Consider the fellowship, caring for felt needs, unity of the early church. None of us would ever say we wouldn't want to be a part of something like that. Few church planters and church members would ever argue that we should strive for anything more. But to merely set up a model like that is not only wrong, it is utterly impossible. That is, we can quickly gravitate toward establishing something that looks so much like the original, but lacks every bit of its essential components.
There is a great backdrop to everything that is going on in Acts that we quickly miss if we just approach it for methodology. It never dawned on me until I paused and realized just who these were that are involved in the planting of the early church(es): the Apostles. They had been with Jesus. They had sat at the feet of Jesus. They had marveled over miracles of Jesus. They had been dumbfounded at the teaching of Jesus. This is the great backdrop against which all the book of Acts is set. And so we cannot start with methodology, we start with Jesus. We need to spend time with Jesus if ever we are going to plant churches. Methodology doesn't matter. Jesus matters.
It quickly becomes apparent that the gospel is what is so pervasive throughout the Acts. The willingness of the early church members to sacrifice, is in light of their knowledge of the gospel. Their willingness to go bring hope to the nations, is reflective of the gospel and Christ's condescension from heaven to earth. The breaking of bread together in their homes is modeled every bit after the unity that has been brought to them by Christ, who ultimately united them to the One with whom no unity was otherwise possible. The gospel drips off of every action, every word, every sermon, every servant, every day of the week, every mission trip, at least when they are done in a fashion that is amiable and desirable.
So we push aside our methodology, for the sake of Christ. We push aside our agenda for the sake of the glorious gospel of Christ. Those things all naturally fall into place when Christ is at the forefront. Methodology is not the gospel. Instead, the gospel transcends all methodology. We don't aim to plant a church indifferent to methodology, but it will not be our savior. The gospel can stand alone, methods can't. The gospel saves, methodology doesn't. The gospel is beautiful, methodology is boring. The gospel is glorious, methodology is pale, worn, and rusted. And ever will it be the gospel that is our objective, our goal, our focus, or song, our sermon, our joy. And upon/by/through this gospel God will plant His church.
It quickly becomes apparent that the gospel is what is so pervasive throughout the Acts. The willingness of the early church members to sacrifice, is in light of their knowledge of the gospel. Their willingness to go bring hope to the nations, is reflective of the gospel and Christ's condescension from heaven to earth. The breaking of bread together in their homes is modeled every bit after the unity that has been brought to them by Christ, who ultimately united them to the One with whom no unity was otherwise possible. The gospel drips off of every action, every word, every sermon, every servant, every day of the week, every mission trip, at least when they are done in a fashion that is amiable and desirable.
So we push aside our methodology, for the sake of Christ. We push aside our agenda for the sake of the glorious gospel of Christ. Those things all naturally fall into place when Christ is at the forefront. Methodology is not the gospel. Instead, the gospel transcends all methodology. We don't aim to plant a church indifferent to methodology, but it will not be our savior. The gospel can stand alone, methods can't. The gospel saves, methodology doesn't. The gospel is beautiful, methodology is boring. The gospel is glorious, methodology is pale, worn, and rusted. And ever will it be the gospel that is our objective, our goal, our focus, or song, our sermon, our joy. And upon/by/through this gospel God will plant His church.
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