A terribly holy and undeniable presence
This is a follow up on my last post: Looking for grace in the story of Ananias and Sapphira, still on Luke’s narrative from Acts 5. I have talked about how I questioned God’s grace in the story of that poor couple, and I’m curious now about how the world and the Christians in that time reacted.
11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.
12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.
13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.
14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women…
Acts 5:11-14(NKJV)
Today’s Church in the World’s View
Assuming God’s own standards for the church, I often think about how the world is ideally supposed to view we believers. Looking globally, there is a wide range of reactions to Christianity, but Christianity is still the most popular religion today, even the truly secular world have not been able to ignore it utterly. But that doesn’t answer the question for me.
In Southern Nigeria, where I come from, atleast nominally, the people are predominantly Christians. Christianity is popular. Most people think a Church wedding is cool. Gospel music /home videos, or whatever’s so called are best sellers. And then, people who never go to church, can tell you the most trendy and glamorous churches or pastors. Church programs in places like Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt and other parts of the east, witness the most populated religious gatherings all over the world. Butwith all these observations, how much can we rely on the current church system for a truly spiritual influence in the lives of my people?
I’m disturbed by the fact that many people see belonging to a religion as a social requirement or convenience, that’s why we find many actual unbelievers who feel very comfortable in our churches, without having any definite commitments to Jesus or the bible. I’m afraid about people attending church for different reasons, and to satisfy many selfish needs. I fear that merely identifying with a church can now be conveniently converted for social leverage and status solely. Perhaps more disturbing is the fact that some of our churches encourage these, maybe all they also actually care about now is remaining popular and wining souls for Christ is no longer their ultimate.
The public image of the first century church
11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.
12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.
13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.
14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women …
Acts 5:11-14(NKJV)
There are several observations to make from this passage:
One, the occurences taking place in the church as a vindication of God’s presence, inspired awe and reverence not only in believers but also unbelievers around. Apparently in those days, if the church was regarded as popular, it was because of God’s undeniable vindication amongst them in moral purity and in works of power. Does our society actually see our church programs today as more than a social or religious gathering, a place where God actually is present in holiness and power? But how can they really, When they are well acquainted with too many of the church people who lie and cheat, who are irresponsible and unfaithful in work, business and love? and youths who are largely sexually immoral. I’m asking.
Also, v13 clearly let’s us see that people who did not believe, or were not saved yet, were afraid to just come into church and identify with Christians for selfish motives apart from seeking conversion for themselves. Not to mention that being a Christian itself, at that time, came with a price, Persecution and other sacrifices. The lifestyle of those believers was impossible to imitate or fake, they clearly and unapologetic-ally stood out from the world of sin, compromise and selfishness.
The excuse we some times give for compromising the gospel standard, is that we want to pull people in, we want to have sinner friendlier churches. But the uncompromising portrait of the first century church indelibly confronts this rationale. Didn’t that church grow? Oh! they grew and spread in leaps and bounds. The bible specifically offers some details in v14. “And believers were increasingly added“ – it was newly born again believers that were added to church in multitudes, not unrepentant unbelievers or pretenders. Consequently, the predominant kind of fruit the christians bore at large was righteousness.
Church with God’s power and presence
We must realize that we are the church. We must be a truly spiritually minded people if we really want to enjoy God’s presence and power clearly evident for all to see in our churches again, like it was in the time of Peter. There are a few things we have to consider:
Our Gospel, what we preach. What kind of gospel did the Apostles preach, they definitely didn’t advertise general goods and wholesale solutions to every personal problem in that church. They preached Christ simply, they advertised salvation from sin and eternal life. so no prospective believer was in doubt what they were signing up for. If you weren’t tired of the weight of sin and looking for a savior, you wouldn’t be in their church. If all you wanted was a cure from poverty, or sickness, nobody would be taking advantage of your neediness, trying to trick you to join the church. In our poverty stricken environment in Africa, most people would do anything, if you promise that it will give them financial freedom, and that includes general church attendance, sowing seeds of faith, paying of tithes etc. Being a Christian, can hardly be referred to as a work of grace in this cases. These kind of patronizing, need centered gospel, doesn’t produce any long lasting faith. We may contextualize the presentation of the Gospel, so as to identify with different kinds of people, cultures and experience, but we cannot adjust it’s contents to suit individual neediness.
Christ centered-ness and Love, how we live. Christ should be at the center of our focus, not just the center of our message, but also the center of our desires and aspirations. The world can intelligently tell what our priorities are by the way we live in the society and the examples we lay in the office or business places. This, in its own self, is a witness of our gospel. Do the things we live for contradict the gospel we profess. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:35. The world also notices our selflessness in the way we demonstrate love towards one another. Besides, God identifies with love. The spirit of God moves freely and comfortably wherever there is love and devotional harmony.
Our doctrine and sanctification. We do not discriminate when we present the gospel, no living human is evil enough to be denied a right to hear the gospel. But we must discriminate against certain ideas in church with good reason. We must discriminate against ideas that compromise the message of the gospel, even though they bring more unsaved people to attend church. We must not be conformed to the world or worldly desires, we must do the will of God. Rom 12:2, 1 John 2:15-17. We must preach the truth with grace and compassion like Jesus did, but we must preach nothing but the truth.
If we opt to lessen the standards of doctrine as prescribed by the epistles, maybe conform our teaching more to the incline of what carnal minds wish to hear, shying away from issues of repentance and consecration, in order to accommodate more of the unsaved kind and coax them into commitment in our churches, we make the church more conducive for the sinner, but will it really be God in charge or would it just be us running a show.
Conclusion
God chose to show His presence in the church since it’s earliest years by works of power, signs and wonders. Apart from seeing numerous miracles, the young men for instance, who packed out the dead bodies of Ananias and Sapphira would have no doubts about God’s fiery holy presence in the church, same for those who knew what happened to some of those who ate from the Holy Communion table unworthily. You may ask, is God’s presence and power really that evident in the church today? Or why then, does God condone much more unrighteousness in the church presently? God’s presence is still Holy and Powerful as ever it was Holy. So Maybe we should all ask ourselves where are our churches in His presence?
