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Introduction:
The signature desire of the Franklin Church is our plea to get
back to the Bible. We want to be what the early churches were,
believing what they believed, teaching what they taught and doing
what they did. We have done well. However, despite our
similarities, we are not yet doing all that the earliest
congregations did. Consider the church in Jerusalem. They began as
120 disciples; but grew immediately to about 3000 (Acts
1:15; 2:41). Through daily growth (Acts
2:47), they grew to 5000 men (Acts
4:4). Counting women, we can safely consider the
membership of that congregation at about 10,000. They suffered a
major setback when Stephen was martyred (Acts
8:1-3) and almost all their membership moved to other
cities, but by Acts
21:20 they numbered in the thousands again. The times and
the people were not wholly different from what they are today.
They faced the same obstacles to growth we face, but they overcame
them. But how did they do it? Examine the Jerusalem church with
me. However, do not just look to the past. Look to our future.
What we read today is a word picture of what we ought to be
tomorrow. This will not be like anything you have ever known
before as a local church. If we choose this path, we must be ready
to go where we have never gone before. Discussion: I.
Acts
2:42
– The Jerusalem church was continually devoted to
worship. A.
Luke describes the early church’s devotion to
worship in four ways. 1.
They were devoted to the teaching of the apostles,
that is devoted to being present when the apostles taught and
personally devoting their lives to what the apostles taught. 2.
They were devoted to fellowship. The Pulpit
Commentary and Reese’s commentary on Acts maintain this to be a
reference to the collection as demonstrated in Acts
2:44. The term for “common” in Acts
2:44 is the root word for that translated “fellowship”
in Acts
2:42. The fellowship in Acts
2:42, was the financial fellowship and commonness they had
through giving. 3.
They were devoted to the breaking of bread. In the
context of spiritual things, this phrase refers to the Lord’s
Supper as in I
Corinthians 10:16. 4.
They were devoted to prayer, both congregationally
and privately. B.
Whether or not it was absolutely essential to
attend the worship of the Jerusalem church was not a topic of
discussion, they were simply devoted to it. They just did it. This
devotion to worship signified something deeper. They were devoted
to worship, because they were devoted to God. II.
Acts
4:32
– The Jerusalem church was of one heart and one
soul. A.
As Jesus had prayed in John
17:20-21, the church had unity. B.
“Considering the large number of persons in this
congregation, and the variety of social relations from which they
had been suddenly drawn together, it is truly remarkable, and well
worthy of a place in the record, that they were ‘of one heart
and soul.’ The unity for which the Saviour (sic)
had prayed was now enjoyed by the church and witnessed by the
world. The most surprising manifestation of it was seen in that
complete subsidence of selfishness which led one and all to say
that the things which he possessed were not his own, but the
property of all. This was … the spontaneous expression of the
love of God and man which had taken possession of every heart” (McGarvey,
J.W.; New Commentary on Acts of The Apostles; Gospel Light
Publishing Company; Delight, AR; v I, p 79.). C.
“Rich and poor, learned and simple…Levites and
Jews, were so united in Christ that all other distinctions were
lost. Selfishness was gone for each loved his brother as himself.
What each man had he held it not as his own, but as a steward of
Christ for the good of all. … The ordinary worldly life seemed
to have melted into the life of faith and godliness. Their wants
were spiritual, their occupations were spiritual, they joys were
spiritual. In this happy state, in the clear atmosphere of love,
the great truths of the gospel shone out with marvellous (sic)
brightness; the resurrection of Christ especially stood out in the
lineaments of a distinct reality; and there was a rich glow of
grace over the whole Church” (Hervey, A.C.; Pulpit
Commentary; Eerdmans Publishing Co; Grand Rapids;
1950; v 18, p 128.). D.
This unity did not mean everyone knew everyone
else, did everything with everyone else or had directly helped
everyone else. It meant they were of the same mind and not divided
(I
Corinthians 1:10), no one thought more highly of himself
than he ought (Romans
12:3), they regarded one another as more important than
themselves (Philippians
2:3-4), no one sought preeminence in the group (3
John 9) and they loved one another despite gender,
nationality, education, background or socio-economic status (I
John 4:7). They were one heart and one soul. As Lenski
wrote, “As in a living body only one heart beats … It’s
whole active life was one in thought, feeling and will” (Acts, p 186.). III.
Acts
5, 6 and 15
– The Jerusalem church aggressively dealt with
problems. A.
