If you speak to most Christians, you'll find agreement
that the church is not living up to everything that it can
and should be. Many are becoming more and more
frustrated with the church. While these people are not
giving up on Christianity, they are leaving the church.
What is going on? Why does the church appear to be
failing when the world so desperately needs the message of
the cross?
There are the usual reasons for trouble in the
church such as sin or a watered down gospel message.
In many cases the church has tried hard not to offend people
and in doing so has rendered themselves ineffective.
They are bringing people in but they have no message to
preach because the gospel is offensive.
Most of all
though, the church is not prevailing and overcoming like it
should because it has forgotten the essentials that caused
the early church to be blessed by God and to expand so
rapidly.
The church exploded onto the scene in Acts 2 on
the day of Pentecost. 3,000 people were saved on that
day and the church grew from that amazing start. By
the end of Acts 2 some time has passed and the church is
established into a structure much like today. Acts
2:42-47 tells us the story of a church that was doing
everything right and was being blessed by God.
42 They
devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone
was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed
by the apostles. 44
All the believers were together and had everything in
common. 45
They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had
need. 46 Every
day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.
They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad
and sincere hearts,
47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the
people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who
were being saved.
There are six things that are taking place in this
passage. People are following the apostles' teaching.
They are fellowshipping with one another. They are
giving and sharing with one another. They are praying.
They are worshipping. And finally people are being
saved.
If the church of today wants to recapture the power
of the early church, it must devote itself to the six
essentials that made the Acts 2 church so tremendous.
This site is dedicated to the six essentials that are
necessary for the church today just as they were 2,000 years
ago. If the church will follow these biblical
principals it can expect God to bless it like He did in the
days of the apostles.
