Unity and the Early Church: Lessons in Fellowship

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Once again, we talk about unity as we enter into part two of our study as we’re going to build from the prayer of Christ in John 17 to the practice of the church in the New Testament. Unity. That’s coming up from the International Gospel Hour. Thanks for being with us.

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I am bound for the promised land.

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Well, thank you to our J. Webb for his kind words, and greetings to all of you. It is great having you with us here for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. We are thankful for our faithful listening audience through the years, and we’re so grateful to have you with us always. Now, if you are a new listener to the International Gospel Hour, I want you to know of a number of options that you have for your listening pleasure and your Bible study. Now, you are currently listening to our weekly 30-minute program, and occasionally you may hear shorter segments on radio stations called Are You Listening? 60 Seconds for the Savior, or maybe a couple of minutes for Christ. We also have a daily 15-minute broadcast. It’s available five days a week, and we’re always thankful that you tune in and for the station to which you are listening. As I say at the end of the broadcast, friends, keep listening right here on this station or platform of your choice. Now, we also have a weekly television broadcast. That’s via our YouTube channel. If you go to YouTube and put in International Gospel Hour, you can go to our page and you can see our broadcast. And we’re also on a number of over-the-air television markets. Please check your listings and see if we’re on in your market. You can also find our programming options at internationalgospelhour.com. That’s our website. When you go there, just scroll down a little bit and you’ll see all of our programs, even our Hispanic podcast, Cristianos de Eles, with our friend and brother Marlon Ratana of SpanishBibleSchool.org. We are thankful for every opportunity. to speak the oracles of God as commanded in 1 Peter 4 and verse 1, and to declare the whole counsel of God, Acts 20 and verse 27. So thank you for joining us and stay right here where you listen to International Gospel Hour. In our previous weekly broadcast, we discussed unity. We concluded by looking at the peace brought by unity. God is the God of peace. The gospel is the message of peace. And so today we want to look at the peaceful gospel and its impact on man as we look at one text about the church and the unity for which Christ prayed. We’ll be back in a moment, but first, a few words from our Jay Webb.

