An Original Snapshot of the First Church, Part 1

More than 2000 years after the inception of the very first church we find a vast array of expressions sometimes call them denominations, but nothing helps us understand God's design for his church better reflecting on the first one created today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll's teaching from the book of acts we examine what he calls an original snapshot first church, but we begin with a special musical form fitting prelude to Chuck's message.

Here's the stone briar community church choir and will will thing to remember the God never loses his way.

He never loses his way. He knows what he's doing and he's doing it in his time. Unfortunately, when you're younger you don't realize how true that is because everything you want you want now you want quickly and you look upon waking is a waste rather than no worthwhile way to spend your time, but he does everything beautiful in its time were sort of tracing the experience of the apostles. They are disciples turned apostles following Jesus resurrection and his commission and his ascension and then use sending of the Holy Spirit and what happened to those disciples turned apostles and we come to the third in a group of three messages that have sort of covered those those days and weeks following the events that Matthew records were of Kunda acts chapter 2 in the last several verses I like to turn their you follow along. Beginning in verse 41, because here we have the original one and only snapshot of the first church is never been to church before this moment, this is the first one.

So what were reading here all of this is original work that God is done in Luke records it for us and asked to 41 to 47. Those who believe what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day about 3000 in all. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship and to share you meals including the Lord's supper and to prayer.

A deep sense of all came over them all and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders and all the believers met together in one place and shared everything the head. They sold their property and possessions, and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the temple each day met in homes for the Lord's supper and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.

All the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people and each day the Lord added to their fellowship. Those who were being saved.

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Studies going to Insight world.org/studies Chuck titled his message and original snapshot of the first church what church looms large in most everyone's memory stop and think it maybe the church you attended from your birth on through your childhood and into your teenage and young adult years. In reality it was your parents church and in a strange sort of way. You were sort of adopted into it and became your church and when I ask you to remember a significant church. That's the one you remember it looms large in your mind for others when you grew and became a young adult and left home. For whatever reason you were then at a place where you needed to make a decision and a change regarding churches no longer attending your home church.

As you might call it or your parents church you're not on your own choosing a church based on where you were at that time in your life and you look for certain qualities in the church and possibly that became the most significant of the churches you've ever attended. Because for the first time as an adult you made that decision you begun to attend and you derive the benefits of being in that fine church where you grew and you learn much.

You became spiritually self-sustaining.

For others it may be the church you decided to attend. When you got serious about spiritual things. Now let me go further that Matt and now I speak from experience that Matt you needed to leave the traditions of the familiar familiar faces long-term friends familiar buildings, events, memories that you had that been a part of your life all through those years and you decided you would find a church that taught the truth. Now that you realize you will never grow in the church. You have been attending.

You need to make a serious decision regarding a change of churches for some people. That is a major major decision, partly because you've been a part of that earlier church. All most of your life and it's the church where people assume you will always be and would you decide to leave. Well, they begin to look at you over the top of the glasses like what exactly are you doing where your church and you find it hard to say the whole thing because the whole thing would sound negative, and you don't want to make waves necessarily.

You just want to go to a place where you can start growing and get serious about your faith because you know that this church were you not want to attend will be faithful to teach the Bible will instruct you and the truths of what God's word says and what it means. And even if it means walking away from many things you found comfort in and held dear. You're willing to do that we did. That is a couple and I'll remember it to this day I it wasn't easy. In one sense, because we were misunderstood. Things were said about us mostly behind our backs and of opinions were shared, which were not based on fact and they have no clue why we would be interested in going to another different church. When this is there church and we've always been a part of it with them tell you the truth, we never to this day have regretted making the change. I think I may be speaking to some who need to hear what I'm saying wherever you may be, and whatever that church.

You may prefer might be you might be right there. Can I say to you, do it. If you are not growing. If you are not being challenged. If you are not being confronted with the truth of God's word regularly, you are missing out.

No matter how much tradition or how much comfort or how many friends you are missing out in the years to come. As you begin your walk with Christ.

Seriously, if you do not go to a place where you really can grow some of you think back to the early church that you think of right now, and it was a balance church, and you never had to move anywhere else.

It was a great place and if that's true, how blessed you have been growing up in a place like that, growing strong of the Christian life in a healthy place.

How blessed and I might add, how rare you are. Maybe your earlier church was a legalistic place and you could still remember the rules and requirements and expectations. You can still remember when you broke with those rules, how you were shunned and confronted sometimes disciplined because you didn't fall in line with what the preacher said you need to be doing and it was his list, not a biblical list but his requirements for your spiritual life may have been a liberal church that Harley turned the Bible.

Maybe I have verse here will reverse their mark a reference to something from the Bible.

We attended one early in my my life when my dad took our only card went away to work during the war the church left was the church down the street.

There was a liberal church and I remember the pastor that he would open his Bible and he would read to have verse and go. Thus ends the reading and that he would go off on some subject and that was the sermon and we never heard anything further from the Bible and anything near exposition. It was a liberal church, whatever it might've been there on mental snapshots that have embedded themselves in our minds. You have been each one of you. You have formed opinions about church based on your own experience of my desire today is to bring you back to the original snapshot and if it's at all possible to have you see the magnificence of the of of the first church that God established the Holy Spirit was the leader, and Yvonne may stay with the word picture of a snapshot.

