July 23, 2024
General Superintendent
Max Edwards
Jesus Christ told His disciples that He would build His church (Matthew 16:18). He prophesied that His people would be His witnesses both locally and to the ends of the Earth (Acts 1:8).
That’s fantastic news. But here we are, living out those realities, and we ponder the kinds of things we should be doing to make all of that happen. Wouldn’t it be great if we had some kind of guide - - some outline or powerpoint presentation that would describe the urgent elements we must incorporate in our assemblies and Christian action?
Well, you guessed it, we do! It’s called “The Acts of the Apostles.” 1
The genius of the Holy Spirit is evident as He does exactly what Jesus prophesied He would do. He infilled the sisters and brothers of the early church with comfort and guidance, leading them to be everything wholesome and healthy for the new organism (the church) to grow.
The early pages of Luke’s account of the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers displays organizational prowess, faithful obedience to Christ’s instructions, and a commitment to mutual accountability regarding their corporate witness. They wanted to be sure that the next key leader or leaders would be uncompromising on one of the most indispensible elements of the church’s testimony, and that is the bodily resurrection of Christ.
From these early scene’s we then find the disciples engaged consistently in practices that are not just incidental to the early days of the church, but indeed form a pattern for every age and every culture. These are the themes that we will explore over the next several weeks:
They were willing conduits for God’s power as people of faith and prayer: They Worshipped together They were unwaveringly focused on truth - Scripture and Christ’s teaching: They Stu di ed together They were determined to live harmoniously in unity and Christian love: They Served together They shared the good news of the Gospel with boldness and conviction: They Witnessed together They genuinely enjoyed each other’s company and did life together: They Loved one another
These actions were not religious rituals performed out of duty. There were the things that Christ modeled for them, and these are essentials elements of Christian DNA. We’ll explore each of them individually.
1 This does not diminish all the guidance found elsewhere in the Scripture for Chris7an ac7on, but my focus for these next few weeks will be what we see in the earliest years of the newly established church.