The Bible in Hebrews 6:12 exhort is not to be slothful but be followers of those who through faith and patience inherited the promises. If we want to inherit the promise of “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”, then we must follow the early churches and other churches that have inherited promise.
We must study the
- Mandate
- Models
- Message
- Manifestations
- Ministers
- Manner of the church
- Mistakes
The church mandate
I’m Matthew 28:18-20, the Lord Jesus Christ mandated the church to Go into the world and make disciples of all nations of him. To go is to travel, move, step out and disciples of all nations. We are commanded to go and make disciples. The mandate is to
- Go, travel, step out, reach out
- Preach the gospel
- Gather and teach those who believe all that we have been taught to do
The Lord never intended for the church to stay and wait. He wants to step out and preach the gospel. The Lord wants the church to go somewhere and preach somewhere. We can not wait any more; this is the time to accept the challenge, step out and travel to the ends of the world to preach the gospel. The gospel preached is the power of God to save the world.
The church models
There are about four models of the church that must be studied
- The local church model
- The church missionary models
- The church structure and systems models
The ministers
Titus 1:5-9 KJV
[5] For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: [6] if any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. [7] For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; [8] but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; [9] holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
These were the kinds of ministers that the church had. Men and woman that are
- Blameless as stewards of God
- Husband of one wife
- Having faithful children who are neither accused of being unruly, and unfaithful
- No strikers, not soon angered, nor self willed
- Not a given to neither wine nor filthy lucre
- Lovers of hospitality, lover of good men
- Sober, holy, just and temperate
- Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught…
Manifestations of the local church
- Healings
- Deliverances
- Anointing
- Holy Spirit baptisms
- Supernatural manifestations
- Demonstrations of the spirits power
Mistakes of the early church
From the sevens churches in revelations
- Leaving their first love
- Allowing those who have the doctrine of Nicholas to influence the church
- Allowing Jezebel to teach
- Allowing the influence of balaam
- Add more
