the inluence of the early disciples seven lessons we learn from … · forgiveness. the early...

What we have seen and ourselves heard we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And this fellowship that we have (which is a distinguishing mark of Christians) is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, the messiah. And we are now writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be full - and your joy complete. 1 John 1:3-4 Amp. The In’luence of The Early Disciples As we look into the life of early Christians we see a number of common reoccurring themes that distinguish their lives and their walk with God. Early Christians stood apart from the world because they had been transformed by the power of God and had surrendered themselves to their Lord in both word and deed. They have the legacy of being greatly inEluential by the power of their devoted lives. Seven Lessons We Learn from the Early Christians 1. They Encountered the Power of God. Everyone was Eilled with awe at the many signs and wonders performed by the apostles. The early Church was not only birthed in the power of the Spirit, the Spirit’s power was part of its ongoing experience. It was this power that enabled the Church to impact people at a deep level. They lived in awe of the power of a miraculous God! The miraculous is a hallmark of the witness of the Church throughout Acts and the epistles. 2. They Experienced Authentic Salvation. If their past was religious Judaism or heathen paganism they all experienced a life transforming encounter with a risen Savior that revolutionized their lives. This new life of these truly saved ones included a special witness and fellowship with God and their fellow believers that formed a special supernatural bond. 3. They Devoted Themselves to the Practice of Truth. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. They committed themselves to the Word of God. 4. They Gave Generously as a Lifestyle. Generosity is another feature of life in the early Church. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They even sold property and possessions to give to those who had a need. This kind of sacri’icial generosity was an identifying trait of Christians throughout Acts and the epistles. 5. They Reached the Lost The early Christians were an evangelistic people. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Their faith was infectious and unstoppable as they reached out to the lost world around them. 6. They Were Willing to Endure Persecution. We see the heroic and sacriEicial choice that the early Christians considered as they faced living in a world that hated them. They actually survived and thrived during a time when they were not the cultural norm. This was a time of intense persecution for all true believers. 7. They Experienced Incredible Love and Supernatural Joy. The early Christians were known for their Christlike love and forgiveness. The early Christians were joyful both in worship and fellowship. “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.” (Acts 2:45-46) Today we also as “true believers” also have these traits in our lives as we follow Christ in both word and deed. May we all experience this life as we live “Being Christian!” Core Point: We see in the Bible a great witness and in’luence the early Christians were known for. We can learn great lessons from how their “Christianity” was lived. These lessons will remind us and help us rekindle the life that “Being Christian” truly is. Core Statement: I am forever grateful to have true salvation by Jesus Christ in my life! I experience the traits of “true Christianity” because truly, Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior!

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yourjoycomplete.1John1:3-4Amp.

TheIn'luenceofTheEarlyDisciples

AswelookintothelifeofearlyChristiansweseeanumberofcommonreoccurringthemesthatdistinguishtheirlivesandtheirwalkwithGod.EarlyChristiansstoodapartfromtheworldbecausetheyhadbeentransformedbythepowerofGodandhadsurrenderedthemselvestotheirLordinbothwordanddeed.TheyhavethelegacyofbeinggreatlyinEluentialbythepoweroftheirdevotedlives.SevenLessonsWeLearnfromtheEarlyChristians1. TheyEncounteredthePowerofGod.EveryonewasEilledwithaweatthemanysignsandwondersperformedbytheapostles.TheearlyChurchwasnotonlybirthedinthepoweroftheSpirit,theSpirit’spowerwaspartofitsongoingexperience.ItwasthispowerthatenabledtheChurchtoimpactpeopleatadeeplevel.TheylivedinaweofthepowerofamiraculousGod!ThemiraculousisahallmarkofthewitnessoftheChurchthroughoutActsandtheepistles.2. TheyExperiencedAuthenticSalvation.IftheirpastwasreligiousJudaismorheathenpaganismtheyallexperiencedalifetransformingencounterwitharisenSaviorthatrevolutionizedtheirlives.

ThisnewlifeofthesetrulysavedonesincludedaspecialwitnessandfellowshipwithGodandtheirfellowbelieversthatformedaspecialsupernaturalbond.

3. TheyDevotedThemselvestothePracticeofTruth.Theydevotedthemselvestotheapostles’teachingandtofellowship,tothebreakingofbreadandtoprayer.TheycommittedthemselvestotheWordofGod.4. TheyGaveGenerouslyasaLifestyle.GenerosityisanotherfeatureoflifeintheearlyChurch.Allthebelieversweretogetherandhadeverythingincommon.Theyevensoldpropertyandpossessionstogivetothosewhohadaneed.Thiskindofsacri'icialgenerositywasanidentifyingtraitofChristiansthroughoutActsandtheepistles.

5. TheyReachedtheLostTheearlyChristianswereanevangelisticpeople.“AndtheLordaddedtotheirnumberdailythosewhowerebeingsaved.”Theirfaithwasinfectiousandunstoppableastheyreachedouttothelostworldaroundthem.

6. TheyWereWillingtoEndurePersecution.WeseetheheroicandsacriEicialchoicethattheearlyChristiansconsideredastheyfacedlivinginaworldthathatedthem.Theyactuallysurvivedandthrivedduringatimewhentheywerenottheculturalnorm.Thiswasatimeofintensepersecutionforalltruebelievers.

7. TheyExperiencedIncredibleLoveandSupernaturalJoy.TheearlyChristianswereknownfortheirChristlikeloveandforgiveness.TheearlyChristianswerejoyfulbothinworshipandfellowship.“Everydaytheycontinuedtomeettogetherinthetemplecourts.Theybrokebreadintheirhomesandatetogetherwithgladandsincerehearts,praisingGodandenjoyingthefavorofallthepeople.”(Acts2:45-46)Todaywealsoas“truebelievers”alsohavethesetraitsinourlivesaswefollowChristinbothwordanddeed.Mayweallexperiencethislifeaswelive“BeingChristian!”

CorePoint:WeseeintheBibleagreatwitnessandin'luencetheearlyChristianswereknownfor.Wecanlearngreatlessonsfromhowtheir“Christianity”waslived.Theselessonswillremindusandhelpusrekindlethelifethat“BeingChristian”trulyis.

CoreStatement:IamforevergratefultohavetruesalvationbyJesusChristinmylife!Iexperiencethetraitsof“trueChristianity”becausetruly,JesusChristismyLordandSavior!

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