondage of sin.
• So that God’s Children can be overcomers of the world, the flesh and the devil, and grow in Christian maturity to be more like their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
• So they will understand how to be led by and sensitive to God’s Holy Spirit.
• So that they will reach out with the Gospel of Christ to every Nation:
Matthew 28:19–20
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
God allows weaknesses and strengths in earthly congregations to purify each individual life, while winnowing out the dross from His Church, and refining His Chosen People, preparing them for His eternal Kingdom.
The Church’s Coronation: Those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will eternally worship, dwell, serve, love and be part of an amazing family, forever, in the Kingdom of God, with God as their Father and Jesus Christ as their Lord of lords and King of kings!
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me,
to repay each one for what he has done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last,
the beginning and the end.”
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.
Revelation 22:12–14](Pt._23,_The_Early_Church_files/shapeimage_1.png)
