But remember that as we look back 2,000 years, we are looking through sanitized eyes. Time and familiarity tend to rub all the warts and wrinkles off the people that we love. And quite honestly there were a lot of warts and wrinkles on that church. That was in spite of the fact that they had the perfect Pastor. And it is one of the things which makes them so important to us today. Some of the people of that first church did outstanding things – heroic things – they were heroic people. But they also did some really dumb and shameful things. At times they were far from heros.
When we turn our eyes from them towards our own church what do we see? Of course, when we compare pastors, there is hardly anything worthy of comparison. And as we look at ourselves there is not a single hero among us. There are none here who have “resisted unto the blood striving against sin.” And none of us would ever be listed in Hebrews 11 – “faith’s hall of fame.” The warts and the wrinkles of Calvary Independent Baptist Church are too fresh and too obvious for us to ignore. So are these reasons not to make the comparison between that church and ours? The differences and similarities are all the more reason to make that comparison.
What were some of the characteristics of the church which Jesus pastored?
We need to remember that those first members were HAND-PICKED by the Saviour.
Obviously, Christ Jesus was no ordinary rabbi, pastor or minister. The founders of most sects, political parties, fraternal organizations, and stamp clubs would be happy to take just about any lunatic adherent that they can find. But we see that the Savior actually drove people away. He didn’t hide or tone down His doctrine to entice the dim-witted into the fold. Those on which He worked great miracles were often told to go home to their families. Some were even told not to talk to anyone about the miracle itself. How strange! Their were occasions when Jesus spoke to great throngs of people – thousands of people. There were instances when hundreds of people followed Him, looking for more miracles. But out of those thousands, He didn’t even choose a mere hundred to be a part of His first church. He didn’t even choose three dozen to become members of His body on earth. He chose a mere twelve. He deliberately selected a dozen specific men.
Something miraculous about the call of those twelve men was the ease with which it often occurred. James, and his brother John, and Andrew and his brother Peter were partners in a fishing business. It appears that they had heard the preaching of the Baptist and had been immersed by him. We are told elsewhere that they had been introduced to Christ at some point. But comparing Mark 1 and Luke 4, we find that they had returned to their nets and their fishing – their wives and their lives. But then after a night of fishing, when they had come home empty, Jesus was seen on the shore. He told them to cast their nets into the water one more time. The spot was probably a very unlikely place to catch fish, but they obeyed. And their catch was so large that their nets were at the point of breaking. That may have been the greatest day of fishing that any of them could remember. After the most productive day in their business lives, the Savior said, “Follow me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” Immediately those four men forsook their nets and became full-time followers of Christ. Strange!
There have been thousands of people who have followed Christ out of a desperate attempt to salvage the remnants of their lives. But these four men became disciples when things were looking pretty good in their ordinary lives. With more incentive to remain fishermen than they ever had before, they quit to become disciples of Christ They followed the Lord when logic said that they should stay at home to catch fish. If things had continued in the same way, in a few months they might have become independently wealthy. One might have argued that they could have been much better disciples later. That is not what Christ thought.
Then we consider Matthew: Matthew 9:9 – “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.” I am sure that there is information about Matthew which we haven’t been given, but this is amazing. Do you think that we’d have a membership of less than three dozen, if I had the ability to call people and they responded like this? I believe, if He had wanted, the Lord could have called Ahab and Jezebel, and they would have joined His little band of disciples. Don’t tell me that the Lord doesn’t have sovereign power over the hearts and homage of people.
We could talk about the rest of the disciples and hear similar kinds of stories. Here is certainly one of the contrasting facts between that church and our own. There are differences, but there are also some similarities.
Consider the MIXTURE of the MEMBERS in Jesus’ church.
Don’t forget that the Lord Jesus specifically selected at each of these twelve. Again there was Matthew. Here was a man who would not be accepted into the average Israelite fraternal organization. He was one of those hated tax collectors; a servant of the Roman government; a traitor to Israel. Additionally, many publicans were thieves, charging more in taxes than even the Romans demanded. The government didn’t care what they did, so long as they collected their budgeted levies. Whether or not Matthew was honest or dishonest, he was certainly perceived as being a wicked man. There were people in Israel who believed that such men should be executed. But the fact remains, the Lord chose one of those Israelites to be among His disciples. If the Lord Jesus was trying to build an empire, and He needed a multitude of servants, this man was definitely not asset. Matthew probably drove people away from the Lord just by walking at Christ’s side. As it was with a certain woman who worshiped Him, “Can’t Christ see that this man is a sinner?” And yet, this was one of those hand-selected disciples, an apostles and one of the charter church members.
And there on the third pew right behind Matthew was Simon Zelotes, Simon the Zealot. Oh, how I wish that there was a great big book in my library compiling the biographies of each of those twelve men. This is a man with no history, except for a couple of intriguing and fascinating appellations. Matthew calls him “Simon the Canaanite.” Now, there was a term which once raised the hatred of the Israelite pure-bloods. In what way was he a Canaanite? Was it that he carried some of the blood of Israel’s ancient foe? And then he is also called “the Zealot” in Luke and Acts. This is probably not referring to his zeal for Christ. He had that name long before he was converted. It appears to refer to the fact that he had been a member a Jewish revolutionary organization, bent upon the destruction of the Roman Empire. To have this kind of member in one’s church would bring Roman FBI investigators to the door. Jesus was certainly asking for trouble bringing this man into His church membership.
