I heard Rick Warren say once, “People keep asking me am I all about taking the church forward—actually, I am about taking it backwards…BACK to the first 300 years of Christianity.” He went on to say that the churches desire should be to replicate one of the most EXPLOSIVE growth and influence that it’s ever seen.
Last Thursday the team that I serve with had an off site meeting where I asked the question, “What is it about the first three hundred years of the church that made it so powerful?” Here is a list of some of the things we came up with.
Passion for Jesus - the early church was not centered around certain types of ministries but rather a man—they were freakishly obsessed with Jesus! He was REAL to them!
They were non-religious - Paul fought hard to keep the religious idiots away from people who were falling in love with Christ…and the focus was on what Jesus had done to pay for sin and not people’s effort to do so.
Strong Community - No one in the early church thought that “their faith” was a private matter—they encouraged one another, supported one another, love one another and provided for one another. They knew the calling to walk with Christ was also a calling to walk with others. (When Jesus was on earth He didn’t walk alone!)
Urgency - They were serious about seeing people come to Christ…their was an urgency about them. They didn’t care about Roberts Rules of Order or boycotting pagan activities…their focus was on reaching the lost.
Anticipation - There was always a sense that God was about to do something BIG!
A Recognition and respect of leadership - Leaders in the early church were respected and honored…but NOT worshiped. Hebrews 13:7 and Hebrews 13:17 point to both the responsibility that leaders bear and the instructions on how to treat them.
Involvement - EVERYONE was involved in ministry—it wasn’t left up to the “paid professionals!”
Willingness to be persecuted - They were willing to lose their lives for the Gospel. DANG!
They saw things happen - They begged God for big things…they believed His vision was larger than repaving a parking lot and sending off second hand clothes to a third world country—they took action - and God honored their vision.
They taught truth - At the end of the day all that matter is what we do with the truth of God’s Word—they KNEW this and that was their focus.
This was one of the most exciting conversations I’ve ever been a part of! Seriously! What God did back then He still longs to do today!!!
Don’t get me wrong—I am NOT saying that we should forget about all of the technology that God has given us to advance His message and just go back to meeting in caves! (For those against the use of technology I would simply ask—does your church have air conditioner? Heat? If so…and you condemn the use of technology then you are a hypocrite!)
Paul said in Ephesians 2:19-21 that JESUS is the cornerstone…can you imagine what would happen if a church truly captured the passions and desires of the early church and combined them with the abilities and opportunities that God has given us in our modern world? WOW—the results could…well…the world could be RADICALLY IMPACTED!
Call me crazy…but I am praying that NewSpring can be that church…and that by stepping back we can move forward and see Jesus fulfill Matthew 16:18 over and over again.