1. A Prosperous Church Acts 2:42-47 Part 1
Ecclesiology
A Prosperous Church
Acts 2:42-47
Part 1

2. Church is about the people as individuals! It is not about the numbers.

3. The first century saw explosive growth followed by intense persecution that in some localities almost decimated the churches.

4. Constantine came to power in 312 A. D
Constantine came to power in 312 A.D. and signed the edict of Milan in In effect Christianity became legal and most of the persecution ceased.

5. Constantine’s recognition began the tragic marriage of the church the paganism of Rome eventually producing Roman Catholicism.

6. The trappings of state sponsored religion had all the appearance of success but in reality produced the darkest period of human history when the Scriptures were suppressed and Biblical Christianity faced a new form of state sponsored persecution.

7. Fast forward to modern times.
During the 1970’s and 1980’s when independent Baptist Churches began massive bus ministries, various promotional campaigns, built large facilities, and reported amazing numbers, the appearance of success was again greatly exaggerated. One wonders where all the thousands of converts of that era are today. Many of those churches are crumbling shells both in terms of the physical plant and size of the congregation.

8. The best way to evaluate the current version of anything is to compare to the prototype.

9. The characteristics of the church at Jerusalem in the weeks and months following Pentecost are a far more dependable measure of God’s blessings upon His work through the local church. One might legitimately say that the first church set the pattern for successful church work to this day. This church was birthed in an atmosphere of unparalleled evangelism. (Acts 2:37-41; Acts 4; 6:7) How could the church possible manage such numbers without buildings, organization, and structure?

10. Modern churches which struggle to maintain the complexity and scope of multiple ministries would do well to remember the simplicity and genuineness with which the first church functioned. The text identifies nine characteristics which should define the success of a local church. Absent these characteristics, the church is a failure regardless of its appearance of success.

11. The Word of God
It is impossible to be Christ-centered without being Bible-based in every aspect of ministry.
True Baptists insist upon the absolute authority of the Word of God. It is final authority in all questions and upon all issues. It is the sole authority for faith and practice. It is critical to the task.

12. God’s Word satisfies the church – Jeremiah 15:16
God’s Word sanctifies the church – John 17:17
God’s Word secures the church – Isaiah 8:20, Acts 17:11

13. A genuine desire for the Word of God indicates a genuine relationship with the God of the Word.

14. Harmony Among Believers
The church is a community of faith. Believers are part of the body of Christ therefore part and parcel of each other. (Eph. 4:15,16) The well-being of any body is dependent upon the cohesion of the parts of the body. (1 Cor. 12:12-27)

15. A healthy church is one in which the saints enjoy the company of each other.

16. Worship
The terminology calls attention to the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper, instituted by our Lord Himself by breaking bread with His disciples at the Last Supper. There is and should be no point in the life of the local church at which worship is more pure, more intense, and more directed than when coming to the Lord’s Table. This is a supreme act of worship.

17. The vitality, genuineness, and integrity of the worship of God’s people are significant markers of the reality of the corporate faith of the church. It indicates the heart of God’s people. (Psa. 29:2; 95:6; John 4:23-24)

18. Prayer
Certainly there is no area of spiritual life where faith is more evident and more necessary than that of prayer. Every example of the Bible demonstrates that God’s people are a praying people. The Jews had appointed hours of prayer at the synagogue. (Acts 3:1) A sure indicator of spiritual decline in any church is absence from opportunities for corporate prayer. Times of extremity call for extended seasons of prayer.

19. A healthy church breeds the level of confidence in which believers can share burdens and concerns with each other knowing that confidences will be kept and fervent prayer offering in the behalf of those in need. (Acts 12:5) The New Testament is not lacking in admonitions to continuous prayer. (Luke 18:1; 1 Th. 5:17; 1 Tim. 2:1-4)