There are so many new programs, plans and ideas amongst evangelicals specifically in the West on how to do Church, how to make a church successful, etc. Some of this is from good motives but much of it is in unbelief wether these leaders know it or not. We disbelief that God and the Holy Scriptures are enough to see His Church established and instead we go to all the business methods of the world and in the end produce a worldly church that creates many false converts.
There is a crying need to get back to realize that the book of Acts is the blueprint and true apostolic example of the Church for us to follow. Not just a few verses from the book but the entire example, all the principles, all the practices. In the first 12 chapters in a cursory reading there are easily over 50 practices in the Church to emulate. May God give us a hunger to read the book of Acts again with this desire and mindset asking the Spirit of God to how us God's will in the Church.
Here is an excerpt from the Principles Book on this very theme:
"It can be a good practice to read through the Book of Acts noting the practices of the Church. In the first 12 Chapters of the Book of Acts alone there are some 50 practices of the early Church. When comparing this list with the typical modern evangelical Church we sadly note few similarities.
In addition to obtaining theology from the book of Acts in the Bible, we must also use all of God's Word to avoid error of interpretation. The book of Acts together with the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John provide the foundational knowledge for discipleship and Church work which is later expanded in the Pauline Epistles. There can be dangers to get all of our theology from simply the book of Acts alone, but in no way should we disregard it and not look to it first with the Gospels as how discipleship and the Church works. It can also be noted that the Church was birthed in persecution which seemingly makes the book of Acts not palatable for those who are not living under such pressures. But, we should note that the Church Scripturally is shown to always be hated by the world41 and not to fit in with the fashion and ways of the world system.42
And lastly, the end-times Church will clearly be marked with tremendous persecution which makes the Book of Acts a vital record for us on how to react as God's children during such times. One of the tests when forming your fellowship and deciding on practices, is to ask the question: “Is it found in the book?” If the direction, goals, vision, means and plans of a church is not found within the book of Acts and Scriptures one has to ask is it God’s Will? the early Christian’s did not question God’s ability to reach foreign cultures, gentile idol worshipping people’s, rather they trusted the Lord daily to build His Church and took orders from the Spirit of God. Thus, the Church grew, many became obedient to the faith43 and God’s Word was glorified in many regions that never heard the Good News.44
May we come back to this apostolic simplicity to trust the Lord to build His Church and look to the book of Acts as our example.
---
Footnotes:
41 1 John 3:13
42 1 John 2:15-17
43 Acts 6:7
44 Acts 13:49
Be the first to react on this!
Gospel Fellowships ( - )
“Christianity was birthed in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and will only continue as we have this empowering from above. God is always looking for the willing vessels that will trust Him afresh for the impossible.” from: Principles for the gathering of Believers under the Headship of Jesus Christ.Since 2012, a growing group of believers in North America started to warn of coming persecution to western countries. This message was shared in a variety of ways. One of the responses to this was to compile a book taking principles from underground Churches around the world of how they thrived under pressure and persecution. The volume, Principles for the Gathering of Believers, had in a short time over 50,000 downloads in ebook format and much interest was shown. Some new house churches started through this and other existing groups were encouraged.