Those who believed what Peter said
were baptised and added to the church that day—
about 3,000 in all.
(Acts 2:41)
Sometimes we idealise the first church on record as a model of perfection. Perhaps the setting was more ideal, but it certainly wasn’t idyllic. It was more pristine, but not perfect. They had challenges, just as we do. However, some of their struggles were far greater than ours.
I usually smile when I hear people say, “We want our church to be a first-century church!”
I want to answer, “Oh? You want persecution?” We tend to forget that part of the early church, don’t we? The first church on record understood and victoriously endured fierce persecution. Martyrdom was commonplace. Mistreatment was a way of life. As the author of the book of Hebrews wrote to some second-generation Christians,
You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin. (Hebrews 12:4 NASB)
How’s that for perspective? We think we have it tough, but we have yet to spill our blood for the sake of our testimony. Notice the words not yet. Interesting phrase. The day may be coming when we’re more like the early church than we would ever wish!
The early church had experienced rapid growth. Following the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the body of believers in Jerusalem numbered just over three thousand. A mere two chapters later, that same book records their ranks had swelled to about five thousand! The flame was spreading. The numbers were increasing. The power of the gospel had taken hold. The growth was exponential. The church was being built, just as the Lord Jesus Christ had promised He would do.
When growth is not handled wisely, values begin to disintegrate. And wouldn’t you know it? The Lord had barely begun to build His church before the adversary began to dismantle it.
Taken from The Church Awakening by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2010 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Faith Words, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