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As we talk about unity and continue our study, let’s think about one text from the New Testament about the church. Jesus prayed for unity in John 17. Let’s see how the church responded in the New Testament. We go to Acts chapter 4 in verse 32. The Bible says, Friends, the church of Christ in Jerusalem was absolutely united. Now, I want to use Acts 4.32 as the beginning point of some syllogisms. Now, a syllogism contains a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. If the major premise is true and the minor premise is true, the conclusion must be true. Here’s an example. All men are mortal. Now that would be the major premise. And that is the major truth that is stated. Then we could state the minor premise like this. John is a man. What then would be our conclusion? Here it is. Therefore, John is mortal. Now that syllogism will stand because the first part is true, the second part is true, therefore the third part, the conclusion, must be true. So I want to use this type of approach for our study of the Bible today. The early Christians were of one heart, Acts 4, 32. Men think with their hearts, for as he thinks in his heart, so is he, Proverbs 23, 7. Incidentally, no person ever becomes better than his thoughts. If I could read what you are thinking, I would know exactly what kind of person you are. They were of one heart, but man thinks with his heart, therefore they were united and one in their thinking. They were absolutely united in their thinking. Now is that true of us? Acts 4 verse 32 sets forth a case of absolute unity, and this is the type that our Savior endorses and that we should endorse. Let us continue further. They were of one heart. Man understands with his heart. In Matthew 13, 15, Jesus said, For this people’s hearts is wax gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest happily they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should turn again, and I should heal them. The early church, they were of one heart. The scriptures say that we understand with our heart. Therefore they understood exactly alike. Their understanding was exactly the same. I say that this is an example of perfect unity. Again, they were of one heart. Man desires with his heart. Romans 10.1 says, Brethren, my heart’s desire and my supplication to God is for them that they may be saved. They were of one heart. Man desires with his heart, therefore their desires were exactly the same. Now, friends, the situation exists as set forth in the following illustration. Two followers, or two fellows rather, were traveling up a hill with a heavy load. One of them was pulling, puffing, and blowing. He thought the other man was pushing, and when they arrived at the top of the hill, he said, I was afraid that we would never make it. The other man replied, I was afraid we would not make it, so I also kept the brake on all the way up the hill. Now, friends, what is your desire? Is your true desire to see the church grow? If I know in my heart I would rather die in this pulpit or die on this broadcast, faithful to my God, than to live to be a hundred and develop a desire to hinder and impede the progress of the church of my Lord and to die with that against my soul. Listen to Paul in Galatians 5.15. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another. Now the early Christians desired the salvation of the lost. And we read in Acts 8 and verse 4, They therefore that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. They worked so feverishly and so fervently to this end that it was said about them that they had turned the world upside down, and they had come hither also. Acts 17, 6. Though persecuted, this caused them more and more to create within themselves a stronger desire to see the church grow in every right way. Many of us are so lacking in our desire to see the church grow that we have not really become involved. Therefore, we are not pressing for righteousness strongly enough to cause the world to persecute us. Remember, 2 Timothy 3.12 says, Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Because of our unconcern and indifference toward righteousness, the world does not persecute us very much. And since this situation often exists, this contributes to their waning of our love toward our own brethren, or to the waning of our love to our own brethren. Then after a while, some people develop an attitude toward their own brethren that is just as wrong as was the attitude of the world demonstrated toward the early Christians. In the story of Ishmael and Isaac, it is related that Ishmael persecuted Isaac. Then Paul adds in Galatians 4, 29, But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so also it is now. When a man has worldly desires and ambitions, a desire that is unholy, he will impede the progress of the church. In some congregations, worldly members persecute those spiritual Christians whose entire aim in life is to live for Christ and to please Him. The first good result that can be seen from doing personal work is to help worldly members to see the necessity of living the Christian life. And then, of course, we will be able to bring souls to Christ. When we pray for souls, if we live, work, and preach to that end, our prayers will be answered. I would also point out that our badge of discipleship is our love for one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one to another. John 13, 35. But they were of one heart. But with the heart we believe. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10, 10. The early Christians were of one heart. Man believes with the heart. Therefore they believed exactly the same thing. If the early Christians had not believed the same thing, then Peter could not have addressed them as having a like precious faith. They were of one heart, but with our heart we love. We read from the lips of our Lord, as recorded in Matthew 22, 37-39, And he said unto them, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Sometimes reference is made to hard sermons. Well, some of the difficulty of all sermons by way of application is this very thing, the absolute necessity of love. I remember that Peter says in 1 Peter 4, 8, Above all things, being fervent in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins. Peter says to place love above all things. How fervent is our love. Those early Christians were of one heart. But man loves with his heart. Therefore they were united in love. Now I want to give all of us who are Christians a test. Now note carefully the truth that is set forth in 1 Peter 3.18. Finally, be you all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tender-hearted, humble-minded. First, are we like-minded? Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1.10, Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. In Philippians 3.16 we read, Only whereunto we have attained by that same rule let us walk. Are we tender-hearted? I am very tender-hearted. It grieves me to see sin become the master of anyone, and especially to one of my brethren. If we have a genuine concern for our brethren, it certainly becomes known. For Paul said, You are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men. 2 Corinthians 3.2 It becomes evident eventually to all whether or not we love the souls of men. Now, how do we score on this next one, friends? How compassionate are we? Listen to Ephesians 4, 32. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you. How tenderhearted are we? I have thought sometimes I would like to preach a sermon concerning the tears of Paul. I would like to take my New Testament and check every reference to Paul’s tears and present them in a sermon. I tell you that Paul cried time and time again. He cried over the brethren. When he wrote the second Corinthian letter, he said, For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears, not that you should be made sorry, but that you might know the love that I have more abundantly unto you. Their division and other sins caused him to cry. Whether any of these tears fell upon the letter I do not know, but I do know that their sins caused him to shed tears for them. Paul also reminded the Ephesian elders that he had cried while working among them. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said unto them, You yourselves know from the first day that I set foot in Asia, after what manner I was with you all the time, serving the Lord with all loneliness of mind, and with tears, and with trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews. Acts 20, 17-19 Then, friends, how do we measure up to being loving as brethren? In the list of the seven Christian graces recorded in 2 Peter 1, 5-7, we are told in the next to the last one that we are to add brotherly kindness. The seventh and last one is love. When Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3, 8 that we are to be loving as brethren, that implies that there is to be special love for the brethren. John worded it this way in 1 John 3.16, Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. I am sure this noble deed is to be performed only under circumstances whereby the truth would be advanced more by giving my life for my brethren than it would be for me to live. Brethren, too many of us have neglected to read and apply these passages to ourselves. Friends, sometimes we have been too busy applying them to someone else. Let me apply all these truths to my own needs, and I shall be a much better Christian. Finally, are we humble-minded? Now, did you observe that we began 1 Peter 3.8 with the fact that we are to be like-minded? And then having called attention to three other great and essential needs for Christians, he lists last in the passage that Christians are to be humble-minded. Perhaps you remember the story of the Pharisee and the Publican as related by our Lord in Luke 18, 9-14. And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at naught. Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus within himself, God, I thank thee that I am not, as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican, I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I get. But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote or struck his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me, a sinner. I say unto you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For every one that exalts himself shall be humbled, but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. God, be merciful to me, a sinner. That is a very appropriate prayer for me to pray or for any Christian to pray. How I would rejoice if I knew at my funeral two statements could be made. First, as our Lord said of Mary in Mark 14, 8, she hath done what she could. If it could be said that he did what he could. And second, this man humbled himself and obediently served his Lord as long as he lived. I certainly would covet no better or higher compliments than this. I call attention again to 1 Peter 3 verse 8 with the hope and prayer that it will mean more to us. Finally, be ye all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tender-hearted, humble-minded. The early Christians were of one heart. With the heart we love, therefore they were united in love. The early Christians were of one heart. but we purpose in our heart. We read in Daniel 1 in verse 8, But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s dainties, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. In 2 Corinthians 9, 7 we have the statement, Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. Also in Acts 11, 23, Who, when he was come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and he exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. Now remember, according to Acts 4.32, the early Christians were of one heart. But we purpose with our heart. Therefore, their purpose, their aspiration, and their goal was exactly the same. Now friends, as we bring this broadcast to a close of our study of unity, I want to ask this question. Could there be those in our audience who have failed along this line? Now, I would not seek to call out or embarrass any of our listeners. There’s nobody here listening, and there’s nobody that’s more sympathetic to your welfare than I am, friends. And unless he has greater capacity for such than I, unless there’s somebody out there. Instead of allowing our pride to prevent us from correcting our sins for fear of what some man may think about us, We had better be concerned about what God will think about us if we do not do so and further as to where He would place us if we die in our sins. Jesus says in Matthew 11, 28-30, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. The invitation is extended to both alien sinners and even erring children of God. Such a sobering statement is found from the pen of James in James 5, 19 and 20. My brethren, if any among you err from the truth and one convert him, let him know that he who converts a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins. We can seek in vain to cover our sins, or we can obey the Lord that He might cover them through forgiveness. We have this statement in Proverbs 28, 13. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper. but whoso confesseth and forsake them shall have mercy. The story is told of two men, both who were condemned to die. The president offered pardon to both, but one of them refused to accept the pardon and was executed. If, as an alien sinner or an erring child of God, one refuses to accept the offer of pardon from God, Friend, if you decide to do that, you will be punished throughout eternity. This is why we always offer to individuals. to know God’s plan of salvation, to hear His word, Romans 10, 17, which prompts our faith. We must believe in God, the Bible says in Hebrews 11, in verse 6, for without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. The one who believes and diligently seeks God, will repent of his sins as commanded in Acts 17 and verse 30. He will confess the good name of Christ, Acts 8 verse 37 and Romans 10 and verse 10, and he will be like they did on the day of Pentecost. When they built the church there, when the church was built by Christ rather, when man obeyed, they are baptized for the remission of sins, Acts 2.38, and they are added to his church. And we have studied earlier what they did in Acts 4 and verse 32, and how they were of one heart and of one mind. The erring child of God must repent and confess his sins and pray to God for forgiveness. That’s what Simon did in Acts 20, or rather Acts 8, 20-23, as we read in James 5, 16. And as one walks in the light as a Christian, one must confess their sins, knowing he is faithful and just to forgive, 1 John 1, and verse 9. Friends, that one verse today that we talked about concerning unity, so important, Acts 4, 32 says, and the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul, neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common. Would to God that we all forsake the teachings of man, step away from denominational influence and doctrine, and let’s come unto the unity of which Christ prayed and the early church practiced. Friends, have we prompted you to think on some things today? we’d like to encourage you to continue to study these things. We do that through a number of ways, and one is our Bible study course that will come to you by mail. Here is our J-Web with those details of how you can receive that free study.

