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Early church Structure

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such

people to worship him” - Joh 4:23

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The History of the First church and the First Memorial Service - A large upper room

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The History of the First church and the First Memorial Service – A large upper room

Luk 22:8  So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it."

Luk 22:9  They said to him, "Where will you have us prepare it?" Luk 22:10  He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man

carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters

Luk 22:11  and tell the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?'

Luk 22:12  And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there."

Luk 22:13  And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

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The church of the first Apostles – Their first meeting – The Upper room again Act 1:13  And when they had entered, they went up to

the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.

Act 1:14  All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

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The House of Mary Act 12:11  When Peter came to

himself, he said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."

Act 12:12  When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

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The Upper Room for worship

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The Upper Room – A common feature? – Doubled as Motel? Act 9:37  In those days she became ill and

died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.

Act 9:38  Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, "Please come to us without delay."

Act 9:39  So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them.

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Rooftop worship

Act 10:9  The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. Twelve o'clock at noon – A bit Hot? To be private and alone

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The Upper Room advantage Spacious | Practical | Gifted?/ Owned / rented)

Act 20:7  On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

Act 20:8  There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered.

Act 20:9  And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. ‘Many lamps’ Evening / night meeting after the day’s job

was done Such rooms were often set apart as halls for meetings

Oops!!

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Apostles preaching effortsWhere?

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Paul and Silas in Thessalonica @ a Synagogue Act 17:1  Now when they had passed

through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

Act 17:2  And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

Act 17:3  explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ."

The Paradesi Synagogue in Kochi, India (believed to be built in 1568)

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@ The Hall of Tyrannus

he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.

Act 19:10  This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

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Paul in Athens

Act 17:19  And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

Act 17:22  So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious…

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Preached In public &in Houses Act 20:20  how I did not shrink

from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house

Act 20:21  testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

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A place of prayer to any place

Act 16:13  And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

Act 16:16  As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.

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Persecutions caused preaching

Act 11:19  Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

Act 11:20  But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

Act 8:4  Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

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The Disciples of Jesus ChurchWhere are we? | Where are we headed?

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Church?

Definition - Greek ekklesiaFrom a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564; a calling out, that is, (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both): - assembly, church. – Strong’s dictionary

Example:and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. - Act 11:26

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The Grandeur of the building defines the glory of the church for the majority

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1Pe 1:1  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,1Pe 1:2  according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,

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‘The Upper Room’ - Suggestion

The Jews had such an upper room for their devotions

In the houses of Jerusalem such apartments were provided for those who came up to keep the feasts. Our upper room can be

A house A building A rented home Etc.

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Early structure Preaching in public, etc. but met at homes

Every Day They met together in the temple courts:

They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, Small Groups: in Homes

praising God and enjoying the favor of all the

people The Blessing and power of the

spirit “And the Lord added to their

number daily those who were being saved.”

Act 2:42-47 

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Spirit &Truth Worship Worship - devoted themselves to the

Apostles' teaching Fellowship, Breaking of bread Prayers. had all things in common distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. (charity) praising God and having favor with all the people.

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him” - Joh 4:23

[ People who go to a building to worship an do not know the person next to them lack ‘fellowship’ ]

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Worshiping in Truth and Spirit

Defining our church

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Jesus is the head of the

church

Mat 18:18  Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Mat 18:19  Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

Mat 18:20  For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

Power of the church is Jesus

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The foundation of the church

Mat 16:16  Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Mat 16:17  And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

Mat 16:18  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Mat 16:19  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Eph 2:19  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,Eph 2:20  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

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The Error of the ‘Roman’ Catholic Church

The Popes try to inherit the key from Peter

They first make Peter a Roman. How?

Assuming Peter ‘died’ in Rome Build a grave for Peter (St. Peter’s church

and grave) Now he is a Roman citizen Peter’s Jewish son has no right to inherit

the key. The Roman Popes rather inherit the Key

The power of ‘binding’ is with Jesus, apostles and the church

Peter’s belief in Jesus as the Messiah lays the foundation of the church

Peter as the apostle is given the ‘key’ but this key is not intended to be inherited by an individual but by the whole church The church is empowered

Mat 18:18  Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven

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Church StructureFoundation | Body | Building materials

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Foundation: Jesus built his church on ‘people’ starting with Apostles Eph 2:19  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are

fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

Eph 2:20  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

The church is about people worshiping God in truth and spirit built on the foundation of the apostles (including Peter) and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone

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The Body of the Church

Eph 2:21  in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

Eph 2:22  In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Joh 2:19  Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

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The Body: You are God's temple (house) 1Co 3:16  Do you not know that you are God's temple and

that God's Spirit dwells in you? 1Co 3:17  If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For

God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

The Power of Your Own BODY18  Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.19  Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,20  for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20   (ESV)

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You and You and You are the the HOUSE of God

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Building material of the Church building – You again

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Spirit and truthWorship

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The memorial of Christ1Co 12:12  For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

1Co 10:16  The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?