As someone that is modeling a church plant after the first century church as described in Acts 2, I was a little thrown when I read a comment from a friend of mine. Darin has some experience with a negative side of the first century church. He posted about it to his blog last week. He ended his post with these words:
The Bible is used as a weapon where people’s pet peeves and personal likes become authorized by God.
If only we would allow the Spirit to rule our hearts and minds.
Apparently, Darin tried implementing a first century church model only to settle on something different. It seems that some have cited the Acts 2 model of church as being the only true church.
I tried responding to Darin’s blog post directly, but in the end, I am not quite sure what to say. How can anyone say that the first century church as described in Acts 2 is the only true church? Obviously, the churches in Corinth and Ephesus did not meet in the same manner. Also, with the amazing things happening through ministries such as LifeChurch.tv, North Point Community Church, Seacoast Church, Newspring Church, Elevation Church, etc. how could anyone say that unless you are gathering together in a smaller setting, breaking bread, listening to the Apostle’s teachings, and giving sacrificially you cannot be the true church? The amazing thing about being in ministry today is that God is using all kinds of models and movements to serve as the church. Churches are groups of 3 or more in homes, or 20 people in a coffee shop, or 75 people in a traditional church cathedral, or even 40,000 in a former NBA basketball arena. God is everywhere and he is creating ministry in many different settings. The reason is that no model or building can be the church. We as Christ’s disciples gathering together are his true church.
So, is the first century church relevant? Of course it is! However, so is the church that gathers in a movie theater, school multi-purpose room, small apartment, or traditional church building. Besides, how can we really define what the first century church really was? Many of us like to refer to Acts 2, but as we know from reading the Epistles that there were large church gatherings in the city such as in Ephesus and some rowdy gatherings in Corinth. Some churches gave sacrificially, while others did not and were rebuked by the Apostle Paul. Some idolized signs and wonders and some followed men rather than Christ. Therefore, who can say exactly what the first century church really looked like? It was probably as diverse back in 70 AD as it is in 2009 AD.
I truly hope there are not people that idolize the church over gathering in the name of Christ to worship him and serve others. I also hope that church leaders would be above something as trivial as turning a beautiful passage in Acts 2 into something personally sacred and putting the look and feel of the church above loving others and letting God build his church through a unique vision he has entrusted to a worthy servant.
At Revolution Church Sacramento, our vision is to be a transformed church that God may use to help transform the lives of others. Gathering together in a way similar to what is described in Acts 2 is just an extension of the vision. Because of our love for God and our love for others, we want to: gather and enjoy fellowship with each other, break bread together, let God’s Word teach and edify us, witness amazing signs and wonders of God’s Holy Spirit moving through our community, and give sacrificially for the sake of others coming to know God’s love and mercy. It’s all about loving God and loving others. The rest is in God’s hands and no church model or strategy will ever overrule that!
Please don’t make the church your idol! Let God be your God and Christ the head of the church. Anything else will just end in futility.