This picture of unity was marred by serious
problems several times. 1.
In Acts
5, they faced a fly in the ointment when Ananias and
Sapphira did not share the love and unity, but rather lied to the
church and the Holy Spirit. It is the first recorded case of
church discipline. If you thought mentioning a withdrawal in
public assembly was harsh, read Acts
5 again some time. 2.
In Acts
6, the church faced a racial dilemma because the
Hellenistic widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of
food. This threatened to blow the church apart. Luke describes the
problem as being far greater than just with the widows. He says,
“A complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against
the native Hebrews” (Acts
6:1). The apostles quickly established a plan to overcome
the problem without allowing to fester and destroy the unity of
the congregation. 3.
In Acts
15, they faced a doctrinal controversy when some in the
congregation claimed Gentiles had to be circumcised and observe
the Law of Moses (Acts
15:5). The congregation gathered to discuss the issue,
settling it based on the revelation of the spirit. But they did
not allow the doctrinal division to simply exist. B.
I am sure the church probably lost some members in
each of these instances. But on the whole, the Jerusalem church
was strengthened by working through and overcoming these problems.
In fact, the Bible records that the church grew as a result of
overcoming these problems (Acts
5:14; 6:7). IV.
Acts
2:46
– The Jerusalem church lost no one in the
crowd. A.
This is one of the most important and yet
overlooked keys to the success of the Jerusalem church. One of the
biggest fears of growing churches is losing individuals in the
crowd. Someone will need help in doctrine but be overlooked in the
sea of people. Another will be spiritually hurting, but her pain
is unnoticed in the mass. Another may simply be absent, but
because of the numbers he is not missed until it is too late. B.
How did a handful of apostles give account for
10,000 souls? How did the Jerusalem church begin at nearly 3000 on
the day of Pentecost and explode to nearly 10,000 in a short time
without losing people in the crowd? Simply in this manner, the
members of the Jerusalem church were not just associated with one
another in the crowd. They also associated in smaller groups in
one another’s homes (Acts
2:46). No doubt, these groups formed naturally through
numerous ways and divisions, probably based on age, interests,
backgrounds, etc. But, we can be equally assured that at times one
of the leaders would connect a new convert with a group of
Christians that were already close. C.
The necessary practical dynamics of these groups
could take up an entire lesson in and of itself. For now, suffice
it to say that through this association with smaller groups,
people’s spiritual needs were met. The spiritual growth of
individuals was accomplished. The spreading of the gospel was
multiplied. The grounding of new converts was made sure. No doubt,
some fell through the cracks, after all Jesus said that some seed
would be sown on shallow ground and the plant would spring up but
quickly die out (Luke
8:13-14). But, you didn’t hear people saying, “I
don’t want to be a member in a large church, I would get
lost.” Because they weren’t lost in the crowd, they were
connected with Christians. V.
Acts
6:1-6
– The Jerusalem church knew nobody can do
everything. A.
When the Jerusalem church resolved the racial
conflict it faced in Acts
6, the leadership of the congregation demonstrated a
fundamental understanding of how to lead any corporate body. They
knew: Nobody can do everything. The apostles had to
delegate duties and provide for a division of labor. B.
Have you noticed why this problem came about? Acts
6:1 says it came about “when the number of disciples was
multiplied.” They could have avoided this problem by not
growing. But, now that they had grown, they had to make special
assignments to fulfill special needs. C.
Considering why this assignment came about, I am
puzzled that so many in churches today say, “I want to be a part
of a small church, because there is more opportunity for work.”
In this passage, seven men received an opportunity to work because
the church grew. D.
Paul taught this in Ephesians
4:16. We are all different, suited for different aspects
of the work here. We are each responsible to develop our own
individual abilities in order to build up this body, serving the
Lord and serving others. Too often we are all made to feel guilty
because we see a picture of a super Christian who excel at every
aspect of the church’s work. But there is no such Christian.
Even Paul could not do that. We should not feel guilty nor make
others feel guilty simply because we cannot do what someone else
can. Rather, we should feel guilty only when we are not doing what
we can to the best of our ability. VI.
Acts
4-5
– The Jerusalem church was bold in the face of
rejection. A.
The Jerusalem church and its members knew they were
only effective if they were teaching the unadulterated doctrine of
Jesus Christ. They knew they could not cower before the whims of
the worldly and those in false religion and still be successful. B.
