The Church Grows Up – Part 3 of a 4-part series.

As the Roman Empire began to lose their grip on the world and new countries and other new empires began to form, and along with that new religious and political leaders rose to power. By the time of the next Millennium, the church began to look different. The Great Schism of 1054, brough about a division between the Western Church (headquartered in Rome) and the Eastern Church (headquartered in Constantinople). In addition to those “Orthodox” systems of worship, other groups emerged that chose not to follow those systems and “dissented” or rejected certain doctrines they felt were contrary to the Apostles teachings.

These changes, along with the cry for political, religious, and social freedom (brought on by the Magna Carta and other writings), the invention of the printing press, the translation of the Scriptures into Latin and eventually into English will shed light on the compromise and corruption within the Church at large that had been going on for centuries.

The church which remained as small as 2 or 3 believers gathered together and as large as the Roman Catholic Church looked different than it did during the times of the Apostles – but the message of the gospel remained the same. What will come as a result of the Reformation are new “denominations” such as Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Anglicans which developed out of “Protest”, and they became identified as Protestants making them “different” in practice and doctrine than the Roman Catholic Church. Other “Orthodox” churches such as Greek Orthodox, Coptic (Egyptian Orthodox), Eastern Orthodox etc. will also identify separately from the Roman Catholic Church of the West. There will also be other “dissenting” groups who didn’t identify with the Roman Catholic Church, Protestantism, or other mainline Orthodox “religions” and pursued “religious freedom” following only the teachings of Jesus, the Apostles, and the written Word of God. These “dissenting” groups, along with the “Protestant” churches will emerge in the Post Reformation Period (1700’s to the present) and will lay the groundwork for a period of “Revival” that will see church continue in the fulfillment of the Great Commission until Jesus returns!

For this lesson we will focus on 5 key Reformers of the Reformation Period who recognized the compromise and even corruption that took a foothold in the Church during the Dark Ages. We should be thankful that these reformers boldly spoke the truth, even at risk of losing everything including their life. These reforms and the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers continued to see the church prevail for another 1000 years and more!

The Church Grows Up

Part 2 of a 4-part series

As the church enters the 4^th Century several key historical events take place:

1. The Edict of Milan (AD 313) was a proclamation that declared Christianity legal in the Roman Empire and slowed the murderous persecutions against Christians.
2. This opened the door for “religious tolerance” of Christianity in the Roman Empire and paved the way for a blending of power between the sacred (religious influence) and the secular (political influence). The result was corruption and compromise which unfortunately also infiltrated the church, which will bring on the need for reform (that will be the topic of our next lesson).
3. Due to the continual battle against heretical teachings (primarily Arianism), many key church leaders (I call them Champions of Truth) in the church began meeting in large gatherings called “councils” in which they debated the essential doctrines of the Christian faith that remain the “orthodox” position of Christianity to this day.
4. The results of these “councils” were the formation of “creeds” or doctrinal positions that were taught and passed on by the Apostles and early first century church leaders – which were the same teaching that Jesus Christ taught them.
5. Since the heretical teachings of Arius attacked the very Nature of Christ and attempted to lessen the Deity of Christ; these councils made it clear that their position was that Jesus Christ was not a created being, that He is God in human flesh.
6. Another key doctrine that was decided upon by those at the Council of Nicaea was the Trinity. They affirmed the truth that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit were One and they were co-equal and co-eternal.
7. Another key event that took place was the decision to accept the 27 Books of the New Testament as the whole/entirety of the New Testament canon. This occurred at the Council of Carthage in AD 397.

While all of these historical events are taking place, the great commission (spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ) remained the mission of the church. Several key leaders in the church saw to it that the message of the gospel remained the main purpose of the church without compromise. Others used the newfound power (political and religious) to seek their own personal gain through compromise and corrupt practices. The unfortunate result of this compromise will bring about persecution by the “church” against those who sought to expose their corruption. This will lead to the need for reform and change and God will direct those future “Champions of Truth” through Reformation and Revival to ensure that His Church will continue, and the “Gates of Hell” will be unable to prevail against it. Stay tuned for those next two lessons….

