Title A Model Church That Becomes One
Contents
There are many models in the world we live in. A model house is a system that makes the same as the real situation and subscribes to it. People have models too. Politicians often model the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. I try to emulate that person's life and philosophy. Then it could be similar or even better.
The model of the early church today will be the model of all churches. How could the early church become such a church? It is the result of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit made the hearts of all the saints like this. When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we receive power and Jesus becomes our greatest treasure. If you change to the heart of Jesus, what will you look like?
1. Our hearts become one.
'The believers are of one mind and one accord.' At that time, Judaism went through 400 years of intermediate history, and the original 12 tribes of Judaism almost disappeared. As a result, new sects emerged, namely the Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, and the Zealots. Even if these sects are inevitable by-products of history, they do show the divisions of Judaism. There was also intense conflict between the factions.
We believe in the resurrection, we do not believe, we believe in angels, we do not believe, we are more pious, we are zealous...
However, most of the early church members who were converted from such Judaism had one heart and one mind. They overcame all sects. Overcoming differences between social classes.
So now they are one brother in Christ. This is the gospel.
In the gospel, there are neither righteous people nor sinners. There are no free and no slaves.
We are all children of the same God and brothers. How can that be?
When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we become one.
Ephesians 4:3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, in the same way you were called in one hope of your calling.
Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism
Ephesians 4:6 There is one God, the Father of all, who is above all and unites all and is in all.
But what happens when the Holy Spirit is quenched?
1 Corinthians 1:10 I beseech you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in the same mind and in the same mind.
1 Corinthians 1:11 My brethren, I have heard of you as part of the house of Chloe, that there are strife among you.
1 Corinthians 1:12 This is none other than that you each say, I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas, and I am of Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:13 How is Christ divided, was Paul crucified for you, and were ye baptized in his name?
When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you become one. It becomes one accord. If our hearts are united, we can do great things. The devil divides one heart and one mind. When Adam and Eve sinned, they shifted the blame to each other. We are one. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we become one. The church is one body. Jesus is the head of the church. Just as God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one, we too become one.
One heart and one mind. Please be a model for this early church. How do Spirit-filled saints change?
2. Become one with matter (32b)
'All things were in common, and there was no one who said that even a little of their possessions were theirs.'
God said, 'The silver is mine, and the gold is mine' (Haggai 2:8). During his public ministry, Jesus thoroughly applied this to himself and his disciples. So Jesus personally owned nothing.
Matthew 8:20 Jesus said to them, Foxes have dens, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.
The disciples also possessed nothing.
Matthew 4:20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Jesus.
Mark 10:28 Peter said to her, Behold, we have left everything and followed you.
Mark 10:21 When Jesus saw him, he loved him and said to him, "You lack one thing. Go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Why? Because they love Jesus more than wealth. It is because you believe in Jesus and are saved. The saved people do not see the treasures of the world as treasures because they have greater treasures in their hearts. Because Jesus is the treasure. Because Jesus is the treasure, the commandments of Jesus are kept.
Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to them, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."
Matthew 22:38 This is the great and first commandment.
Matthew 22:39 The second is like that, saying, Love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:40 These two commandments are all the law and the prophets.
When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, money is not seen as money. A poor, poor neighbor is seen as more valuable than money. That is love. Become one with the heart of Jesus. Now we become one with matter. The rich sell and give to the poor. The poor become rich. Everyone is averaged. All will live well.
Acts 4:32 Those who believed were of one mind and of one mind, and had all things in common, and any of their possessions were their own.
Acts 4:34 There was no one in need among them, for those who owned fields and houses sold them and brought the price of what they sold.
Acts 4:35 and put them at the feet of the apostles, so that they distributed to each one according to their need.
Acts 4:36 There was a Levite who was born in Cyprus, whose name was Joseph, and the apostles called him Barnabas.
Acts 4:37 And when he had a field, he sold it, took the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we become one with material things. Let's be a model for this church. This is what happens when you are filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. Become one in the spread of the Gospel.
'The apostles testified of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power.'
The apostles testify of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power. The crowds receive great grace for the way of resurrection. Neither the field nor the house is important anymore.
We live for a little while, we are strangers. Matter belongs to God. I give back to God what is God's. I give it to my brothers. Why? Because we have a better resurrection.
1 Timothy 6:7 Since we brought nothing into the world, neither can we take anything out.
1 Timothy 6:8 If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
1 Corinthians 15:42 So is the resurrection of the dead, sown in perishability, raised in immortality
1 Corinthians 15:43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in strength.
1 Corinthians 15:44 It is sown in a natural body and is raised in a spiritual body. For if there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
<Conclusion>
A person whose money is more precious than Jesus cannot give.
Those who feel that money is more precious than their neighbors, like the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16, only cares for their own belly. Serves two masters. One went to heaven, but the other went to hell. Why? Both confess that they are descendants of Abraham. It all happened because of money. Money did love. I couldn't love God because of money. Money didn't stop you from loving your brother.
Everything is because of money. The faith that can transcend the most precious money is the love of Jesus. The devil still makes us serve the golden calf. They say money is better than God. Or, they are told to serve God and money. However, if the love of Jesus is forcing you to pour out your heart, that amount of money is considered insignificant. They give up their money and follow Jesus. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Money comes from God. God is Jesus.
The people of Jesus become of one heart and one mind because of the love of Jesus. The early church is a church that has one heart and one will, a church that becomes one with material things, and a church that receives one grace in the resurrection. This is the model of our church.
All of this is done by the Holy Spirit. When we receive the filling of the Holy Spirit, the love of the Lord is so great that it becomes like this. The Lord's man is so strong that my heart feels like it's about to explode. I pray that the Agape Church will be overflowing with such grace.(*)