Eats with Sinners

The early Church was the light of the world. In Shepherding the Church: Effective Spiritual Leadership in a Changing Culture, Joseph M. Stowell says, “Even casual review of church history notes that the worst of times environmentally were actually the best of times for the church.”[1] In a dark and tainted place, Christ shone by the blood that was shed for His glory. The Church was formed by people who were confident in the knowledge of Jesus, and suffered for it. They did not fight alone. Christians followed Christ in his sufferings, and then shared in his splendor after finishing the race they were called to run.

The nature of the Church was a declaration of God. The Church’s origin was regarded as an attestation of strength and power through martyrdom. The first saints took it upon themselves to pave the way for the early Christians. The manifestation of Christ broke through the residence of the Empire through the death of a martyr, and brought a glorious testimony to the Church by being a witness to a dying world.

The Church was not afraid of death. Most Christians were willing to die at anytime. Tertuallian says this about Christians, “It is well known that Christians are a sort of people who are always ready to die.”[2] To die defending the nature of Christ was seen as an honest death. They continued to extol their faith in front of God and many observers until they were either released or killed. In a culture that was fueled by violence, perversion, and materialism, Rome could not stop the Christians who led by the power of the Holy Spirit.[3] Those who experience the fruit of change have to pay a price, and the payment for the early Church was death.[4] They stayed with it though, and over the course of time, achieved a radical movement that instills a vision for today.

The English word “Church” is the way most translations handle the Greek word “ekklesia.”[5] It means “the called out ones.”[6] Appearing 114 times in the New Testament shows that “the called out ones” were an important and vital part of the New Testament ministry. The Church is not an organization or an institution. Members are not a part of a country club that congratulates each other on how much money they make or what kind of score they shot on the golf course. People are the Church. It does not necessarily mean that sinners have to meet in a building or a worship center, but the unified hearts among the believers make up the Body of Christ. The invisible Church rests in the hearts of every believer.

The Church is the hope of the world. There is nothing that can compare to its power and influence on a dark and sinful human heart. People who need Christ will be drawn to the Lord because they see Christians loving each other, not because their techniques are sound or good.[7]

It is estimated that in the United States alone between three and four thousand churches close their doors each year.[8] In addition to that, there are thirty to forty thousand that are on the pathway to closure within the next decade if they do not establish a new vision and focus in ministry.[9] These two statistics are frightening and unreasonable. There are almost three hundred million people living in the United States of America alone. Also, the number of unchurched people ranges from 60 to as high as 80 or 90 percent of the population in America.[10] Has the Church forgotten why it exists? What happened to the dynamics and effective ministry that took place in the dark age of the Roman Empire? Where has the Church gone wrong trying to influence a world that does not want anything to do with the Church?

[1] Joseph M. Stowell, Shepherding the Church: Effective Spiritual Leadership in a Changing Culture (Chicago: Moody Press, 1997), 34.
[2] David Bercot, A Glimpse at Early Christian Church Life: A Modern English Rendition of Writings of Tertullian (Tyler: Scroll Publishing Co., 1991), 8.
[3] Leslie Parrott, Building Today’s Church: How Pastors and Laymen Work Together (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973), 224.
[4] James Emery White, Rethinking the Church: A Challenge to Creative Redesign in a Age of Transition (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2003), 156.
[5] Nate Krupp, God’s Simple Plan for His Church and Your Place in It (Woodburn: Solid Rock Books, Inc., 1993), 19.
[6] Krupp, 19.
[7] Gary L. McIntosh, Church That Works: Your One-Stop Resource for Effective Ministry (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004), 229.
[8] Gary L. McIntosh, Make Room for the Boom…or Bust: Six Church Models for Teaching Three Generations (Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell, 1997), 162.
[9] McIntosh, Make Room for the Boom…or Bust; Six Church Models for Teaching Three Generations, 162.
[10] Malphurs, Advanced Strategic Planning: A New Model for Church and Ministry Leaders, 207.

The book of Acts makes a case that lost people matter to God. The witnesses of the many sermons by the apostles and teachers were convicted of their sins, and surrendered their lives over to the victory of the cross in Jesus Christ. They were willing to die for the faith, and most of all, they were willing to die for each other. The more that Rome persecuted the Church, the more the Word of God was preached boldly through the Holy Spirit.

In chapter seven, one reads about a man named Stephen. Stephen was one of the first disciples to die for his faith. His powerful speaking through the Holy Spirit was confronted in the temple by various antagonistic groups. Members of the council that Stephen stood before could not stand to have their evil motives exposed. They stoned him to death while he prayed for their forgiveness.

His passion for Jesus Christ did not go unseen. Young Saul (Paul) of Tarsus witnessed this horrific death. The love and desire Stephen had for the Lord planted a seed in Saul’s heart. In Acts 8, the great persecution broke out against the church, sending men and women scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Acts 8:4 makes a profound statement saying, “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”[1] This sent disciples throughout the land. The Church was disbanded. Believers scattered to influence and impact the world when they were not gathered during this time. The persecution helped spread the Gospel. God brought great results from the believers’ suffering.