As the 1^st Century ends a few historical perspectives are needed to understand the church and how it impacted the next generation of believers/Christ followers:

1. The Roman Empire destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70
2. As a result of this siege of Jerusalem by Titus, the Jews will flee and many of the Christians from the Roman occupied region of Judea also scattered throughout the then “known world”.
3. By the time Jerusalem is destroyed, the church (thanks in part to the Roman roads, the expansion of their empire and other improvements) will have spread the gospel to (what was known to them at the time) the “uttermost parts of the earth”.
4. The Roman Empire remained the dominant empire deep into the 2^nd century but over time showed signs of failure until it eventually split into the Western Empire and the Eastern Empire (Byzantium).
5. Although the empire did fracture and many “Roman” emperors came and went (probably more bad emperors than good ones), the unfortunate result of this wicked empire was a deep hatred and animosity for both the Jews and Christians. The “religious” belief systems of the Roman Empire were a blend of hedonistic (human self-gratification) and pagan (anti-God) practices. This put them in direct conflict with God and there was no place in their system of belief for Jesus Christ.
6. As a result, Roman emperors and other leaders blamed the Jews and the Christians for anything that went wrong and often the result was persecution, torture and even death.
7. Although persecution was rampant, the spread of the gospel (Good News of the death burial and resurrection of Christ) didn’t stop or even slow down after the Apostles and early church leaders of the 1^st century passed on.
8. In fact, the preaching of the gospel and the acceptance of that good news, by faith is what transformed the heart of a later emperor named Constantine and opened a door to the world that has never been shut though many wicked leaders have tried over the centuries.

This lesson picks up after many of the Apostles and early church leaders have died either by a martyr’s death or natural causes. Those Apostles and early church leaders prepared a new generation of believers for what they knew (because it is what Jesus taught them or they received as direct revelation from God) was coming. There would be a rise of false teachers (antichrists) that would attempt to change, alter, or water down the truth that Jesus Christ is God, and the only way to the Father. They would do this through false teaching and the promotion of heresy and lessen/cheapen the Good News by claiming Jesus either wasn’t God or he was less than God which is utterly false! These false teachers failed in that attempt and continue to fail. New leaders would rise up and carry the torch into the second and third centuries and beyond. The church (the called ones) though still an organism became something that the “Gates of Hell” could not prevail against and remains His Church from then to now and until He returns. I hope you enjoy this lesson….

When you think of the early church it is easy to overlook the other significant individuals (beside the 12 Apostles and Paul) who contributed to what I like to call “The Beginning of an Unfinished Work”. The missionary activities recorded in the Book of Acts and other letters/books of the New Testament reveal a host of individuals who continued the work of ministry that began with those early followers of The Way. The church was on the move, it was growing and influencing a pagan and godless world by spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ – His death, burial and resurrection.

In this lesson we will look at the contributions to the early church from people like: Mark who wrote the earliest gospel account of the life of Jesus and instrumental in the establishment of the church in Alexandria Egypt. Luke, who wrote 2 books comprising 28% of our New Testament. Timothy, who was personally mentored by Paul and known as Paul’s son in the faith was instrumental in defending against the influence of heresy in the church at Ephesus. Others, like Titus, James (the brother of Jesus) who wrote an Epistle (letter) containing instructions and guidance on living out our life of faith and many more individuals whom we owe a tremendous debt to.

These early leaders of the church battled heresy and false teaching in spite of the persecutions they faced and often dying a martyr’s death. It was because of them and the influence of the Apostles themselves that the Scriptures were put to paper and eventually canonized into the 26 books of our New Testament. What a legacy they left us and our contribution is to continue steadfast to the faith we embrace, and they gave their lives for!

