A LOVING CHURCH

A LOVING CHURCH. Acts 4:32. “…one heart and one soul…” LOVE. 2 Cor. 4:6. “For God who commanded the light of shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Miners carry a lamp on their foreheads to give light. Christians carry one in their hearts lit by the Spirit of God for illumination in a dark world. The Christian who looks at the face of Jesus Christ like Moses looked at the face of God will illuminate God's glory. Light is not a human invention. The light of the Gospel is not a human invention, but God has created it in us to give light (enlighten) others. In and through the Lord Jesus, we receive and give light from our hearts. Light in the Bible is the emblem of knowledge, purity, and truth. The natural mind is like the darkness before God commands light. Ignorance of God, His law, and His requirements. This ignorance often depends on education that resists God and indulges in known sin and evil passions. The Christian’s mind is illuminated to see things as they are. We have differences. We are not superior in understanding, and we are not smarter intellectually than other people, but we do have a clear, consistent view of things from the Bible viewpoint that we didn’t have before. We know and avoid what is wrong. We know and desire to act on what is right. God, the Creator, is the same God who gives light to your heart. The same power in your heart first shined in the darkness. By God’s written and preached Word, He gives us His light. By things that happen in our life, God gives us light. By the direct teaching of the Holy Spirit, God gives us light.

Believe with the heart, Rom.10:10. We keep the heart with all diligence, Pro.4:23. Love God with all the heart, Mat.22:37. Sanctify God in your heart, 1Pe.3:15. Serve God with all your heart, De.26:16. Walk before God with all your heart, 1Ki.2:4. Trust God with all your heart, Pro.3:5. Regard not iniquity in your heart, Psa.66:18. Do God’s will from the heart, Eph.6:6.

“One heart”: a tender union. They felt the same or were attached to the same things, and this preserved them from jars and dissensions.

“One soul”: close, tender union as in “soul mates.” 5000 diverse people were suddenly drawn together with “one soul.” This close union was seen in every possible way: in their conduct, prayers, and property.

The Church on Fire was noted for “gladness and singleness of heart” and their contagious warmth. Those who didn’t want that kind of involvement “did not join themselves to them.” The local assembly, a “Loving Church,” as in Acts 4:32, was “Of one heart and one soul.” They were genuinely knit together, and great power and grace were there. We need to understand that these believers were no different than we are. They weren’t super-people but people who appreciated God’s grace and salvation and wanted the fellowship such blessings bring. When economic emergencies arose, they responded. Love has many ways of expressing itself. It just needs to be let loose and not be bound by our own sense of justice or injustice, fairness, or lack of fairness. None of us deserve the least of God’s mercies. So, we make the necessary changes, move on to full and productive lives, and enjoy the fellowship God has brought us into. As part of a company of believers into which God has brought me, I can no more walk away from them than I can from my family. If I walked away from my family, I would be some inhuman animal without affection and normal and natural concern. As my family matures, I let them go ahead and do things on their own. Gradually, I increased the responsibilities placed on each one until their capabilities became obvious. Then, I can assume a wider role and maintain our close linkage.

Several good teaching brethren were involved in the work at the Antioch assembly. This church seemed to have the characteristic of SINCERITY toward God and each other. There didn’t seem to be subtle undercurrents. These people took their work seriously to the extent that they knew they were “ministering to the Lord” when they taught God’s people and revealed God’s mind to them. It is interesting to notice that fasting went along with their ministering and praying.

“Fasting” is a means to gauge our sincerity and humility. When something needs to be approached with solemnity and humility before God, it is appropriate to fast in times of divine supplication. This focuses our attention on what is important, not what is trivial. Anything superficial is set aside, and we direct our mind, soul, and heart to the responsibility before us. These men were seriously engaged in the things of God when the Spirit of God commanded them to set apart Barnabas and Saul.

This was a new event. Until then, there had been no concerted plan to send the Gospel to the Gentiles. The door had been opened to them when Peter met with Cornelius. Some Gentiles were in the assembly at Antioch. However, this assembly humbled itself and sought God’s blessing on the new outreach work that God had defined as “the work whereunto I have called them.” The early church needed divine direction and aid in this great work. They sought, in humility, God’s blessing on the labors of these men they were sending out. The results showed their prayers were answered. We read about their report meeting at the end of the next chapter.

