We looked last week briefly at what started the process that led to a state church. It was by no means an exhaustive study, because history can be very nuanced and takes time to study, but I hope it will prick our curiosity to study more into these periods of church history. This week we will dive back to look at what the actual Church looked like as the bride of Christ.

  "For Christ and the church let our voices ring..." is what we sing when we grab our hymnals and sing "For Christ and the Church" but do I, or do you really know what that means? I say I recognize who Jesus Christ is, but is it clear? I'll sing of my love for His church, but am I fully understanding what "church" is? Sometimes habits and routine can cause us to lose sight of the original idea or plan. Take, for instance, brushing your teeth. We have been told from little up to brush our teeth; Why? Well for starters, you will pass along horrible breath to those you meet! Secondly, you'll rot your teeth. But try explaining that to a 5 year old with healthy teeth. They have no concept that their teeth will have poor health and can decay from lack of care. The same can soberly be applied to our church life. Do we really understand what it means to be a member of the body of Christ and to build, strengthen, and encourage it collectively?  Or are we rotting out from lack of care and instruction? 

  To get a clear understanding of what the church was we have to go past the Reformation, beyond the Council of Nicaea, AND the one at Milan, to the Foundation of the church in Christ Jesus at Pentecost. Jesus told the Discples to wait in Jerusalem until they were given power from God in Luke 24:49, and Acts 1:4. What we see next from the Disciples in Acts 1:14 is a continuing of prayer and beseeching. Until we get into Acts 2, where we see the Holy Spirit descend on the Disciples and preaching taking place that caused great conviction and repentance in the hearers. So much so that in Acts 2:41-42, and 47 we see instruction in teaching, doctrine, baptism, and adding to the church. 

   So in looking at the whole story of Pentecost we see a pattern that should be followed:                                               1.God's Word going forth, whether Preached or taught.                                                                                2. Holy Spirit convicting people of sin.         3. Repentance of sins and wrongs.                                            4.Baptism: to show the repentant sinner, and acceptance into the body.                                                            5.Instruction in the Word (by anointed and ordained men), teaching of Christ, and by extension His Disciples.                                                When any one of these is not in its place or left out all together, the model laid out in Acts is not being followed. We have examples in the Bible to go to when we have questions about anything, including what the church is. We cannot use precedent to determine what a church is, because that tells us that we can float in and out of church and not have any accountability and instruction as believers because we only need to accept Jesus and nothing else; which clearly leaves out the teaching and instruction of the Word. nor can we go to established tradition, which will say you should follow the teaching of this-or-that preacher or instructor. Both of these examples are what led to the 4th century church (and beyond) to become a vague mirky image of what Jesus' bride in Ephesians 5:22-33 is to be. The Holy Spirit gave Paul amazing words to share in that passage of what the church is to be and using a marriage to make an analogy and a brilliant point! 

   In some ways, much like the children of Israel, the church has gone strong to waxing cold, to repenting and being a beacon to a lost world. We look at Pentecost to the Council of Nicaea and we wonder what took a group of believers saved by grace and living in the light of God's Word to being so empty and dead. While it might be easy to cast judgements and critiques on where they might have gone wrong, we have some verses to read.  

   Jesus warned of Ravening wolves in Matthew 7:15, Paul spoke of this in Acts 20:28-30, and in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, and Peter talked of it in 2 Peter 3:14-18. All of these passages set a warning to be careful and cautious in what we read, who we listen to, and who we follow. When the church of old let down its guard, it became lax and failed to teach the truths of Jesus and the Apostles doctrine; then it fell. Somewhere into the 2nd generation of believers after Polycarp and Justin Martyr we see complacency.  What also proved true was that the more Christianity became accepted and tolerated, the less the church was able to stand against false teaching. If we would be completely honest before God we would realize history has a way of repeating itself if we are not careful. As Christians of today we can find ourselves in a similar place. 

  The history of the church is not all bleak, no! There are many examples in Martyrs Mirror, Foxe's Book of Martyr's and more that tell of courageous men and women of God who stood for Jesus and His bride. Take the time to read some of Eusebius and see what the early church looked like and it will make you realize how much we have changed from the church of yesterday, and be encouraged to be more vibrant! Let us joyfully sing "For Christ and the Church" next time it's sung! But remember what it is as Christians we have pledged to and steadfastly grow in the knowledge of what God wants us to be so we can joyfully, and with submission,  build His church!