15 10 The Second Look at the Model Church

10 The Second Look at the Model Church

10. The Second Look at the Model Church

INTRODUCTION By "second look at the model," we mean the study of the conduct of the Jerusalem (church while in the dispersion. There are some revealing facts in their conduct that clearly indicate just how the apostles taught and trained that first church before the dispersion. Here is our text for this chapter: "And at that time," the Revised Version says, "on that day," the day Stephen, the first martyr, was stoned to death, "there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.... Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word." (Acts 8:1; Acts 8:4).

Let us study together the following facts: their readiness -for the dispersion, the universality of their conduct, its naturalness, and supremacy.

1. They Were Ready for the Dispersion. By this we simply mean that Jerusalem had been evangelized; every home had been entered that could be entered with the gospel message and every individual approached that was approachable with this message, hence there was nothing for the church there to do. flow does this sound? "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." That Jerusalem had been thoroughly evangelized, there can be no doubt. Thousands, as we learned in the preceding lesson, had been turned of Christ. There were others, doubtless, that looked on the church with wonder and admiration who did not accept Christ; but there was that same persecuting group who were responsible for our Lord’s death, and who doubtless had committed the unpardonable sin during our Lord’s personal ministry, whose hatred became more and more intense as this church grew in numbers and in favor with the people. A study of Matthew 12:22-30 and Mark 3:22-30 contain our Lord’s warning about the sin against the Holy Spirit. That many of them committed it, it is reasonable to believe. Such people will stubbornly go on in their pernicious way against the most unanswerable facts. Study here Acts 4:13-18. There is such a thing as becoming God-abandoned. This comes only when people sin against light and facts they themselves cannot answer. The thing that hurt this persecuting gang most was the way the Jerusalem Church grew in numbers and the way it was admired and talked about by the unprejudiced. Don’t forget, as you learned in Acts 2:47, that this church praised God and had favor with all the people. Let us remember that the most powerful way of preaching the gospel is living it before the eyes of those with whom we have to do. You would do well to commit to memory the following poem:

“SERMONS SEEN AND SERMONS HEARD"

I’d rather see a sermon than, hear one any day, I’d rather one would walk with me than merely tell the way. For the eye is a better pupil, and more willing than the ear;

Fine counsel is confusing, but example is always clear. And the best of all the preachers are men who live their creeds, For to see good put into action is what everybody needs, I can soon learn how to do it if you let me see it done.

I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run. And the lectures you deliver may be very wise and true But I’d rather get my lesson by observing what you do; For I may misunderstand you and the fine advice you give, But there is no misunderstanding how you act and how you live. When I see a deed of kindness then I am eager to be kind; When a weaker brother stumbles and a stronger stays behind Just to see if he can help him, then the wish grows strong in me To become as big and as thoughtful as I know that friend to be. And all travelers will witness that the best of guides today Are not the ones that tell them, but the one that shows the way.

One good man teaches many; men believe what they behold;

One act of kindness noticed is worth forty that are told; Who stands with men of honor learns to hold his honor dear, For right living speaks a language that to everyone is clear.

Though an able speaker charms me with his eloquence, I say:

I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day.

How true the above words are. And who will say that God, when he ordained that his "manifold wisdom" is to be made known to "principalities and powers in heavenly places" by the church, had in mind this being done mostly by the way the church lives before the people? Is it not possible for us to have been good talkers and not so good livers before the people? If you want to hurt your enemies, live the life God would have you live before them. Have you read it? "Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." (Titus 2:8). This kind of living comprehends two things: ( 1) that no one can point out ungodliness in our lives; (2) that no one can point out unsoundness in our teaching. Now read verse 7 for the proof of this: "In all things strewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine strewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity." Live by this direction and you will be a model Christian, and a number of such will make a model local congregation.

2. The Universality of Their Conduct. Bythis we simplymean what the record clearly states—viz.,"They that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word." While there is nothing said about it in those chapters that cover the ground of "The First Look at the Model," chapters 3 through 7, their conduct when dispersed declares undoubtedly how they had been taught by the apostles to live as individual disciples. They all preached.