When we use the word “church” we need to continually remind ourselves that it is an organism and not an organization even though in modern context the perception of the church is a building, a denomination, or a ruling/authoritative body. In its purest earliest definition, the church is “the called ones” or perhaps; “a called-out assembly of believers”. This is how the church began and as time progressed; the church at Jerusalem expanded to include the church or churches of Antioch (where believers were first called Christians – “little Christs”), the churches of Asia, the churches of Macedonia, the churches of Rome and so on. The need for organization became obvious and evident, especially as the church faced persecution and heretical teaching from non-believers posing as believers.

Jesus made this declaration to His 12 Apostles; “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). In those days after the resurrection of Jesus, this was the precisely what the Apostles and other followers of The Way did even if it meant persecution to the point of death.

No one caused a greater stir or imposed such an immense fear among the followers of The Way than a man named Saul of Tarsus. His initial mission, fully sanctioned by the Sanhedrin and Jewish leaders, was to gather up these followers of Jesus and bring them to Jerusalem to be stoned for their perceived blasphemy. Saul willingly participated in this persecution and while on his mission of destruction he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and submitted to and surrendered his life to his Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Read the story (Acts 9) – it is very compelling, and I don’t know how anyone could walk away after reading it without coming to the same conclusions that Saul did.

From there, everything changed for Saul who was better known in history by the name of Paul. Shortly after he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he spent some one-on-one time with his Savior and from there began a life of missionary service unmatched by anyone since. I won’t kid you; it took a little convincing to the other Apostles and followers of Jesus that Paul was now one of them but in short order Paul jumped right in and continued to obey the Lord’s command to proclaim the good news of Jesus death, burial and resurrection to the Jew first and then to the Gentiles.

This lesson; Why the Church – Part 2 is the story of the Apostle Paul and his 3 Missionary Journey’s and all that was accomplished in his life until he was martyred by Emperor Nero in 67 AD. He wrote half the books of the New Testament, 13 in all and in addition to preaching the gospel message (the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus), he (along with Jesus and the other Apostles) provided all the teachings we need on how to live a Christ like life. We owe a great debt to this man Paul – but if he were alive today he in his normal humble manner would take no credit but lay all praise to His Savior Jesus Christ. I hope you enjoy this lesson – Why the Chruch Part 2.

When Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and subsequently arrested by representatives of the chief priests and elders, He voluntarily submitted to be taken to trial before the Sanhedrin (The governing body of Jewish Temple). Jesus did this as it was a fulfillment of what the Old Testament prophets spoke of (read – Isaiah 53). This was all a part of God’s plan. The initial accusations and charges didn’t rise to the level of requiring death, but when the high priest asked Jesus; “are you the Messiah, the Son of God? It was His response that provides the answer to Why the Resurrection? “You have said so, Jesus replied. But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). To the Jewish leaders who heard this response by Jesus considered it blasphemy, for to them Jesus was declaring himself to be equal with God. However, their method of punishment for such a claim was to be stoned to death. This was not the plan of God but instead Jesus would be presented before a Roman governor named Pontius Pilate who ultimately would pronounce judgement to crucify Him. As such, hundreds, if not thousands would witness the horrendous punishment inflicted by the Roman soldiers upon Jesus (a fulfillment of what the prophets foretold) and ultimately nailed Him to the cross because God willed it so. At any point, Jesus could have called the entire host of angels to stop such a cruel punishment, but He voluntarily submitted Himself to die for the sins of the world. Jesus was nailed to the cross and there were sufficient witnesses to that fact – four gospel accounts, 26 New Testament books, hundreds and probably thousands who witnessed the crucifixion and death.

