A New Testament Church

1 Peter 4:12-19

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. (1 Peter 4:12)

“WE WANT TO BE LIKE the New Testament church.” That desire has been expressed countless times in recent decades by Christians and church leaders hoping to recapture the excitement and power of the earliest believers shown in the book of Acts. We want to pierce through all the layers of tradition and reenter the simplicity of those first days after Pentecost, when the apostles ministered with signs and wonders and believers selflessly committed to truth and each other. We want to get back to the original faith.

Or do we? Our hearts may long for spiritual simplicity and the power of the Spirit, but our behavior suggests otherwise. The New Testament church was quite familiar with laws, politics, and culture that went against their practices and beliefs. They understood adversity, prayed boldly through trials, and persevered through persecution. They willingly suffered abuses and ignored insults without complaining about being pushed to the margins and misrepresented by society. They did not fight against the grain of the culture; instead, they became shining lights within it.

That’s the sort of New Testament spirit we should aim to have. Many Christians waste much of their relational capital complaining about lost values and social ills rather than living in the power of the gospel, but spiritual power is never dependent on political conditions or social trends. In fact, it is best lived in the midst of them. The New Testament church thrived in adverse conditions, demonstrating the goodness of God in the context of a contentious world. It was not fazed by secularization or paganism or immoral surroundings. It simply became a lighthouse unmovable by tumultuous seas.

If you want to influence your world, this is how you will need to approach it. If the New Testament church is a God-given model, today’s Christians have a lot to learn about distractions and perseverance. An adverse culture is not a cause for lament. It is not a personal attack. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate the nature of God.

{Lord, open my eyes to see what you are doing in the world. Turn my focus to the opportunities ahead. Help me persevere, not with complaint or discouragement but with confidence and faith. You have given me everything I need to thrive. Amen.