Life in the early church was a result of one factor- “Christ” was in their midst! The resurrected Lord was their message and the One Who did great works through them! “ACTS” was the Genesis of the New Creation. The early church was led by Galilean fishermen, tax collectors, ordinary men of ordinary means with ordinary problems, but who had extraordinary power because of union with Holy Spirit!
The Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) was the proclamation of the kingdom of God. It was not the message of the church- it was so much bigger – it was the message that the Kingdom had come to earth in Holy Spirit. The apostolic burden was not to bring the church into a certain form – but to see “Christ” formed within believers. Their message was Christ-centered, Christ-focused, and Christ-led; not man-centered, church-centered or seeker-friendly! The more man became the focus, the quicker the church fell into apostasy. As long as the message remained Christ – the church remained pure.
The more we focus on who we are – the less likely we will be to fulfill our purpose. An over emphasis exists today about who we are in Christ, instead of Who He is in us! This is a subtle but glaring difference.
Disciples understood the Great Commission was to make “disciples” not just converts. It’s wonderful to see thousands born again, but early Christians understood that was only the beginning of the journey – not the end. The ultimate goal of the apostles was to see Christ formed His people. Anything less than “being conformed to Christ” was a dilution of the gospel of Christ. This message requires community and unity of vision and individual purpose. It also requires the operation of the manifestation of Holy Spirit – the power of God demonstrated through His people. The Great Commission will never be fulfilled by only declaring Jesus Christ to be “Savior.” He must be Lord! Lord of all or not Lord at all! One word sums up the Great Commission – “ALL”! Jesus had “ALL” authority! Disciples were to teach “ALL” that He commanded. Their message was “ALL” encompassing to those embracing it! Christ was “ALL” to the early church! Jesus Christ was the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn. 14:6). We can not just choose salvation and deny His Lordship. We cannot accept Holy Spirit and then deny His activities. Eph. 4:15 details that we are to grow up into “ALL” aspects of Him.
A sad statistic exists - today, only 5% of those making decisions for Christ at an evangelistic campaign remain in the church a year later. Yet, much acclaim is given to those who make converts … but have they been truly added to the church? Our 5% is a huge decline from the first century where “ALL” who confessed Jesus as Christ were joined to the church. Can we even call these converts if we are not complying with the biblical definition of the word?
Eph. 4:11-16 details the ministry cadre of the first church – apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. These ministry positions were deemed necessary to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. Today, the church has focused on one man/woman to do what it took five in the first church – the pastor. No one person can perform all the ministries required for equipping the church. A pastor, no matter how loved he is, can equip the church by himself. It takes the 5-fold ministry in operation to complete this mission. This begs the question - are we making true disciples today? Are people being converted by the cross, or by our methodology? Are they coming to Jesus Christ, or to our doctrines and fellowship? Anything less than conformity to Christ – the Anointed one and His Anointing - is a perversion of the gospel! Too many have not come to the Lord because of conviction of sin, but because they are seeking relief from their problems. Today, a tendency exists to promote Jesus Christ as the Savior from troubles, not sin! Only Holy Spirit can make a true disciple! Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin as we cast ourselves in desperation upon the cross. If conversion does not start in desperation because of sin, then we’ve started with the wrong foundation. Resurrection comes only after crucifixion. Repentance is the New Covenant crucifixion!
Too many have received a “delusional gospel” which is no gospel at all. They have been made to feel better about themselves all the while still living in their sin. They are in a “death condition” with their eternal destiny in danger, all the while hiding in the shadow of the cross, having never embraced it.
Lk 9:23. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
Lk 14:33, “So likewise, whoever of you who does not forsake all that he has can not be My disciple.”
Jesus called His disciples to “total commitment.” They had to be willing to forsake “ALL” and follow Him. That is true discipleship! The message of the cross can not be modified to make it more acceptable to men. If this is done there is no power.
1 Cor. 1:17, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.”
The true gospel does not need our cleverness to make it palatable to men. We only compromise the message when this happens and end up with a powerless performance not able to save or transform. True evangelism must be first based on a love for Jesus Christ –not a love for the lost! We must have a Christ-centered message - not man-centered!
Jn. 12:32, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.”
Only when Jesus Christ is lifted up will all men be drawn to Him -any other version leads to perversion. The gospel is NOT about building an institution, NOR about pleasing men! When the true gospel of the kingdom is preached, it will burst the institutions of men like new wine bursts an old wineskin!