(3) No exception on account of sex.That early church hadwomen teachers, women helpers. Study Romans 16:1-2; Php 4:3; Titus 2:3-5. There is a certain line of teaching that women can give to women better than any man. Women’s work in the church has restrictions thrown around it, but the last one of them should be developed into teachers. When any convert is not developed into a teacher, God’s will has new been accomplished in that person. Study Hebrews 5:11-12. Our Lord wants all to become teachers of the word. Just here I recall a little agitation that came up over our selecting as a teacher for a class of women a most capable and consecrated sister. This selecting was done by the elders after prayerful search for a good woman teacher. One of the sisters in that class ceased to meet with them, stayed at home, began to talk around about it, and finally sent for the preacher. When he entered her home, she was in tears. She was distressed to death. She was asked what the trouble was. Her answer was: "oh, you have a woman teaching a class!" The answer to this was: "Well, what of it?" "oh," she said, "Paul said for the women to keep silent in the church, that it is not permitted unto them to speak." Of course, she had in mind 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and it is suggested that you read to the end of this chapter. "Very well," it was stated, ’’all of our sisters are keeping silent in this congregation except you, and if we get you to do so and cease to violate this Scripture, we will have peace instead of the confusion you are trying to create." Well, she looked astonished and horrified at the thought of violating the Scriptures. And here let it be said that she was a good woman, and deep down in her soul wanted to live as her Lord wanted her to live. There was no scolding or harsh words for her. She was kindly reminded that this sister was doing what the elders had asked her to do, that she was not usurping authority over men, but rather carrying out their instruction; that the silence Paul was talking about was silence as leaders, rulers, dictators in the affairs of the local church. She was then asked if we rescinded our action, asked this sister to cease to meet this class, if she her self, a woman, would not then become the ruler of that local congregation and the elders carrying out her orders instead of letting Jesus be the head of that church? She saw the point and that ended the trouble with her. The teaching that is condemned in revealed Cor. 14:34, 35 is teaching as rulers in the local congregation. This sister was asked if she had the right to sing. She said she did. "Very well," she was told, "when you sing you are teaching, else the Holy Spirit has written the Bible wrong." (See Ephesians 5:18-19 and Colossians 3:16). In our singing we are "speaking one to another," we are "teaching and admonishing one another." Shall the women cease all of this? Certainly not. The teaching condemned is that of teaching as a ruler or director. Women are forbidden to do this. She was also asked if she, when she started to church, understood this Scripture to teach that she must stop her ears with cotton or something else and see to it that she did not learn one thing while in the assembly. She, of course, said the thought was ridiculous. She was asked to read again this Scripture, for it says: "And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home. ” What is this the women are forbidden to learn while in the assembly? It most certainly is the business affairs of the church, the things that are left entirely with the elders to regulate. Women have no right to be meddling with such affairs in the local church. This is left with the elders or the men who are doing the leading. Many local church fusses have been started by some self-willed, officious woman as everyone who has had much experience with local congregations knows. There is a lot of teaching they should daily do as they mix and mingle with unsaved souls, whether they are men or women, boys or girls. The local church is put under elders as overseers, and no woman was ever appointed to such a position. The elders of the local church, if they know their duty, will be seeking to develop the women into effective teachers and assign them work to do.

(4) No exception on account of age. Our boys and girls, the very day they are baptized into Christ, should be taught that it is their duty to go out and evangelize "their little world," so to speak. By their little world, I have in mind their schoolmates and the ones with whom they daily play. Tell me not that this is not what should be taught our young people. The crying sin among our leaders today is the fact they baptize our children and then turn them loose as though there is nothing for them to do.

Just here an experience once had by James A. Harding. In one of his revivals, a boy, some nine or ten years old, wanted to be baptized. Brother Harding took his confession, but his baptism was held up due to the objections of some of the local leaders who said he was too young. Brother Harding talked to the boy all about his obedience, and was fully convinced the child was moved by the right motive. After some days’ delay, he was finally baptized. A few nights thereafter, as Brother Harding was sitting up at the front looking over his sermon notes while the audience was being assembled, this same little man came in and sat down gently by him and said: "Brother Harding, John Smith is to make the confession tonight, and I do not want you to worry about baptizing him, for he knows what he is doing. I haste been teaching him. ” This is exactly the spirit we are trying to get over to you. That first church, the Jerusalem church, had been started right by these apostles by teaching every convert that he must go out and win others to Christ. Now, do you believe it? "They all went everywhere preaching the word—men and women, boys and girls."

3. The Naturalness of Their Conduct. And what is meant by naturalness of their conduct? I simply mean this: when a human being really finds Christ to the saving of his own soul, he at once begins to get his friends and loved ones interested in this same Savior. Here study John 1:40-48. When Andrew found Christ, he at once went for his own brother Simon. When Philip found our Lord, he at once went for his brother Nathanael. Just so it is with every true convert today. If we are really saved, we will be seeking to lead others to Christ.

