The New Testament Church

Background Scripture: Acts 2:37–47; 4:32–35
Lesson Scripture: Acts 2:37–47; 4:32–35

Introduction

God created man in His own image and gave him a living soul, desiring that he will spend eternity with Him. Though man disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, God gave His Son as a ransom for man’s sin to provide a way back into His grace so that man can have eternal life. God provided the church to be a haven of safety for those who would accept His gift of salvation. He saw the need for believers to fellowship together as well as the need of a body of believers to invite sinners to “Come,” as expressed in Revelation 22:17.

Satan, in his hatred for God, is doing all he can to destroy the church. As members of God’s church, we have pledged in our baptismal vows to “follow the Lord Jesus Christ, being obedient unto Him and His Church” as long as we live. May this lesson inspire us to see the great privilege we have and teach us about our responsibility to others.

Key Verse

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

The key verse follows the account of Peter’s reply to Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). For a devout Jew who believed it was blasphemy to recognize any deity other than one God, it was not a small thing to open his mind to the reality that Jesus was the Son of God. After Jesus’s death and resurrection, Peter told the high priest and his kindred, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The truth of Peter’s confession is the rock upon which every Christian’s life is anchored as well as the foundation upon which Jesus is building His church.

Our lesson scripture is the response to the sermon Peter had just preached by the power of the Holy Ghost. This powerful sermon brought conviction to the hearts of many people. His listeners faced the terrifying reality that they were responsible for the crucifixion of One who was Lord and Christ. They cried out in desperation, “What shall we do?”

In obedience to Peter’s admonition to repent and accept by faith that Jesus was their only hope of salvation, their fear was banished, and they became new creatures in Christ. As the Holy Spirit filled their hearts, He knit them together, creating a precious bond of fellowship. The New Testament church was born and experienced rapid growth as the ­disciples were constrained to speak the things which they had seen and heard (Acts 4:20).

Practical Truths for Today

Every born-again Christian enters the kingdom of God as an individual. Others may help him and point the way, but each one repents and comes to Calvary alone, whether he is a child or a mature adult. With a renewed heart, he longs to fellowship with others who have similar experiences. Both young and old desire and need the security that can be found in a church built on the foundation of true repentance and saving faith in Christ Jesus. For a young convert, much of this may be satisfied in his home and family. Some people who are not acquainted with the church search a long time to find true fellowship and unity.

We should ask ourselves what the church means to us personally. Though we realize that salvation is not acquired by church membership, the church, as the bride of Christ, becomes precious to us as we recognize that God is leading her by the direction of the Word and the Holy Spirit.

We promised in our baptismal vows to be our brother’s keeper. We must embrace this important doctrine of the Bible to keep the faith secure. As we recognize our own depravity, we will appreciate the safety and security we find as the Holy Spirit directs us to place more confidence in our brethren’s light and direction than in our own. There may come a time when this confidence is tested. My brethren may reach out to help me see a need in my life that I have not realized. If I can accept that this is the love of God in my brethren, I can be helped. This love for my soul makes the church a secure place.

A church whose members are faithful to the teachings of Jesus for several generations develops a culture. Children who grow up in a Christian home do not know any other lifestyle, and it is rightfully expected that they will become church members. We are blessed when they heed the call of God and become converted. However, this culture with its attending social life is not the walk with the Lord that brings us into the true unity of the Spirit. It is the responsibility of parents and the church to help children develop Spirit-directed conviction. We must teach them by example that a continued personal walk with the Lord is necessary. The doctrine of the Bible together with the church’s application of that doctrine to everyday life should be taught. Nonresistance, nonconformity to the world, and moral purity are necessary to experience Christian growth. We fail young Christians if we do not help them put down roots of conviction that will enable them to brave the storms they encounter.

The apostle Paul compared the workings of the church to the natural body. He taught how the different members are to work together for the good of the church. Our brain uses our senses to understand what is going on around us while coordinating the movements of our arms, legs, hands, and feet to perform our everyday activities. When accident or sickness causes loss to one member of our body, the whole body is affected. However, the other members try to compensate for the loss. We marvel at how a healthy body works.

So it is in the church. God has given many gifts for the edifying of the church. Preaching, teaching, and singing are talents that are observed openly. However, much of what makes a working congregation prosper is done behind the scenes and not noticed. Many of the works that members do in a congregation or in the conference are not in the limelight. Simple gifts fill an important place, such as when a brother shares with another brother, giving courage to the one who is being tested, or when a sister takes time to drop off food for someone who is facing difficulty. There is work for everyone to do. A congregation that works together for the good of one another brings honor and glory to God. This blessing is a drawing to those who are observing and longing for the security the church provides for her members.

Illustration

The late Min. Reuben Koehn gave a talk at the 1993 Conference. He told his experience of crossing the Atlantic on an ocean liner and used it as an analogy of the church. Some excerpts from this speech follow:

“The Church is on a voyage from earth to heaven, and we are on the high seas. It is very important to know if we are on course. If not, something needs to be done. When the Church has been on rough seas at times, some have said we are sinking. Some of those have said, ‘No use to stay, we’re going down.’ Some have gone overboard, plunging themselves into the roaring ocean. Many have perished. The Church is like a ship, and we are on the high seas today. When we look around us, other denominations have perished, shipwreck and debris lying on the shore. This should be a real insight to us, also.

“The first impression was the grandeur of the ocean liner, which carried four thousand passengers and two thousand crew members—a floating city affording every safety, convenience, and need for its passengers. It was a wonderful thing. This is the Church. Jesus said He would build the Church, and He is, today. We are part of that—the Church of God. We have boarded this great liner for the heavenly shore. I was impressed with this thought. The Church has every convenience and every supply the average person will need. The Church has been a real foster mother to me for the last seventy years, strengthening me, correcting me, admonishing me, and supplying me a place to serve. It has been a wonderful thing, and many of you would be thankful for what the Church has done for you.

“One more point I want to speak about. Most ships have ballast—heavy underlyings for stability and balance. The doctrine of the Word is the weight that gives stability to us in our Christian lives. Jonah was asleep in the storm, and the mariners said, ‘Let’s throw the ballast overboard.’ The ballast wasn’t the problem—Jonah was the problem. History says that when ships have been in trouble, they threw the ballast over. When ballast is thrown overboard, the stability is gone, and the waves break the ship in pieces. We have had people of the Church of God say, ‘Let’s throw this doctrine out,’ thinking the ship would go easier, but the ballast gives stability. The Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, needs to be careful to retain her stability, not making the load easier, but practicing and observing all the teachings of the Word of the Lord. I don’t think we’ve thrown any ballast overboard. Although some points need strengthening, they are still there.”

May this same love and appreciation for what the church means and has provided for us be rekindled in our hearts.

Questions

1. How can I help to build and maintain the church?
2. Are we upholding the encouragement found in Hebrews 10:25?
3. Does our culture hinder the outreach of the church?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).