All three of my children, now fully grown, loved to hear stories surrounding their birth. They especially liked to hear about the excitement of getting to the hospital and about how special their birth was to their parents. For many years, when I was driving with the children, Jonathan, David, or Alex, each would point to the hospital where he was born and ask their mom or me to tell the story. Births are special, no question about it. In the sacred rhythms of the Church year, we recently had the opportunity to celebrate Pentecost – the birth date of the Church. Like the birth of our children, the Church also has a remarkable story that is often forgotten but needs to be shared.
What makes the birth of the Church such a remarkable story? I can think of many reasons, but let me share just three of them with you.
One, the birth of the Church is a remarkable story because we should have never been born, but we were! Like the birth of Jesus, the Church’s birth was miraculous! Like Jesus, she was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:15; Acts 2). As the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at His baptism (Luke 3:22); the Holy Spirit descended upon the Church at her baptism (Acts 1:5). As Jesus delivered his inaugural address that set the pattern for his entire earthly ministry in Nazareth (Luke 4:18); Peter’s seminal sermon set the pattern for the Church and her ministry (Acts 2:14-40).
Two, the birth of the Church is a remarkable story because we should have never lived through infancy, but we did! Read the book of Acts and you see first-hand the strategy of Satan to kill off the Church. Physical violence, moral corruption, and constant distraction created through political pressures, sustained hostility, defections, deceit, false teachings, legalism, and unresolved tensions were so much a part of the apostolic church as it is in the contemporary church. Yet the early Church not only survived her infancy, but also thrived. God kept adding to her numbers, and the people grew in their faith.
Third, the birth of the Church is a remarkable story because we should never have thrived in life, but we have! As many problems as people talk about in the worldwide church, it is still the most influential work this world has ever know. I believe it is because of the truth of the apostolic message that the Kingdom of God is now and will be fully consummated at the return of Christ. That the Holy Spirit is active today in the Church is a sign of Jesus Christ’s present power and glory and that Jesus has created a new community that is designed to model His kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.” I also believe the Church has thrived because of the testimony of the apostolic messengers. Read Acts 2:42-47 and you see a group of people fully changed and fully engaged in this world. They were a learning, loving, worshipping, and missional community that centered their lives on their King, Jesus of Nazareth.
The Church over the centuries has received her share of critics – mostly justified. However, when we get back to our roots, we can truly value our beginnings and see our destiny. I urge you to live out that remarkable story today where ever you are.
A Church, for the sake of others,
Tony Baron+
Teaching Pastor