Just here the story of the conversion of a grand old man who has gone on to his reward. He was a good businessman, owned several homes, had a prosperous business, but he had no education. His friend at the bank filled out all of his checks, signed his name, and touched his hand while he made his mark. A few weeks after being baptized he called me on Friday and said he wanted me to go with him to Golden Hill Sunday afternoon. My reply was that I was due to begin a revival at the Nashville Bible School that Sunday, but perhaps I could get someone else to go with him, and asked for what purpose he wanted me to go. He said: "Brother Hall, ever since you baptized me, I have been going to Golden Hill and talking to my mother and father about Jesus. The neighbors have become interested and the little room is full now when I go out there, and I want you to go and open the doors of the church. I believe we will get some joiners." I kindly laughed at him and said: "Now, Brother Childers, you know the door is open, hence I could not do that; and as to joiners, you know we do not join the church, we get people to do what Christ says and he adds them to the church." "oh, Brother Hall," said he, "I beg your pardon, I know that too, for I have heard you say that so often, but I mean if someone will go and extend the invitation, that someone will obey the gospel." He had not been out of Babylon long enough to free himself of all their terminology or way of saying things, and don’t think for a moment that he got any scolding from me. How we do need to learn patience with babes in Christ! He was assured that we would have a man to go with him. The man was selected who had made a few prayer-meeting talks. He sent me a night letter that Sunday night and the contents ran about this way: "I went to Golden Hill. The little house was packed full.

I talked as best I could and when the invitation was extended, I thought everybody was coming forward. Brother Childers’ mother, father, a brother, and a sister, with eight of the neighbors, confessed their faith in Christ." Do you see the point? This is the way the model church, the Jerusalem Church, was taught and developed.

4. The Supremacy of Their Conduct. By this we simply mean that the supreme desire in the hearts of these scattered disciples was to get others to learn of their Lord and his salvation. As we have already stated, in studying the naturalness of their conduct, that we all are good talkers about the things in which we are profoundly interested. The supreme things are the things we make first. And has not our Lord taught us to make the kingdom of God and his righteousness first? And does not Jesus say: "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh." (Matthew 12:34). Here a study of Matthew 6:19-34 is in order. Making a living for the body should not be first. Following some business with the idea of increasing our earthly holdings should not be first.

Now let us think for a few moments. It says: "They that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word." Don’t you think the Holy Spirit is telling the truth about these people? Now they did not go everywhere preaching the word as preachers today, as a rule, do. We are either called or sent. By this I mean we are called to do local work for a congregation; or, as an evangelist, we allow ourselves to be called here and there to hold meetings, and sometimes we allow ourselves to be sent to some mission point. But not such preachers and teachers were the scattered disciples of this model church. What congregation called them here and there? There was but one congregation and they, scattered here and there, constituted it. There was no congregation to send them. Now the fact of the business is that these scattered disciples went here and there and settled down at their calling, whatever that may have been, for a livelihood—some as blacksmiths, others as farmers, shepherds, merchants, or what not. But the supreme thing with them was to get others to know about Jesus, the one who had died for them and had arisen from the dead and gone back to the Father to prepare a place for them to live after death. The divine historian merely relates that which came first with them. Or to get the matter before us just as it was, I relate this story. It is said that a shoe cobbler had a space between two buildings covered over and thus made for himself a small space for his shop. An old boot was hung out to indicate to passers-by his trade. A man stepped into his shop one day, slipped his shoe from his foot and showed him a hole that had been worn through the sole and said: "Can you fix this for me? I presume this is your business. ” The old cobbler said: "No, my friend, you are mistaken." Picking up a Testament that was on his table, and flipping its pages to show its much use, he said: "My business, my dear sir, is to study this book and go to hearten and get as many others as possible to go with me. I have opened this shop here and am running it to get expense money along the way."

Now this is what is meant by supremacy of conduct. The supreme thing with them was to please God and be prepared to meet him in that day. Does not our Lord teach us to make this the first thing in life, the supreme thing in life? And do you not know that the apostles had taught the converts in Jerusalem this great lesson? But enough just here. When you come to study "The Money Question," more will be said about this.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO YOU You are writing a gospel, A chapter each day; By deeds that you do, By words that you say.

Men read what you write, Whether faithless or true.

Say! What is the gospel According to you?

—Selected.