#3 - The Early Church Was Displeased With Themselves

Quote of the day:
"What you are must always displease you, if you are to attain to that which you are not." - St. Augustine

The early church was displeased with themselves... This sounds bad, but it's not that Augustine is indorsing a form of self-loathing, instead he knows that we as Christians tend to think to highly of ourselves.

These moments... we all have them... these moments that we think we have made it are the moments when we surely have not made it. In fact, its the times when we are most pleased with ourselves that really we are the most detestable to be around.

Paul says it this way, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." - Philippians 3:13

Although we aren't perfect, we don't despair, we press on, knowing that we can never be pleased in ourselves through our own actions, but knowing that we have the righteousness of Christ imputed and infused to us.... we have God's righteousness and we are becoming righteous like God.

May we always be displeased in ourselves, yet always pleased with Christ in us. 

#2 - The Early Church Preached The Gospel First & Last

Quote of the day: 
"We want no curious debate after possessing Christ Jesus, no inquisition after enjoying the gospel" - Tertullian

Although there was much debate over how much philosophy should influence the church and be used in sermons, one thing is clear: the early church preached the gospel first and last.

How many of our churches actually preach the gospel? Did you hear the gospel of Jesus Christ this Sunday in your church, or did you hear gospel + philosophies of the world? Gospel + law? gospel + politics? Gospel + pop culture? Gospel + moralism?

Many of us should take the advise of Tertulllian; its not the debates of the world and the issues of the world that will change hearts, but the gospel. It's not the morals of the bible alone that will change hearts, but the gospel.

Let us remember that the hearts of men need the gospel, the gospel of repentance unto forgiveness of sins is what the early church taught, and it is what we should teach (Acts 5:31, Acts 10:43, Acts 13:38, Acts 26:18).

In your preparation for your ministry this week, whatever it may be, remember we should give the gospel first and last.

#1 - The Early Church Prayed

Quote of the day: 

 "As our body cannot live without nourishment, so our soul cannot live without prayer" - St. Augustine

In our churches, how many times do we forget to really pray. So many times prayers are used for transition purposes or program purposes rather than intentional. I have sat through many program meetings for churches where prayer was added solely to allow time for the band to come up, transition between a song, or to change a key.

Is prayer actually part of your service? Or is prayer just used for your service? This is a question to ask yourself.

Ask yourself, for this Sunday, or the next, will you intentionally put in a time to pray. I know that in our modern day, speedy culture, the idea of taking a time to pray in a service is thought to be archaic, or we are afraid it might put people to sleep, but prayer cannot be more important for the church.

In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul focuses on prayer as being an essential part to the service.

How can you, in your church tomorrow, push for prayer as a central part of the service? If our soul cannot live without prayer, surely the church should be a place where it is practiced.

Let us not forget the roots of our history, where prayer was an essential part to the community of the church.