The Early Church

The Early Church

Our Sufficiency – Part four

“And continuing steadfastly with one mind day by day in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they shared food in gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the assembly (not assemblies*), the ones being saved from day to day.”
Acts 2:46-47 (LITV) (*my note)

So much to note here. One Mind born out of the singular desire to see and exalt the NAME OF JESUS. No ulterior motives for some segment or faction. Those who live unto Him cannot hold on to the identity of an earthly organization or sect. THEY ARE HIS.

Years ago, when I was still very young in my walk with Him, He spoke this word to my heart: “The Bride of Christ will carry no other name but HIS”.

“…in his temple doth every one speak of His glory”
Psalm 29:9

In the early church, the ministry of God went from house to house. They openly taught in the Temple to bring the Gospel of Christ to the religious Jews of that day. They broke bread to instill in every believer that His Body was broken for them. Paul declares later:

“For we being many are one bread, and one body:
for we are all partakers of that one bread…”
1 Corinthians 10:17

By our disunity we reveal that we are guilty of eating the leavened bread (the doctrines of men and demons), and the inclusion of worldly ways of carnal wisdom that has divided asunder His Body. We disrespect His Body by allowing the disobedient, the pretenders, and the obstinate to go unchallenged and unreproved. Many are more concerned with the popularity of men rather than with His glory.

“for they loved the glory that comes from man
more than the glory that comes from God”
John 12:43

The pure power of the Holy Spirit produced ministers of fire:

“You know how I was with you at all times, from the first day I arrived in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and many tears and temptations happening to me through the plots of the Jews; and how I kept back nothing that was profitable, but have shown you and have taught you publicly, and from house to house… Therefore watch and remember that for the time of three years, I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.”
Acts 20:18-20; 31

It is time for us to enquire of the Lord for these ministrations of His Spirit that day and night will warn the people of God unto tears that they would remain true in their walk with God in all purity and humility!

“I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the calling with which you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all.”
Ephesians 4:1-6

“The Church, during the apostolic age, did not consist of isolated, independent congregations, but was one body, of which the separate churches were constituent members, each subject to all the rest, or to an authority which extended over all.”
– Charles Hodge

Our Sufficiency Series:

Part One,

Part Two – Unity of The Spirit,

Part Three – The Divine Purpose

Brian Troxel