The Lord began to open up to me how the spiritual church looked like in the first church. The early church doesn’t look like the church today, I wonder why? God is no respecter of person, so what He does for one, He will do for another. Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. Romans 2:11 For there is no partiality with God. In other words, those who say that, “This only happened with the Apostles,” or. “God doesn’t do that anymore,” have the spirit of error. Everything the Apostles did was in the Name of Jesus. Is the Name of Jesus dead? The Apostles were full of the Holy Spirit and walked in the power of the spirit. Is the Holy Spirit dead? Jesus also chose the Apostles, are you not chosen? Do you now see how ridicules this line of thinking is! We are to follow Jesus as the Apostles did!
The first thing that I noticed between the early church and the church today is that today we tell people to say a prayer, but the early church taught baptism. I want to show you an example of what happened with Paul and Silas in Acts 16. Paul had cast out the spirit of divination out of a woman and was thrown in jail for that. Paul and Silas were persecuted for this and in response they sang songs and hymns to the Lord in jail and the earth shook. All the prisoners stayed in the prison as all the doors were opened from the earthquake. The jailer asked Paul, “what must I do to be saved?” Paul said “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved!” Paul who wrote Romans 10:9-10, did not tell the jailer to say a prayer, but immediately baptized him and his family. Acts 16:25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” 29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
The second thing I noticed that between the early church and the church today is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Father baptized Jesus with the Holy Spirit as He came down as a dove and this was confirmed by Father saying, “This is My Beloved Son in whom I AM well pleased.” Matthew 3:16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The early church was told to tarry in Jerusalem until they would be endued with power from the most high. Luke 24:49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. There wasn’t twelve praying in the upper room, but one hundred and twenty and they were all endued with the power from most high. Interesting that the people heard more than 12 languages after they all came out from the upper room. Acts 1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. 15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty).
The Third thing I noticed that between the early church and the church today is what is being preached. Today the church is preaching the word, which to them is the Bible. The early church was preaching the Word as well, but there was no Bible back then. The Word that they were preaching was Jesus. Back then, they understood that Jesus is the Word of God. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The early church understood that to preach the Word is to preach Jesus. Preaching Jesus isn’t about what He can do for you, but what He has done for you. Jesus died on the cross as you, taking the punishment which we deserved. Baptism is how our sins are washed away forever, never to return. The natural man is now dead through baptism unless you want him to stay alive? With the natural man dead, we have denied ourselves, we pick up our cross which is Jesus’ Righteousness and we follow everything that He has done and said, the spirit man. Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
I hope you got some understanding between the early church and the church today. One more thing, the early church was not a business, todays church is. If they are giving out tax deductible receipts, then it’s a business. You can’t serve God and money. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
The church is to be built on the revelation of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is there, two things can happen. Either there is going to be riots or a revival. Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. Acts 17:5 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. 7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.” 8 And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. 9 So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
The church today has nothing to do with a building, but it does have to do with the people. Jesus said that on the revelation (rock) I will build My church. The church belongs to Jesus as it is Him that is building it. Matthew 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. The revelation of Jesus Christ is that God could live in a man. Remember, Jesus came as a man, walked this earth as a man filled with the spirit, and died as a man, paying for what Adam had done that anyone who would believe in Jesus can walk as He walked with God. 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. If Jesus walked on earth as God, you cannot be saved. Jesus proved that a man can walk with God here on earth. He showed us the way that anyone can do this. If Jesus walked o earth as God and not a man, He would do everything under His own authority as everything was created through Him, but He didn’t. John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. It wasn’t until Jesus rose from the dead that all authority was given to Him, taking back what the devil stole in the garden of Eden. Now whoever believes in Jesus, born again into the name of Jesus, can walk with God here on earth. That was Jesus’ prayer in John 17. This is the spiritual house Jesus is building. 1 Peter 2:4 Coming to Him as to a LIVING STONE, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as LIVING STONES, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Here is some food for thought for you. Do you ever wonder why Jesus said this to His disciples? Matthew 24:1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” He is telling them that You won’t be worshipping God in a building anyone. Please pay attention how this is all connected. Jesus is building a church in the spirit, not buildings. He explained this to the woman at the well. John 4:19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Do you remember when Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter? John 1:40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone). A stone also is a rock, now remember this “rock”. Jesus mentions “rock” again to Peter later. Matthew 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. We see that the church that Jesus is building is built on living stones (rock). Now if this house is built in the spirit the church will stand, but if it is built in the flesh (sand) it will not stand. Matthew 7:24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
Paul best explained this spiritual church. It is the body of Christ in the spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. Many people focus on the gifts, who wouldn’t. Everyone love gifts. I have chosen to focus on the One who is giving the gifts.
Another thing that I have not noticed yet in all of my encounters in the scriptures, that there were many churches in one city. When I read Revelations 2 and 3, each city had one church, not many. Many churches in one city is a church divided. I also didn’t come across any denominations in the scriptures. A house that is divided will fall.
Be Blessed my friends