Experience of the Early Church

[Prentis]

This is something that came to me as I was posting in another forum. We were talking about superficiality among the brethren, which results in hypocrisy on our part.

What is lacking in our church today, which the early church experienced, is intimacy with the brethren and the Lord, this is not present in our groups. The brethren need to come together to seek the Lord, seek conformity to him, and experience him. Then, out of this experience comes our testimony. This is not meant for evangelization, and for those outside, but this communion is meant for those in Christ, who have love for each other and for God, and who wish to partake of his life together.

Because we have lost this depth, which is what makes us to share in the life of Christ, we cannot say as John could, that we testify of what we have seen the light, and what we have handled, the word of truth. (1 John 1:1-4)

Because of our lack of depth and intimacy with the Lord, we have lost the testimony of entering the reality of the kingdom, and have made our testimony empty. I speak of the church as a whole.

 

[Jake]

The words that come to mind - "casual Christianity", especially in the west, where we do for ourselves, and let everyone do for themselves and then we'll come together for a sermon on Sundays and then we can do another week of what you do and I'll do what I do. Yes, we'll read the Bible during the week, we might do a Bible study or two, and then we're good to go, these are not bad things to do, but is that all? This is not being the Body.

In 3rd world countries, this is not how believers "do it". I have never experienced life in a 3rd world country, but I volunteer for an immigration non-profit organization and I listen to immigrants who have come from these countries. They come here excpecting the Body to be like it is in the countries they left, only it's not, and they are shocked, it's America after all! They desire the same intimacy as they had in their home countries with the brethren, but they can not find it! In their countries, they have nothing and what they have, they share, what is theirs is not really theirs, they share it. If a brother is in need, they meet it, if a brother needs help, they help. The intimacy they share with the Lord - TOGETHER, is because they are acting like His Body - ALL THE TIME.

 

[Prentis]

Yes. There is a smugness about the christianity of the rich countries. 'We don't need to do that, share everything, and come together like this'.

Like Laodicea, this teaches that we are rich, we have all we need... But spiritually we are actually wretched naked and blind, because the Lord is not among us, and we do not gather to him. It's a sad thing.

 

[tomwebster]

So don't go to those churches!

 

[Prentis]

We all need awakening and to heed the call as a body.

If we think that any sunday church that meets for only two hours a week is living the way it should, we are in need of more awakening... Our experience should reflect what we see in Acts. A leaving of everything, love of the brethren, and 'forsake-everything' type of commitment to move closer to Christ.

 

[Jake]

So don't go to those churches!

You miss the point.

It's not about going to a church, it's about BEING the church.

 

[Prentis]

Amen Jake!

You nail it right on... The issue is that we, as a whole, are not being the church. We have need to come together in HIS way, and seek him and experience him, that we might testify of him.

 

[us2are1]

The power that comes with faith is lacking in today's church. I don't really know exactly how to explain it except with these two scriptures that show what the first church displayed as faith. It comes with asking God for it in faith.

1 Corinthians 2
4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Matthew 21
21 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.

 

[Prentis]

I also think it has to do with our coming together. When we come together in submission to the Lord and his ways (not how it is done today) and seeking the spirit (as opposed to man's interpretation), then the spirit empowers us. Behind those who stand tall like Paul, there are men and women who pray and lead godly lives. We function as a body.

Good post...

 

[Comm.Arnold]

Are we supposed to share a spiritual connection in this "church" even if we can't see or hear eachother ?

 

[Prentis]

What do you mean, Comm? Not sure I understand...

We are to be connected because of our brotherly love, by this we are recognized and recognize each other. We connect with those around us, in our town or city, who have this same love... And there's the church!

 

[Shirley]

Comm, I feel a spiritual connection to people on this chat board. The Body of Christ is one! We can fellowship here even though we can not see each other and we can pray together. I have been blessed here! HaleluYAH!

 

[IanLC]

Many Christians today are Outer Court Christians which means that they know of God yet do not want a commitment to God. they are fine staying in the Outer Court of the Tabernacle and coming to church once a week and that is fine for them. Their commitment is not there and thus they go through the motions of religion.

 

[Prentis]

Many Christians today are Outer Court Christians which means that they know of God yet do not want a commitment to God. they are fine staying in the Outer Court of the Tabernacle and coming to church once a week and that is fine for them. Their commitment is not there and thus they go through the motions of religion.

I agree! A brother said something that was interesting not long ago, he said 'any system is designed to get exactly the results that it gets'.

Our church is built so we dont have to commit! It is based on 'we believe the same thing, and live within a certain vacinity, let's meet on sundays' rather than a giving up of all for the sake of the brethren, for the sake of coming to the unity of faith and coming together as called out ones (a church) to become one together and with the Lord.