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Friends, allow me to acknowledge some very special thanks and to our friend and encourager, Paul Sane of Pulaski, Tennessee. Check out his website at sanepublications.com. We appreciate Paul allowing us to use the book of sermons titled, The Savior’s Way. You’ve heard one of those sermons today. They were proclaimed by the late Garland Elkins in 1965 at the Morrison, Tennessee, Church of Christ. And these messages are relevant and worthy even to this day. Because, friends, the Bible is relevant today as it ever was. It is so important that we come unto the unity which God desires. I realize that we are in a day and age, friends, where people desire a certain amount of union, but certainly not unity. Sometimes we find that people want unity based upon their idea. You know, when we talk about unity and fellowship and those things, I think of an illustration that Brother Elkins used. Have you ever seen a spider fellowship a fly? Well, he says, I have, but I’ve never seen a happy fly once he was fully fellowshiped by a spider. Friends, we need to be aware and to renounce false doctrine therein. Please put your church to the test, friends, with the Word of God. if there are things not being carried forth through God’s Word, we will help you find a church of Christ in your area as we strive to walk with the Word of God within the Scriptures. That’s why we study together here on International Gospel Hour, and we want you to join us each and every opportunity that you have to study the Word of God together. So, friends, we’re going to continue these studies together at another time. And I always appreciate you joining me here at the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie. Friends, keep listening.

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Thank you for listening to our broadcast today. To God goes all the glory. And we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. To listen to it again or our other broadcasts, please visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com.