Churches everywhere are looking for the next thing. Trying to find ways to make church seem more interesting or appealing. Sometimes this includes incorporating principles from the world into the church. All in the hopes it will light the fires of revival. Technology is king. The clock is worshipped. And services continue to get shorter, less frequent, and more impersonal. Church is starting to look much different than it did only decades ago. The Apostolic church today stands at a crossroads and must make a decision. Follow the trends of the world and other movements. Or keep forging ahead on the path we are already on.
I believe we in the Apostolic church should look at other churches as the example of what not to do. While denominal churches are acting with the best intentions. Hoping to attract new people and keep those they already have. It simply isn’t working. These changes are only hurting the greater church. As it is creating less dedicated and even less biblically literate “Christians”. Congregation sizes also continue to dwindle all across our country despite these grand modern advancements. And it’s not that people are leaving for more interesting churches. They simply are not attending church anymore.
What the Apostolic church must do is stay the course. Now is not the time to change the way we do things. It is the time to stay dedicated to the Lord. The best thing we can do is not attempt to look forward to what the next church trend could be. But to instead look behind us and see what worked for the pioneers of the church. Imitating the righteous actions that brought us to where we are. We must look for the old godly way and walk in it. That is the only way we will experience revival, church growth, and powerful moves of God.
Jeremiah 6:16 (ESV)
16 Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
The revivals that shaped the world we know today were not started by changing the order of service. At least not in the way we would think to do today. The Azusa Street revival wasn’t born out of shorter services and less church. Quite the opposite in fact. That great outpouring of the Holy Ghost came from dedicated people who started coming together more and more. Seeking God to move and as we know those who seek will find.
Matthew 7:7 (ESV)
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
What they found was a move of the Holy Spirit like that on the day of Pentecost. When another group of believers came together to seek God. The first church was a dedicated church and God blessed them for their dedication. Scripture says they would meet together daily and that new converts were added to the church daily. Great things were happening and it wasn’t the product of incorporating the newest philosophies, technologies, or growth methods.
Acts 2:1–4 (ESV)
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:46–47 (ESV)
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Acts 5:42 (ESV)
42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
It is a sad truth that so many churches think the answer to more dedicated Christians is less church. When all that less church does is offer people more opportunities to get caught up in the world. This is not the time for less church but more church. We must follow the teaching of scripture and come together even more as the last days approach. That will strengthen and grow the church. The opposite will only produce what we are already witnessing.
Hebrews 10:25 (ESV)
25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
What we see throughout the Bible is that God honors dedication and obedience to His word. If the goal is to experience growth, revival, and God’s power then we will find all those through being dedicated to God. Honestly, less church only shows a lack of dedication. You may say that not enough people are coming on Wednesday or Sunday evenings. But one person is enough to share the life-changing word of God. The Pastor willing to preach to even one on a Wednesday night shows a dedication to God that He will bless.
Church isn’t about having a full building on any given night. It is all about serving and seeking the Lord. Scripture tells us when two or three are gathered in His name God is there among them. When God is there it will always attract others and growth will naturally happen. You can be sure that Peter, Paul, and those bringing revival wouldn’t stop holding services because not enough people were coming. They were too dedicated to God for that. The Azusa Street revival had very humble beginnings but because God was present growth continued daily.
Matthew 18:20 (ESV)
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Screens, lights, speakers, and other modern technologies are great. But we must be sure that we don’t fall into the same trap as many other churches. In which the spirit of worship has been lost. Replaced instead with the spirit of entertainment. In the Apostolic Church, we pride ourselves in worshiping the Lord in spirit and in truth. Just as those before us did. If we want to keep moving forward then our focus must be on pleasing God and not solely on entertaining those in the audience. Just like time and dedication, worship is honored by the Lord. Which is what takes a church to the next level of growth, revival, and power.
John 4:24 (ESV)
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Isaiah 12:5 (ESV)
5 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
Hebrews 13:15 (ESV)
15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
Psalm 29:2 (ESV)
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
Hebrews 12:28 (ESV)
28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
The other pillars of the church mustn’t be replaced either in the search for something new and exciting. Prayer in the name of Jesus must remain integral to the church. It is not to be ashamed of but embraced and proclaimed. Because it contains great power and is directly taught within the word of God. Again we see this being embraced by the early church and churches of revival that were blessed by God.
John 14:13–14 (ESV)
13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
James 5:13–16 (ESV)
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Fasting isn’t a subject to ignore just because it makes some people uncomfortable. It is a biblical principle able to bring real change in the life of the believer. The same can be said for the subject of tithing. Many churches fail to understand why they are stagnant when it is because they fail to call their members to give cheerfully. A lack of giving results in a lack of blessing a lesson plainly shown in the scripture.
Matthew 6:16–18 (ESV)
16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Luke 6:38 (ESV)
38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
2 Corinthians 9:6 (ESV)
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Proverbs 11:24 (ESV)
24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
Fellowship even is on the decline in many modern churches today. As they rush the congregation out so they can re-enact the service in front of a new audience. Our Apostolic churches today do not need less fellowship if we want to experience growth. In reality we need more time for believers to fellowship with one another. Because it is through fellowship that people are helped through situations and receive answers. That otherwise may have caused them to leave the church. We are called to build up other believers. A process which the church building is an integer part of because where else will all the believers be gathered together in one place.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV)
11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Proverbs 27:17 (ESV)
17 Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.
With all this, the Apostolic church must continue to preach the same doctrine the church has been preaching since its inception. We didn’t get here by giving in to the pull of the world to accept the false doctrine and we can’t start now. We must continue to preach the truth of scripture. That there is only one God and His name is Jesus. That the biblical way to baptize is in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. We must never neglect the importance of receiving the Holy Spirit with the sign of speaking in new tongues. Always emphasizing the need to offer up praise to the only one who is worthy. While holding tightly to the Holiness standards presented in scripture.
Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV)
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Colossians 2:9 (ESV)
9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
Acts 2:37–38 (ESV)
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
1 Timothy 2:9 (ESV)
9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,
Deuteronomy 22:5 (ESV)
5 “A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.
In order to keep advancing the Apostolic church must remain on the old godly path. Focusing on the truth and dedication to the Lord that got us to where we are today. Ignoring the attempts of other denominations to modernize the church in ways that simply aren’t working. I am not saying that the Apostolic church should avoid every modern advancement. But we should never view them as what must be done while we fail to look back and see what got us to this point.
Screens, lights, speakers, growth strategies, programs, and the like will never save us or cause us to experience true revival. The only thing that will propel the Apostolic church further is dedication to the Lord. Dedication that manifests itself through the time we give to the church, the worship we offer God, the lifestyle we live daily, and the fellowship we empower between believers.
Praise God that what we already see these very things being clung to in the Apostolic movement. Thankfully we don’t see a vast departure from the righteous ways of old. Like you see in so many modern churches. But still, this all must be said and brought up often because it is so easy to get caught up in what’s new. To get pulled into the latest trends and lose the sturdy foundation we currently have. It is similar to the ease of falling back into sin. So I say may the church who thinks its stands take heed lest you fall.
1 Corinthians 10:12 (ESV)
12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
The Apostolic church doesn’t need change, it only needs to stick with the truth that works. We can take it further through modern means but we cannot and never will need to replace it. These old well-worn pillars of the faith are what will always keep us growing while others are deteriorating. The old way got us to where we are and it will surely get us to where we are going. All we need to do as the Apostolic church is hold firmly to the dedication to God and His inspired word. Just as we always have. God will take care of the rest just as He has many times before.
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