Sunday June 28th – The Nature of the Church
Dear friends,
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42)
This follows Peter’s sermon in which 3000 were saved. These four characteristics of the early church can serve as a rule of thumb as to what is a New Testament church. At least we ought as Christians to observe these activities if we want to follow the Bible teaching on church.
Peter says we are pilgrims in this world so we do not have a permanent home, but are simply passing through. Yet regarding church we do not want to be spiritual hobos traveling from place to place or think we have already arrived. The hobos are constantly looking to the next “perfect” church while the “this is the true church” folks look down in pity on other Christians, even wondering if anyone outside their church is even saved.
Read carefully through Acts 2, especially 42-47 and compare to Galatians 6:1-10. Apostolic teaching is the standard for church life because it alone reflects the authority and the character of what Jesus said and did. Their teaching is the Tradition by which we judge all things. Scripture alone is our guide for how we are to live as opposed to saying we do it because because it works or makes us happy. In other words, Apostolic doctrine leads to fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.
We will begin a series of sermons on the nature of the early church and why Faith Bible Fellowship should line up with what was done from the beginning. What they emphasized is what we need to emphasize. Cyprian, third century church father, famously said: “He cannot have God for his Father who takes not the church for his mother.” So we must enter into the doctrine, fellowship, thanksgiving meals, and prayer lest we go to a church, but not the church. How does FBF do when compared to what the early Christians practiced? Do we have problems and could we do better? I hope we, working together, can see how each member of this local expression of the church, the body of Christ, can make their contribution to FBF being a true church, fully pleasing to the Lord. So let us go on to maturity, encouraging one another, bearing one another’s burdens, and be known as disciples of the Lord because we love one another.
See you Sunday,
Lee