In Acts
4, Peter and John were told to quit teaching in the name
of Jesus and were threatened. In Acts
5, all the apostles were arrested, beaten and threatened
with death if they continued to teach the Gospel. In Acts
7, Stephen was martyred because he taught the Gospel.
In Acts
8, the church in Jerusalem was scattered through
persecution because of their teaching.
In Acts
12, James was executed and Peter arrested because it
pleased the Jews. On the list goes. How did the church in
Jerusalem respond to all of this? They kept right on teaching. (Acts
4:31; 5:42; 8:4; 12:24). C.
The Jerusalem church did not allow the threat of
persecution to deter them from teaching the truth boldly, let
alone the threat that someone might visit their assembly and then
never return. Amazingly, despite their apparent lack of concern
with rejection, the church continued growing (Acts
5:14; 8:12-13; 12:24). VII.
Acts
6-8 – The Jerusalem church did
not rely on free agents. A.
I have become highly disillusioned in some ways
with my own profession, for lack of a better term. In our modern
day, preaching is a professional activity. There is a class of
preachers that are traded back and forth among congregations. Most
of the time, somebody decides they want to preach and they start
looking for a job as if they were a free agent pitcher or a
quarterback trying to find a team. Because of this, preachers are
rarely a real part of the congregation. In many churches they come
in for a few years and if things get rough, they leave and look
for another team. In these cases, neither the congregation nor the
preacher ever feels a real sense of partnership. No doubt there is
authority for someone to be an evangelist and move frequently. But
that was by no means the norm in Jerusalem. B.
One of Jerusalem’s keys to success was their
development of their own individual members do the work of
ministry. Instead of relying on free agents, they worked on their
farm teams. C.
From where did the seven men of good reputation,
full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom in Acts
6 come? Were they men from elsewhere who applied for a
job? No, they were members in the congregation who had been
trained to work. Stephen was trained to teach and in Acts
6:8ff he did so. Philip was trained to preach and was
therefore ready when the persecution came to go out teaching (Acts
8:5ff). The Jerusalem church sent Peter and John to
Samaria to help with the work for a time (Acts
8:14). Barnabas was able to go to Antioch and help the brethren
there (Acts
11:22). D.
The Jerusalem church was not filled with anxiety
that their preacher might move or die leaving them without a
pulpit man. They did not have to hope the next guy who came along
looking for a job would do as good a job. They were training
people up through their own ranks to fulfill that duty. Of course,
you realize the Jerusalem church had 12 preachers and multiplied
that number as it grew. VIII.
Acts
8:4; 11:19-21
– The Jerusalem church set the world
ablaze. A.
In a sense, we are here today because of the
effectiveness of the Jerusalem church. One of the most amazing
aspects of the growth of Christ’s church in the book of Acts is
found in Acts
8:4. “Those who had been scattered went everywhere
preaching the word.” So much teaching and grounding had been
done among the congregation in Jerusalem, that when the members of
this church moved, they positively impacted the church in other
places. B.
Of course, there was one fundamental difference
between what these people did in Acts
8 and what Christians do today when they move. When the
brethren in Acts
8 moved, they didn’t have the luxury of taking a few
months to determine the sound church of which they would become a
part. They didn’t get to say, “Oh, I can’t move there. I
would have to drive two hours to meet with a faithful church.”
They were forced into other cities without churches and they
started new ones (Acts
11:20-21). C.
The Jerusalem church was effective not just because
it was successful in Jerusalem, but because it blazed the trail
for churches everywhere. Conclusion:
In
America today, there are no faithful congregations that have
successfully attained the level that the church in Jerusalem did.
There is no preacher, teacher or elder for us to call and ask,
“How can our congregation follow your example to become larger
and more effective just like the Jerusalem church was?” If we
make the choice to be constructively discontent with where we are
presently and determine that we will not be satisfied just to be
exceptional among our peers, we will have to be trailblazers among
modern American churches.
As you look into the future, considering this vision and wondering, “Is it attainable?”, allow me to assure you, it is. Understand this, for the church as a whole to move beyond its current level of effectiveness in present day America, some sound congregation somewhere must demonstrate that a modern church can have the success that Jerusalem had and maintain faithfulness to God’s Word. Some church must blaze a trail as the Jerusalem church did. I ask you two questions, “If not us, who? If not now, when?” We can do it and we can start this year. Are you prepared to be a church like Jerusalem? Are you prepared to boldly go where we’ve never gone before?
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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