FOUR PRINCIPLES FOR A HEALTHY CHURCH (8 OF 17)
by Zach Terry
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:1-27, 1 Corinthians 10:1-33
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Four Principles for a Healthy Church (8 of 17)
1 Corinthians
Zach Terry
1 Corinthians 9-10
INTRODUCTION: Today is what we affectionately call, "Family Reunion Sunday". On this day each year, we take some time to reminisce on all that God has done through this church family in the past. We consider where we are in the present, and we gaze with the eye of faith into what God might do in the days ahead.
When it comes to buildings, we don't have a lot of direction in the NT. We have the Temple of God in the OT, but nothing is said about building a church.
The early church met in homes, or as it was in Jerusalem public property like Solomon's Portico. It was nearly 300 years before church began to own property and build buildings. Consider these shifts in church over the last 2000 years.
CONSIDER THESE FACTS:
Early Church:
- There was a single Church every about 100 miles. That distance expanded the further it moved from Jerusalem. In some places the head of the household would venture into an area when the church was located once a month, worship and return.
- Churches did not own property
- Christianity was a "new" thing that people knew they didn't understand completely
- While there was much that outsiders didn't know about the church (i.e. eat his flesh, drink his blood - canibalism). They knew the claims of Jesus, but church was odd.
Modern Church:
- 1000's of churches within 100 miles (in the bible belt) - People have options. When they disagree with a church, well there are 5 more I pass on the way to this one. There are 34 Churches, just on Amelia Island.
- Church's now own multi-million dollar campus's
- We are officially, "post" Christian. When I was a kid and someone said they were an atheist - it was the Christian God they did not believe in. Today - they don't have a good understanding of the christian God.
- Outsiders have a false understanding of the gospel - i.e. works or incantation. They know very little about ...
1 Corinthians
Zach Terry
1 Corinthians 9-10
INTRODUCTION: Today is what we affectionately call, "Family Reunion Sunday". On this day each year, we take some time to reminisce on all that God has done through this church family in the past. We consider where we are in the present, and we gaze with the eye of faith into what God might do in the days ahead.
When it comes to buildings, we don't have a lot of direction in the NT. We have the Temple of God in the OT, but nothing is said about building a church.
The early church met in homes, or as it was in Jerusalem public property like Solomon's Portico. It was nearly 300 years before church began to own property and build buildings. Consider these shifts in church over the last 2000 years.
CONSIDER THESE FACTS:
Early Church:
- There was a single Church every about 100 miles. That distance expanded the further it moved from Jerusalem. In some places the head of the household would venture into an area when the church was located once a month, worship and return.
- Churches did not own property
- Christianity was a "new" thing that people knew they didn't understand completely
- While there was much that outsiders didn't know about the church (i.e. eat his flesh, drink his blood - canibalism). They knew the claims of Jesus, but church was odd.
Modern Church:
- 1000's of churches within 100 miles (in the bible belt) - People have options. When they disagree with a church, well there are 5 more I pass on the way to this one. There are 34 Churches, just on Amelia Island.
- Church's now own multi-million dollar campus's
- We are officially, "post" Christian. When I was a kid and someone said they were an atheist - it was the Christian God they did not believe in. Today - they don't have a good understanding of the christian God.
- Outsiders have a false understanding of the gospel - i.e. works or incantation. They know very little about ...
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