Dr. Luke was the photographer he took the snapshots he recorded what he was led to record and we have it for us in the last few verses of acts to this is the first place. The church is on record. This of the first scenes from the very first church. I love it when I come to us. It's called a passage of primary reference.

This is it for the church. There is no earlier picture of the church the next 241 to 47. Although there have been gatherings and there certainly had been synagogues, and there had been believers groups here and there, but there had not been a deliberate gathering of people in what could be called ecclesia and an assembly of believers that made up a church until the book of acts chapter 2, where it is described for us in verses 41 through 47 now when you look at the seven verses I want us to answer for important questions. First of all, your turn to acts 241 through 47 and I want you to open your mind. Do your very best to set aside whatever may have been your opinions. Your your experiences.

If I make your hangups of the things that in turn you against the church and let's let the truth permeate as you hear the click of the inspired camera is Luke records the scene as it took place. Here's the first question, who formed the first church. Well, let's go with numbers to start with how many were there. The first reference to numbers and acts wanted to is in 115 turned their look at chapter 1 verse 15 you will read during this time when about 120 believers were together in one place so there's 120. They were part of this church, I'm going to show you and read about in chapter 220. Look at chapter 2, verse 41. Here's another number. Those who believe what Peter said this is a reference to Peter's first sermon which would not taken the time to go into you read it in and we started it before those who believe what Peter said that the gospel may believe that Christ died and and was buried in the Christ rose again from the dead miraculously in bodily and and was seen by those around him and they believed in Jesus Christ with our hearts and they believe the message that's called the gospel and the result is they were baptized and added to the church that day about 3000 now what makes me smile is in some dummy people who frown when you talk about being a part of a large church.

The very first church was 3120 Yvonne number correctly, and since he added to them daily end of the chapter, it was larger than that is a big church. How big is this a big is that many people will just dawned on me one of his in my study. That's the size of this worship center in the sanctuary, we can see a little over 3000 if everything is filled. So if we fill every seat in this room under this roof and we had 100 or so seeds out in the atrium. We have enough room for this many people who formed the first you're listening to Insight for living where midway through a message from Chuck Swindoll called an original snapshot of the first church at least a with this because Chuck is here in the studio. Does your closing comment and learn more about the ministry of insight for living. Please visit us online@insightworld.org this passage in acts chapter 2 describes the dramatic appearance of God spirit and it Insight for living. We often receive a lot of questions about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Today the learn more about the spiritual in your spiritual journey. We invite you to visit a dedicated webpage it Insight.org/Holy Spirit. In addition to the resources on this page will also remind you about the commentary series. Chuck is written on all 27 books in the New Testament Matthew through Revelation. He completed the series by adding his final contribution to full-length hardbound books on the gospel according to Matthew for anyone who is curious to learn more about the Bible you love owning these commentaries from Chuck.

The call swindles living insights on the New Testament, you'll find all the details it Insight.org/offer effectively. Looking at the online offers. Be sure to check out the selection of great gift ideas for any occasion, including the wide variety of fun ideas for your kids and grandkids which IQ presented a brand-new study through the entire book of Matthew.

It was called the King of Kings. That's right Dave is a radio family.

We spent the last 11 months January through November. Walking through every single chapter in the gospel according to Matthew. It was an emotion filled journey alongside Jesus and now I'm devoting the better part of December to applying what we built during the grand crescendo that swelled in the last chapter. Remember the parting words from Jesus. Of course you do. He said therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit, teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I've given you, and be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. That's Matthew 2817 through 20. No way.

We don't dismiss this command of Jesus as though he was singling out the professional Christian whatever that means. This command was directed to you and to me people that love the Lord Jesus Christ.

So let me ask how is God moving you right at this moment to live out the great commission of Jesus with your family with your friends and even with your neighbors and what is your part in making disciples in all the countries of the world as we come to the conclusion of another ministry year. This is the perfect time for you to invest in things eternal you play a significant role in making disciples. Your contribution to Insight for living ministries will be used by God to reach broken hearted, discouraged people who are burdened down by guilt and confusion and shame. In fact, I can't think of a better way to exercise our God-given assignment that you give generously. So these dear people might hear about God's grace and then run into his forgiving embrace, let's do this together. Let's get involved in this wonderful opportunity to make disciples together. Remember, we don't have to do it alone. Jesus said I'm with you always, even to the end of the age so it's you and me in our Lord Jesus Christ teaming up together. How exciting. Please jot down his contact information and respond to Chuck Swindoll today. Choose from several different methods for getting in touch quickest to get online insight on or/donate again it Insight.org/donate or call us if you're listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888. Thank you for your generous join us again.

Chuck Swindoll gives what he calls an original snapshot church tomorrow on Insight for living. The preceding message and original snapshot of the first or in the sound recording were copyrighted in 2018 by Charles Arsenault.

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