In Revelation 2:10, the Apostle John writes to the church of Smyrna:
Do not be afraid what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.[2]

Self-sacrifice was the most glorious victory the Church achieved.[3] Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch, became a sacrifice for being a witness to the risen Lord. He maintained his testimony of Jesus when he says this:
Let fire and cross, encounters with wild animals, tearing apart of bones, hacking of limbs, crushing of the whole body, tortures of the devil to come upon me, if only I may attain to Jesus Christ.[4]

The passion for being a living statement for God flowed through his words. These thoughts were the ideal for being a disciple of Christ in the early Church. The power of martyrdom was rooted in the event that took place on the cross of Calvary, the death of Jesus.
This great movement of early church growth was going to persevere through the Great Persecution. Men and women who stood firm during this time deserve respect and honor. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, was one of these heroes of the faith. According to Irenaeus and Eusebius of Caesarea, Bishop Polycarp had direct fellowship with the Apostles.[5]
Polycarp offered himself as a living sacrifice to God with the hope of pleasing his Lord. Eusebius writes of his death, “We also perceived a fragrant odour, like the fumes of incense.”[6]

He remained faithful to his undertakings and punishments when he was baptized into Christ until his death at the stake. He stood strong on the foundation of the knowledge in his relationship with Jesus Christ. In the Letter of The Smyrnaeans, which he wrote to his church, he said, “Blessed therefore and noble are all the martyrdoms which have taken place according to the will of God.”[7] Polycarp was considered a godly man, who experienced death at the age of eighty-six.

He was willing to suffer at any cost, but he was not going to renounce Christ under any circumstances. While praying for the churches and all of mankind, he was sentenced to death in the arena. His torturers pleaded for him to get this over with by reviling Jesus, but Polycarp refused. He says this to them, “Fourscore and six years have I been His servant, and He hath done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”[8] Regardless of the pain from the flames of the fire, he was willing to take his leadership role in the church of Smyrna, to the blaze and dust of the stadium.

In every way, Polycarp died a magnificent martyr. His death was a model, as a victor, like his Lord had been. He showed no anger or fury, but a peace knowing that he would soon be in a better place. He had placed himself in the hands of God, and showed no remorse to his persecutors.

[1] Acts 8:4, NIV.
[2] Revelation 2:10, NIV.
[3] E. Pressense, The Early Years of Christianity: The Martyrs and Apologist (New York: Charles Scribner & Co., 1871), 10.
[4] Eusebius, The History of the Church (London: Penguin Books, 1965), 98.
[5] Herbert Musurillo, The Acts of The Christian Martyrs (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972), xiii.
[6] Eusebius Pamphilus, The Ecclesiastical History (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), 148.
[7] J. B. Lightfoot and J. R. Harmer, The Apostolic Fathers (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984), 204.
[8] Lightfoot and Harmer, 206.

Luke wrote to Christians to help them understand their place in Roman society and to help them defend their faith.[1] Luke anticipates the movement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem to Rome. He longed for this throughout the Book. Mark Moore says, “…the book of Acts does provide a template for how to do church, not through individual versus but rather through themes and patterns that surface through Luke’s running narrative.”[2] Luke wrote history for people today to acknowledge the passion and fire that inhabited in people lives.

The book of Acts describes real events that happened throughout history. It communicates the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit and the early Church’s desire for people. There is excitement that runs through the pages with the expectancy of God’s glory to be revealed in a sinful world. Acts exposes radical Christianity. The early Church was the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. They were led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, and were ready to serve and give witness whenever God called them.

Acts opens with a statement from Jesus, which seems to set the tone for the entire book.[3] Jesus, throughout His ministry, promised the disciples that they would receive power in the form of the Holy Spirit. He then tells them that they will be His “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”[4] Being a witness for the Gospel is the theme that is carried throughout this work. Jesus Christ challenged a small band of disciples to reach the entire world with the Gospel by declaring:
There go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.[5]

Chapter two of Acts explains the exhilarating sermon preached by Peter. Those that heard his message accepted Jesus Christ and added to the number, totaling to 3,000.[6] The message of Christ was the establishment for fellowship among the community. Acts 2:44-45 states, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”[7]

People often refer to this account to pinpoint the unity that existed in the first-century Church. Erwin Raphael McManus, an innovator and catalyst for church growth says, “that this alone is an extraordinary achievement by the early apostles”.[8] The picture that surrounds it is just as inspiring. It is the advancement of the first-century community. Acts 2:42 cites, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”[9] Then in the same chapter Luke writes, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.”[10]

The Church was vibrant and shared a common goal: which was to reach lost people with the Gospel. There was unity that was agreed upon and was lived out through unselfishness and affection for the lost. Every single day the Church expanded in numbers. Their hearts beat with the heartbeat of God by valuing God’s standards.

