Building on the First-Century Model

The first-century New Testament church changed the world. They faced a hostile Roman government. They faced religious persecution. In spite of these challenges, they changed the world. What we’re trying to say to teams gathered at Retreat 1 is that we want to see every church become a First-Century Church equipped for the 21^st-Century.

A lot has changed since the days of the Early Church, and if we want to be an Acts 2 Church, it will be important for us to think a bit about those changes and whether or not there are steps we can take to be more like them.

In the book of Acts, we find an account of the birth and growth of the 1stcenturychurch. Small groups of faithful believers met together, prayed together and lived out the “Great Commission.” They were empowered by the Holy Spirit, motivated by mission, and committed to the cause of Christ.

As a result of their efforts, a global movement began—the gospel “story”has been preached around the world, and millions of people have been saved and transformed by the power ofGod.

Some time ago, William Beckham identified key differences between the Early Church and today’s church in a book titled, The Second Reformation. In this book, Beckham pointed to a major shift in the church around the 4th Century, about the time that Christianity gained a level of acceptance in Constantine’s Roman Empire. Think about some of these changes…

The Lord’s Supper had been a common meal, but it became more of aceremony

In the Early Church, everyone participated in worship. In later times, many seemed content to observe the worship behaviors of others.

When Jesus said we would be His witnesses, the Early Church seemed to see their relationships as a place for that fruit to begin growing. After the 4th Century, witnessing seems to have become more like selling someone on Christianity. This may be best represented in the feelings of many that they don’t know enough to share their faith. That seems odd since a witness can only share what he or she has seen overheard.

Leadership in the Early Church meant everyone exercised his or her gifts with the attitude of a servant. In later years, it seems leadership became the property of a few professionally trained ministers.

The Early Church seemed to multiply, while the modern church more often grows by addition.

People in the Early Church saw themselves as missionaries and “good newsed people” everywhere they went. In later years, many Christians felt such a calling was limited to a few and saw their mission as supporting others with a special calling to be missionaries.

One huge difference between the Early Church and today’s church is in the area of discipleship. In the Early Church, discipleship happened as people lived life together. Today such efforts are limited to an hour or two a week in a classroom.

You’ll see Beckham’s full chart in your notes. In today’s activity time you’ll get a chance to compare your church to the 1st- and 4th-Century churches to see which church you most resemble. If you find that you have more in common with the 4th-Century church, don’t be discouraged.

The overwhelming majority of congregations more closely resemble the later Church, and it will take intentional effort for that to change. But that’s why you engaged this journey in the first place—to set your sights on becoming an Acts 2 Church.

In this activity, you’ll have a chance to discuss what inspires you and challenges you most about their fledgling, yet highly successful efforts with the Great Commission and Great Commandment. Ultimately, all of us wish we could be a little more like them.

According to our latest ACMR stats in the Assemblies of God, only 30% of the people in the local church are involved in ministry. This means that nearly three-fourths of the body is paralyzed. Can you imagine a church where the entire body functions in alignment with the vision that God has given them? Nothing could stop that church!