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FIRST CHURCH
CHARLO, New Brunswick, December 3, 2023 – We all know about the first church that was founded by Jesus nearly 2000 years ago. We know about the conversion of the disciples at Pentecost and how the church grew in leaps and bounds after that, even though it was being persecuted and its members imprisoned and in some cases martyred. We know about the first church because we read about it in scripture. What we might not take into consideration is that we are members of that first church.
The first church didn’t end at some point and then give birth to a second church and a third church, and so on. No. There is only that one church – the one founded by Jesus and written about in scripture. If you are genuinely born-again, you are a member of that church. It is the one and only and the same that is written about in scripture. That its early members are no longer walking the earth doesn’t mean that the church left with them. Born-again believers today are as much members of the first church as were Peter and John and Jesus’ mother and brother and Paul – we are no less members just because we happen to be born-again nearly 2000 years later. We are all members of that first church.
And being members of that church, we are not only expected but required to be as committed to God and to spreading the Gospel as the early members were. We are required to be as committed or we will lose our membership. The first church was written about so that we would know how we are to act as members of that church and would know what is acceptable and what is not. None of these requirements have been watered down over the centuries, any more than any of God’s Commandments have been watered down. The Big Ten still stand exactly as they were given, just as the first church still requires of us the same as it required of its early members.
What does it require? That we put God first. That we treat others as we want to be treated, whether neighbours or enemies. That we keep the Commandments. That we follow Jesus’ example in everything we do. In doing these things, we model to others the Gospel message so they can see how it plays out in real life, but we also have to actively teach and preach God’s Word. It’s not enough only to model the Gospel message, we need to preach and teach it; and it’s not enough only to preach and teach the Gospel message, we need to model it. We need to do both: We need to live the Gospel message and we need to share the Gospel message with others. This is what’s required of us as members of the first church. It was required of the early members, and it’s required of us.
Scripture gives us examples of early members who fulfilled their membership requirements, and it also gives us examples of early members who did not fulfill the requirements. Members in good standing with God (not necessarily with their synagogue or with greater society, but with God) were visibly blessed, and God was able through them to bless others. Think of Peter and Paul and their miraculous escapes and healings. Think of Philip and Barnabas, and the Johns and the Marys. But those members who reneged on the requirements were dealt with accordingly; think of Ananias and Sapphira, who sold their land and held back part of the proceeds, lying in the process. God struck them dead for their deceit. Or think of Simon the magician who claimed to be converted, only to show by his intent to buy the Holy Spirit that he was not. These examples of the actions of church members in good standing and those who are not were written down for our edification. We are meant to learn from them.
The book of Revelation provides further examples of membership requirements. The first part of the book describes the church in various locations. Note that the churches were described by their location, not as separate denominations with different beliefs. The churches in different locations were still part of the same church. There is only one church, and that is the first church, the one founded by Jesus.
We need to look very carefully at each of the messages to the seven churches in the book of Revelation because those messages are as much for us as they were for the early members of the first church. Many people who pore over the book of Revelation for its prophecies overlook the messages to the churches. But these messages are the most important part of the book: They are a direct teaching from God, delivered to us by Jesus and his angel, through John. We need to take the messages as much to heart as the early members did, as those messages are still as valid today as they were nearly 2000 years ago.
Note that every message begins with: “I know thy works.” Everything we do, say, and think is known to God. These are our works. God knows our works better than we do. Even the things that we’ve done, said, thought, and then mostly forgotten, God remembers in intimate detail. He knows it all, and if necessary, will refresh our memory at the Judgement. There is nothing you can hide from God and nowhere to hide from him. This is a great blessing, as it goads us always to do, say, and think only those things that are right in God’s eyes.
In saying “I know thy works” to the early members of the first church, God’s also saying it to us.
The first church is the one and only church, and we are members of that church. It has been ongoing for nearly 2000 years. How the early members were expected to live their lives, we are also expected to live ours. Nothing has changed in that regard. The Gospel message hasn’t changed, the messages to the churches in Revelation haven’t changed, the Ten Commandments haven’t changed. Our standard is the standard set by Jesus and written about in the New Testament.
This is the first church, there is no other, and we are members in it, together with Peter, Paul, John, Mary, Philip, and all the members throughout the ages whose names are written in the Book of Life.
If we truly understand and believe this, we will live our lives as if we do.
BIBLE READ-THROUGH: DAY 35 REFLECTION (ACTS 6 – 28:31)
“40 Days and 40 Nights of God’s Word”
DAY 35: AUGUST 26
ACTS 6 – 28:31
GREENVILLE STATION, Nova Scotia, August 26, 2021 – Today we move deeper into the book of Acts, reading all the way through to the end. It’s telling that the book is called “Acts” and not “Belief” or “Faith”. Many Christians cherry-pick verses from the Bible and, based on those one or two verses, claim that you only need to believe to be saved or have faith to be saved, but the very title of this book says otherwise. Belief and faith alone are not enough to save you; you need to ACT to prove your belief and faith: You need to put your belief and faith into ACTION.