Acts 17:6, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”
The early church was a “powerhouse” because they did not use the church as the pattern for the church. Jesus Himself was their pattern. Perhaps, the time has come to re-examine our motivations and return to the basics of the true gospel of Christ. Selah.
The Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) was the proclamation of the kingdom of God. It was not the message of the church- it was so much bigger – it was the message that the Kingdom had come to earth in Holy Spirit. The apostolic burden was not to bring the church into a certain form – but to see “Christ” formed within believers. Their message was Christ-centered, Christ-focused, and Christ-led; not man-centered, church-centered or seeker-friendly! The more man became the focus, the quicker the church fell into apostasy. As long as the message remained Christ – the church remained pure.
The more we focus on who we are – the less likely we will be to fulfill our purpose. An over emphasis exists today about who we are in Christ, instead of Who He is in us! This is a subtle but glaring difference.
Disciples understood the Great Commission was to make “disciples” not just converts. It’s wonderful to see thousands born again, but early Christians understood that was only the beginning of the journey – not the end. The ultimate goal of the apostles was to see Christ formed His people. Anything less than “being conformed to Christ” was a dilution of the gospel of Christ. This message requires community and unity of vision and individual purpose. It also requires the operation of the manifestation of Holy Spirit – the power of God demonstrated through His people. The Great Commission will never be fulfilled by only declaring Jesus Christ to be “Savior.” He must be Lord! Lord of all or not Lord at all! One word sums up the Great Commission – “ALL”! Jesus had “ALL” authority! Disciples were to teach “ALL” that He commanded. Their message was “ALL” encompassing to those embracing it! Christ was “ALL” to the early church! Jesus Christ was the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn. 14:6). We can not just choose salvation and deny His Lordship. We cannot accept Holy Spirit and then deny His activities. Eph. 4:15 details that we are to grow up into “ALL” aspects of Him.
A sad statistic exists - today, only 5% of those making decisions for Christ at an evangelistic campaign remain in the church a year later. Yet, much acclaim is given to those who make converts … but have they been truly added to the church? Our 5% is a huge decline from the first century where “ALL” who confessed Jesus as Christ were joined to the church. Can we even call these converts if we are not complying with the biblical definition of the word?
Eph. 4:11-16 details the ministry cadre of the first church – apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. These ministry positions were deemed necessary to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. Today, the church has focused on one man/woman to do what it took five in the first church – the pastor. No one person can perform all the ministries required for equipping the church. A pastor, no matter how loved he is, can equip the church by himself. It takes the 5-fold ministry in operation to complete this mission. This begs the question - are we making true disciples today? Are people being converted by the cross, or by our methodology? Are they coming to Jesus Christ, or to our doctrines and fellowship? Anything less than conformity to Christ – the Anointed one and His Anointing - is a perversion of the gospel! Too many have not come to the Lord because of conviction of sin, but because they are seeking relief from their problems. Today, a tendency exists to promote Jesus Christ as the Savior from troubles, not sin! Only Holy Spirit can make a true disciple! Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin as we cast ourselves in desperation upon the cross. If conversion does not start in desperation because of sin, then we’ve started with the wrong foundation. Resurrection comes only after crucifixion. Repentance is the New Covenant crucifixion!
Too many have received a “delusional gospel” which is no gospel at all. They have been made to feel better about themselves all the while still living in their sin. They are in a “death condition” with their eternal destiny in danger, all the while hiding in the shadow of the cross, having never embraced it.
Lk 9:23. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
Lk 14:33, “So likewise, whoever of you who does not forsake all that he has can not be My disciple.”
Jesus called His disciples to “total commitment.” They had to be willing to forsake “ALL” and follow Him. That is true discipleship! The message of the cross can not be modified to make it more acceptable to men. If this is done there is no power.
1 Cor. 1:17, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.”
The true gospel does not need our cleverness to make it palatable to men. We only compromise the message when this happens and end up with a powerless performance not able to save or transform. True evangelism must be first based on a love for Jesus Christ –not a love for the lost! We must have a Christ-centered message - not man-centered!
Jn. 12:32, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.”
Only when Jesus Christ is lifted up will all men be drawn to Him -any other version leads to perversion. The gospel is NOT about building an institution, NOR about pleasing men! When the true gospel of the kingdom is preached, it will burst the institutions of men like new wine bursts an old wineskin!
Acts 17:6, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”
The early church was a “powerhouse” because they did not use the church as the pattern for the church. Jesus Himself was their pattern. Perhaps, the time has come to re-examine our motivations and return to the basics of the true gospel of Christ. Selah.