After His death, Jesus was placed in a tomb. The religious leaders went to great extremes to ensure His body stayed there and even had a stone rolled in front of the opening of the tomb to ensure his body could not be stolen. Well, 3 days later Jesus rose from the dead, because He is God and to fulfill what He told His disciples He would do. Now, there have been plenty of doubters and skeptics from then until now who claim it didn’t happen. To deny the resurrection doesn’t mean it didn’t happen but the evidence that it did happen is overwhelming! You will have to read the attached lesson to see for yourself and if I didn’t cover it thorough enough – read the Bible for yourself and draw your own conclusions. Consider this:

Why the Resurrection? Because that was always God’s plan to redeem fallen man and ransom us from eternal separation from the One who created us. All He asks is that we trust and believe Him. (John 3:16-18, Romans 10:9-10)

This week’s study on the Rise and Fall of Israel’s Monarch’s is the final lesson of this series and continues with a look at the final 10 Kings of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Unlike the Northern Kingdom of Israel which had 9 dynasties, the Southern Kingdom of Judah had but just one, as all the Kings of Judah were direct descendants of David. There are only 3 kings (Jotham, Hezekiah and Josiah) out of the final 10 Kings of the Southern Kingdom of Judah that are considered good. It will be during the reign of Ahaz and his son Hezekiah in which the Northern Kingdom of Israel will be completely destroyed by the Assyrians. The two most notable kings of the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the remaining 160 +/- years of that kingdom were Hezekiah and Josiah. Each of these two kings were noted as doing right in the sight of the Lord and each made significant reforms to draw the people’s hearts back to the Lord. Of all the kings who ruled the Southern Kingdom of Judah there was only king who had no record of doing anything that brought shame to himself or his Lord and that was Josiah. Josiah neither worshipped false gods, nor did he make any alliances with those who were enemies of the Lord, and he is noted for significant reforms that helped provide a strong foundation for future leaders (i.e. Ezra, Zerubbabel, and Nehemiah) who would help lead the people of God back to Jerusalem after they are conquered by the Babylonians and removed from their lands. The story of the people of God (The Israelites or Jews) doesn’t end with the removal of the last king of Judah (Zedekiah), even though there was no king who would reign on the throne of Israel or Judah throughout the days of Babylonian captivity. There wasn’t even a legitimate king (a descendant of David) who ruled during the days when the people of God are permitted (by Cyrus of Persia) to return to their land and rebuilt their temple and their city. Even during the days of Greek and Roman occupation no legitimate king (a descendant of David) ever ruled over the people of God until the birth of the Messiah Jesus Christ who is the King of Kings and the One whom Daniel the prophet writes about in Daniel 7:11-14 whose rule and reign will be everlasting and whose kingdom will have no end.

Lesson 7 – The Kings of Judah (Student Copy)

Lesson 7 – The Kings of Judah (Teacher Copy)

Lesson 7 – The Kings of Judah Part II – PPT

This week’s study on the Rise and Fall of Israel’s Monarch’s continues with a look at the Kings of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Unlike the Northern Kingdom of Israel which had 9 dynasties, the Southern Kingdom of Judah had but just one, as all the Kings of Judah were direct descendants of David. Of all of the 19 kings of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, there were just 8 of them who were noted as good kings. The rest of the 11 kings were wicked and some more so than others. There are a few twists and turns due to some unique familial ties to King Ahab of the Northern Kingdom of Israel which bring about the only reigning queen of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. There was also continual warfare between both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. In addition to that the neighboring countries and empires that once paid homage and tribute to King David and Solomon would once again become their enemies and eventually the Southern Kingdom of Judah will be completely defeated by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. and they will be taken into captivity. This final portion of the study is divided into two parts due to the need to explore several of the good kings who diligently seek the Lord with their whole heart and establish well needed reforms to guide the people back toward the Lord. This week’s study will begin with King Abijah (King Rehoboam’s son) and conclude with King Uzziah (Azariah) covering the years 913-739 B.C. and our last and final study will cover the remaining kings of Judah.

Lesson 7 – The Kings of Judah (Student Copy)

Lesson 7 – The Kings of Judah (Teacher Copy)

Lesson 7 The Kings of Judah Part I – PPT