Even so, those actions will only bear good and lasting fruit if they are accomplished by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, not by our own strength. That’s why Jesus cautioned the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they had received “the promise of God” (the Holy Spirit), and then they could start their ministry.
Doing the works of the law (the ones that we read about [or skipped over…] back in Moses’ books) are not enough to be saved. You need to do what God guides you to do, and you need to do it in his power and in his time. Saying “no” to God when he guides you to do something is the same as being disobedient to him. You don’t want to be disobedient to God. Good things do not happen to people who are disobedient to God, as we’ve seen throughout the Bible.
- After initially focusing on the acts of the original 11 disciples, the book then switches gears and focuses on the acts of the new convert, Paul. Of all Jesus’ followers at that time, Paul was by far the most visible and most dedicated. After his conversion, he lived his life as Jesus had lived his – as an unemployed, unmarried, childless, homeless, possessionless itinerant preacher whose whole existence centered on preaching and teaching the Gospel. He lived and breathed God’s Word, just as Jesus had.
- We are all called to follow Jesus like Paul did. How closely does your life mirror that of Jesus or Paul?
- As with every other time I’ve read this book, I was struck by how Stephen’s final words, when he was being stoned to death, were a prayer to God to forgive those who were killing him. Jesus did the same on the cross. We need to pay attention to this. God says he’s in charge of doling out revenge. Our job is not to get even or to hold grudges, but to let God repay all offences done to us.
- Remember that Jesus said to be offended in nothing; if we’re offended in nothing, we won’t be holding grudges or looking for revenge. Our job is simply to choose to forgive and to pray for those who hate us and treat us badly. That means everyone. E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E. No exceptions at any time or for any reason.
- Remember, too, that Jesus told us that God doesn’t hear the prayers of those who have unforgiveness in their heart. If you’re having a hard time hearing from God lately, it’s likely not due to an earwax build-up, but to a grudge or resentment that’s clogging up your prayer line. Let the grudge and/or resentment go, and then you’ll hear clearly from God again. Take the time to practice forgiving now, because it will likely be your final test. It was for Jesus and Stephen. No-one with a hard heart gets into Heaven. You don’t want your final words on Earth to be a curse. Practice choosing to forgive now, and it will stand you in good stead when you need it most.
- In reading Acts, I was also struck again by how Paul didn’t fight against the Roman ptb when they arrested him. At no time did he fight against them. Neither did the other disciples fight against or protest the ptb. God had told Paul that he needed to go to Rome, so Paul permitted himself to be arrested in order to be taken to Rome as a prisoner. On the other hand, in situations where Paul was being attacked by angry mobs, God rescued him time and time again.
- There is a clear distinction between God rescuing Paul from mob attacks and God protecting Paul during his arrest and final incarceration in Rome. The same pattern played out with Jesus. Until it was their time to go home, they were constantly being rescued, but when it was their time, they submitted to the ptb and endured whatever they had to endure to the end. These scenarios are not just Bible stories; they are guidance for us. They are meant as an example of how we are not to submit to angry mobs (God will rescue us from those), but are to submit to authorities when our time has come. We’ll know it’s our time, because God will tell us. If he told Jesus and he told Paul, he’ll tell us.
- Paul was a genuine convert. Like most genuine converts, he signed up 110% for the program. He held nothing back. Even after God showed him how much he’d have to suffer, he still stayed the course. Genuine converts are unstoppable. That’s why there’s more joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 who need no repentance. God’s angels know that in genuine converts they’ve won a strong human ally on Earth. The ranks of God’s holy warriors are expanded every time someone genuinely repents and genuinely converts. The converts join the ranks of God’s holy warriors.
What do you think of the book of Acts? Do you see yourself anywhere in there? Do you relate to anyone in particular or wish you were more like a certain someone? Jesus is our main example of how we should live our lives, but Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and the others show us what “living like Jesus” looks like in the real world. We make mistakes. We disagree and fight with each other. We misapply and misinterpret scripture. We get tired and lost and hungry and sometimes need to get away from it all (like Jesus did).
But no matter what, we keep going. That’s what the book of Acts ultimately shows us – we need to live our faith and belief through actions, and that no matter how badly we mess up, we keep going. Even those with the greatest of belief and the greatest of faith occasionally messed up, but they kept going. They never gave up. That’s what made them great in God’s eyes. As Jesus says: “Those who endure to the end will be saved.”
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The schedule for the BIBLE READ-THROUGH is posted below.
A BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER 