DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT FRIDAY – Confused? Then Return to the Original Model! The Conclusion.

The Bohemian reformer John Hus was a man who believed the Scriptures to be the infallible and supreme authority in all matters. He died at the stake for that belief in Constance, Germany, on his forty-second birthday. As he refused a final plea to renounce his faith, Hus's last words were, "What I taught with my lips, I seal with my blood." - Source Unknown.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. – Rom 1:21.

Adoniram Judson sweated out Burma's heat for 18 years without a furlough, six years without a convert. Enduring torture and imprisonment, he admitted that he never saw a ship sail without wanting to jump on board and go home. When his wife's health broke and he put her on a homebound vessel in the knowledge he would not see her for two full years, he confided to his diary:

"If we could find some quiet resting place on earth where we could spend the rest of our days in peace. . ." But he steadied himself with this remarkable postscript: "Life is short. Millions of Burmese are perishing. I am almost the only person on earth who has attained their language to communicate salvation. . ." - Regions Beyond.

As we conclude our series, we review what we have studied so far; that many of the new ideas about Church are just that, ideas! By leaving a building doesn’t make us a better Church; we are the Church, no matter what the construction may be.

We determined that whenever a good recipe is abandoned over a long period and becomes inferior, it would be wise to return to the original recipe to see where we began to fail. What did we add, and what did we delete, and what did we change?

Therefore, I suggested that we retrace our steps and our understandings back to the original model given to us in the 2nd chapter of Acts. On Wednesday we looked at returning to The Original Salvation Model; Thursday we looked at The Original Worship Model, and today we draw to a close with…

THE ORIGINAL COMMITMENT MODEL

All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. – Acts 2:44-47.

The original believers felt a connection to each other, and that obligated them to have a special care and concern towards one another. They believed that they must work together and provide for the common good of the group. The organisation was not larger than a local congregation, and they had no district associations, no state and national conventions. But, their common faith moved them to sacrifice for the common good of the local group. This involved them in regular assemblies, hospitality, and in financial sacrifices to help this large group remain for a while in Jerusalem.

Allan Emery had an experience, which made a deep impression upon him. His father received a call saying a well-known Christian had been found at a certain place drunk on the sidewalk. Immediately his father sent his chauffeured limousine to pick the man up, while his mother prepared the best guest room. My friend watched wide-eyed, as the beautiful coverlets were turned down on the exquisite, old, four poster bed, revealing the monogrammed sheets.

"But, mother," he protested, "he's drunk. He might even get sick." "I know," his mother replied kindly, "but this man has slipped and fallen. When he comes to, he will be so ashamed. He will need all the loving encouragement we can give him." It was a lesson the son never forgot.

If this “Original Model” was used as our dependable pattern today, then the Church would be so attractive that people would flock to it!!!

Are you tired of the religious confusion of our day? Would you be willing to go back to the original pattern? I urge you to give it serious thought before God. If you are convinced that this is the way, and you know you need to obey the gospel, then let’s stand and ask the Lord to help us to be like the “Original Model.”

Loving Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, not to be led into confusion, but to be convicted and reassured by your word, regarding my commitment to you and my fellow believers, and returning to the original model that you provided. I ask this in the wonderful Name of Jesus. Amen

Be encouraged!
GBYAY