The laying on of hands didn’t put them into apostolic office. Saul was chosen by Christ Himself. There is no evidence that the laying on of hands ordained the apostles. The laying on of hands didn’t make them preachers of the Gospel because both had been doing that before. This act was a designation of a particular work of great importance. It was the appointment by the local assembly to do missionary work. The church sent them away under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, thus assuming responsibility toward the workers and the workers and accountability toward the assembly.

So, to get a profile of a biblically gathered New Testament church, we look for the characteristics of “gladness and singleness of heart,”; “one heart and one soul,” and those who “ministered unto the Lord, fasted and prayed.” They were noted for their sincerity and seriousness when it came to the work of the Lord. It was of major importance. These men were going out to be witnesses of the Person of Christ and their own personal faith in Him.

In seeking out and identifying the profile of a New Testament church that is scripturally gathered and functioning according to the pattern taught by the Holy Spirit, we come to those who are “World-upsetters.” Warmth, love, and sincerity are important characteristics of a local assembly. Another characteristic that is very needed is FAITH. The Lord has always looked upon men and women of faith with favor. It is impossible for us to please God without it. It is also evidence of a normal assembly that God can use. In the early verses of Acts 17, we have two different assemblies, but each was effective because of this evident faith.

Thessalonica was a seaport at the head of the bay Themaicus. Greeks, Romans, and Jews inhabited it. The apostles probably passed through Amphipolis and Apolonia because there was no synagogue but there was one at Thessalonica. Paul followed a plan he had used before: to attend the synagogue and preach the Gospel to the Jews first. “He reasoned with them” means he makes a public discourse. “Opening” is explaining, unfolding what is concealed or obscure, like the opening of eyes. “Alleging” is laying down the proposition and maintaining that it is so. His point was then that there was a fitness and necessity that the Messiah, expected by the Jews as predicted in the scriptures, should suffer. The Jews were unwilling to admit this.

Paul would point out that Jesus was the Messiah by: Referring to the prophecies respecting Him. Born in Bethlehem, Mic.5:2. Of the tribe of Judah, Ge.49:10. Of the line of Jesse and the royal line of David, Isa.11:1,10. Came at the time predicted, Dan.9:24-27. His appearance, character, work, etc., was revealed in Isa.53 Referring to His miracles: God would not do miracles to confirm the work of an imposter. Referring to His resurrection from the dead.

Berea is introduced in Acts 17:10 as another city with a synagogue. Paul could follow the same pattern of work here as he had before. Some things we can deduct from this are: Satan always seeks the lives of those who further the Gospel. Paul keeps to his commission despite difficulties and follows his outreach plan – Jews first and then Gentiles. The “more noble” Bereans were not possessed of prejudice and obstinacy against the Gospel. They didn’t react with rage but thought it was worthy of their search and inquiry. A teachable and pliable spirit towards the Word of God is the best sort of nobleness. The Bereans are highly commended for searching the scriptures. The scriptures were in the hands of the common people, in their own language, and God commends them for applying themselves to understand it. This duty is upon us as well as upon the Bereans. Nobility is not only linked to birth but is also a quality of mind and heart. These people were willing to: Examine the truth. Receive the word respectfully without spurning it out of hand. Search the scriptures: make a diligent, earnest, serious inquiry to find the truth. Daily search: they assumed responsibility for learning the truth. Conclude whether these things were so: are the doctrines taught truly scriptural? There is a standard of truth, and ways to find it include: Be willing to examine the proofs of truth. Daily study keeps us on track and focused. Constant searching of scripture keeps us from error. Examine what you hear from the scriptures. Christ sends His messengers from place to place, pressing forward the faith. Satan, too, has his messengers seeking with restless vigor to persecute and prosecute the ambassadors of Christ. It is the duty of parents and teachers to form the habits of each succeeding generation by passing on a conviction of the truth of the scriptures. The church's purity depends upon that spirit of nobility being extended to others rising among us.

Acts, written as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke, is an accurate historical record of the early church. It is also a theological book regarding the Holy Spirit, church relationships and organization, implications of grace, and the law of love. It is also an apologetic work, building a case for the validity of Christ’s claims and promises. The main themes are:

Witness: Definition: "Martus, martyr".... Our word "martyr" means one who bears witness to one's death. One who can and does declare what he has seen, heard, or knows. "Historical" -- a happening or happenings. A person who was present or saw something he can talk about. A person who gives evidence. A person who watches a contract signed and then signs it himself. A statement made by a witness.