The early Church was bold at proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ. In chapter four, one reads of Peter and John proclaiming the bodily resurrection of Jesus and then being seized and shoved in jail. Yet Acts 4:4 says, “But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.”[11] Peter’s courage led many to a believing relationship with God for the first time. The Holy Spirit was active and sharp. Hard hearts in the city of Israel were melting by the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Acts 4:31 says, “…and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”[12] Stephen A. Macchia believes that a healthy and dynamic Church actively seeks the Holy Spirit’s direction and empowerment for its daily life and ministry.[13]

The early Christians were convinced that people were lost without Christ. This was a big deal to God then, and is still is today. They did everything in their power to show this commitment daily by living out their faith rather than just claiming to be religious. The spiritual life of the Apostles was about personal survival. They did not know when they were going to face trials, but they did know that they were going to be confronted with them. They stayed true to the Great Commission that commanded them to share the good news about Jesus’ life, atoning death, and resurrection with the world.

[1] Mark Moore, Fanning the Flame: Probing the Issues in Acts (Joplin: College Press Publishing Company, 2003), 21.
[2] Moore, 10.
[3] Dennis Gaertner, Acts: The College Press NIV Commentary (Joplin: College Press Publishing Company, 1993), 17.
[4] Gaertner, 17.
[5] Matthew 28:19-20, NIV.
[6] Acts 2:38-40, NIV.
[7] Acts 2:44-46, NIV.
[8] Erwin Raphael McManus, An Unstoppable Force: Daring to Become the Church God Had in Mind (Orange: Group Publishing, 2001), 101.
[9] Acts 2:42, NIV.
[10] Acts 2:46, NIV.
[11] Acts 4:4, NIV.
[12] Acts 4:31, NIV.
[13] Stephen A. Macchia, Becoming a Healthy Church: 10 Characteristics (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999), 27.

"Plenty of people in church and outside it have made up a 'Jesus' for themselves, and have found that this invented character makes few real demands on them. He makes them feel happy from time to time but doesn't challenge them, doesn't suggest they get up and do something about the plight of the world. Which is, of course, what the real Jesus had an uncomfortable habit of doing."

Today is the beginning of parts in which I entitle the series "Today's Church"...

All across America, there are dynamic Churches that are rising up radical disciples of Christ who lead the way in establishing a countercultural Church that dares to declare the gospel to an unbelieving nation. Yet a battle has taken place in the Church where the casual bystanders in the pews are getting spoon fed dishonesty and trickery by a world that lives for delighting in their own desires. According to George Barna, in mid-2000, about 95 to 100 million Americans of every age were unevangelized.[1] This has resulted from many contributing factors, but the preponderance of evidence suggests that churches have become ineffective due to the lack of passion for lost people.
Aubrey Malphurs says, “No church can do everything well.”[2] The ideal and perfect Church does not exist. Perfection in human terms is something to strive for, rather than something to achieve. It was not the perfect program that made the early Church grow, nor was it the faultless minister who was fueled with fire that led a revolution against his foes. It was love that turned the world upside down in the time of the Apostles. Love was a trivial idea that led many to oppose the early Christians. It was preposterous to “love your neighbor as yourself” when there was a government that was driven by hate and greed. In that group of Christ-followers, believers loved each other with a fanatic kind of love. They took off their masks of shame and shared their lives with one another. They laughed, cried, prayed, sang and served together in authentic Christian fellowship.[3]
Christians loved people that were unlovable. They helped out the poor and the widows when they endured hardship and poverty. According to Luke in Acts 4:34, he says this about the people’s needs, “There were no needy persons among them.”[4] Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Community Church says, “But the fastest way to build a bridge to the unchurched is to express interest in them and show that you understand the problems they are facing.”[5] The Gospel speaks to real needs. No one claimed ownership of their possessions, but gave to everyone with the intentions of helping each other out.
There is a biblical model for effective and growing churches in the book of Acts. It serves as a basis for the Church in every generation. The theological foundation laid by Luke calls Christians everywhere to find their identity in the authority of Jesus Christ. Throughout the pages, readers encounter Jews and Gentiles, peasants and Roman officials, males and females, prisoners and their jailers all won by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.[6] Acts points to the heart of evangelism. Salvation was a community experience that was learned and lived among the early believers that started a fresh revolution.

[1] George Barna, Grow Your Church From Outside In (Ventura: Regal, 2002), 172.
[2] Aubrey Malphurs, Advanced Strategic Planning: A New Model for Church and Ministry Leaders (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999), 65.
[3] Bill Hybels, Courageous Leadership (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 17.
[4] Acts 4:34, NIV.
[5] Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), 40.
[6] Rubel Shelly, Falling in Love with Jesus’ People: Studies in the Book of Acts (Joplin: College Press Publishing Company, 1998), 6.

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing sould and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."