The Hallmarks of the Church - Part I

The sermon that the Apostle Peter preached on Pentecost brought 3000 souls to the Lord. The 120 who were gathered in the upper room immediately had a 2500% increase in number and the church was born. Acts 2:42 gives an itemized list that not only describes the function of the church at its inception but also prescribes the criteria by which the church in any age ought to be "continually devoting" herself to in order to both preserve and demonstrate continuity with the apostles, on whom the church is built (Ephesians 2:20).
 
Using the list in Acts 2:42, danger looms when emphasizing, in the life of the local church, any one criterion over another. These criteria are the hallmark of the true church. They are not independent of one another. It is hard to comprehend the significance of this interrelatedness without first understanding the origin (i.e., the Lord Jesus) and the nature of the church (i.e., as the Body of Christ through the Holy Spirit). A church that is in continued worship and devotion to our Lord would want to sit at His feet (in a manner of speaking) and be a learning church that is growing in the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord. A church that worships her Lord and growing spiritually would love those within and without and would seek to evangelize and make disciples.
 

1. The Worshipping Church: The Acts 2 Church was a worshipping church. They were "day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God" (Acts 2:46-47). The Apostle Paul compares the church to the Body (of Christ) with Jesus Christ being the Head (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:23; Colossians 1:18). It is not surprising that when the church stops being a place of worship and devotion to the Lord Jesus that it becomes a place of idolatry. Even "the breaking of bread and prayer" included elements of worship and devotion to the Lord. When it is disconnected from the Head, the church becomes, as the adage says, like a chicken with its head cut off. The church begins to move aimlessly, perhaps with passion and vigor, but aimlessly, nevertheless. Still, over-emphasizing this aspect to the exclusion of the rest leads to a "clicky" church that is unwelcoming to others. The church begins to love its traditions and liturgy, good as they might be, over the reason for these traditions, the Lord Himself.
2. The Learning Church: Spiritual growth is another hallmark of a true church. When the Lord Jesus gave the Great Commission, He told His Disciples to make disciples and to teach them "to observe all that [He] commanded" (Matthew 28:18-20). Therefore from the inception of the church in Acts 2, the faithful were "continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching (doctrine)". The church is likened to a building with the apostles and prophets for its foundation (Ephesians 2:20). One major aspect conveyed by this imagery is the doctrine or "the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints." That is what Jude was compelled to "contend earnestly for" (Jude 1:3). This is important because while the apostles and prophets are the foundation of the church, the Lord Jesus is the Cornerstone by which every other stone in the building must be aligned with. He is the origin of the church; He commissioned the disciples to start it, and He is the One who will build it (Matthew 16:18). A church that is no longer committed to the Written Word is also no longer a church of the Incarnate Word (the Lord Jesus) who gave us that Written Word. Over-emphasizing learning, though, turns the church into a Bible study and believers to those who know Scripture but do not live it out.
3. The Loving Church
4. The Evangelizing Church

 
I will discuss the Loving church and the Evangelizing church next week.