There was not a scholar among those disciples – no PhD’s, no professorships, or even master’s degrees. There was no one with any political clout; none with any real money, except perhaps Matthew. Since the Lord could have chosen anyone that He wanted, why didn’t he take someone from among the media, to watch over his public relations problems? There were none of His members who were natural leaders of men. There were none that had outstanding faith, or genius. None came from among the Sanhedrin or the counsel of the High Priest. Most of them lacked good, honest tact – some were as gruff as wolverines or grizzly bears. It’s hard to call any of the twelve a real asset to the work of the Lord. Why didn’t Christ, in His omnipotence enlist Gamaliel, or Nicodemus or even a young Saul of Tarsus? If Saul was a good find just a few months after the crucifixion why not save and call him a few months before?
What were the PRIMARY TRAITS of those first church members?
Was that an outstanding church because it had the greatest possible servants for Christ? If you think that, then you need to re-read your Bible. There was not a noted sinner among them, but then again there wasn’t a single one that was without sin. If Barabbas had been a member of the church, he might have brought a certain kind of notoriety. People might have come to hear a converted murderer preach the gospel. But there weren’t any Barabbases among them. If Simon had a criminal record, it was something for which he had done his time. It was not mentioned, and it apparently was not a part of his testimony before the world. Sure, Matthew was a publican, but he gave up that work after he joined the Lord’s church. I don’t see how it could have been spun in any way to become an evangelistic tool.
Yet without being jail-birds, ex-cons and outlaws on the lam, they were not spotless members either. In pride some of them quarreled about who was the greatest among them. Peter was not above lying or even above cursing and denying the Saviour who had bought Him. Not one of them was a great man of faith. None were ordering mountains to be tossed into the sea. None of them were plucking up trees by their roots.
They were at times noted for their mental and spiritual dullness. “Jesus said unto Peter, are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye understand? – Matthew 15:17. “How is it that ye do not understand? – Matthew 16:11. “They understood not this saying, and it was hid from them that they perceived it not; and they feared to ask him of that saying.” – Luke 9:45. “And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.” – Luke 18:34. I have to tell you that I get exasperated at my own mental inabilities. And sometimes I get even exasperated at yours. But neither you nor I are much different from the members of the Lord Jesus’ first church.
So WHY did the Lord choose THESE people?
Scripture says that they were chosen to be with Him, learn of Him, and to be sent out as His preachers. They were selected, not for their talents, or their former net-working contacts. I cannot tell you exactly why they were chosen to be a part of the Lord’s first church. But I know that the Lord loved them and shared with them the wealth of His wisdom. And He wanted them to be His ambassadors.
The ordinariness of each of them gives us hope. Perhaps their weaknesses, and ordinariness made them better fit to bring glory to their Master. There was no room for their own glory, because they had little skill or wisdom with which to claim it. They had no personal righteousness, or power, or spiritual ability. Who else could glorify the Lord better than this little bunch of misfits – if in fact they were enabled to do the work of God? God hath not chosen the great and mighty things of this world to magnify His name – He has chosen us.
Now, turn your eyes from them to this little church on the corner of 12th and Spokane, in the insignificant hamlet of Post Falls, in among the least of the fifty United States.
Are we really any different from the first church of which Lord was pastor? Yes, in some ways. But we have a relatively small membership, just like that church. And why are we members here? Perhaps some might say that we are members of this church because our parents want us to be. But the majority would say that we are members of this church because we chose to be members. And I’m sure that Peter and Simon, Andrew and Thomas would have said the same thing. But doesn’t the Scripture clearly say that the Lord Jesus chose them? I believe that I’m a member of this church because the Lord wants me to be member this church. Maybe from time to time someone might wish that I would leave. There are several people, in other places, who’d like me to leave this place and to pastor them. But I don’t believe that is the will of God. The Lord has chosen me and placed me here, and here I’ll stay until He tells me to move on. And He’s going to have to make that really obvious, because I’m too stupid and too stubborn otherwise.
Furthermore I believe that you are a member here for the same reason – God’s will. Yes, at one point you said that you wanted to be a part of this rather eccentric church. Since you are still here after all these years, I must assume you joined because the Lord put it your heart to be a part of this work. I believe that the Lord doesn’t tell someone to switch churches simply to switch churches. “Til’ death do us part.”
But as we look at one another we see a couple dozen people as varied and dissimilar as the dozen that made up Christ Jesus’ first church. And while we may think, I know that God wants me in the Calvary Independent Baptist Church, we might wonder why the Lord chose that other person. Beloved, if the Lord can stand having me, then He’s probably delighted with you.
Are you one of those people who thinks that it is an act of humility to put yourself down? Are you slow, or are you quick, to point out your faults? Perhaps there is a place for that from time to time, but it’s not your job to argue with the Lord. He deliberately put you here, and here I think that He wants you to stay. Don’t put yourself down, when He’s declared you up. If there is something that you don’t like about your spiritual life, then fix it. But don’t denigrate the pillar and ground of the truth, just because the Lord has made you a part of it.
Similarly, there is not one among us who has the right to be casting stones at another member. Test yourself: Which fashion is more worldly? Mustache, clean-shaven, full beard, huge sideburns or goatee? So you don’t like one of them? Which one and why? Isn’t that choice just a matter of your choice? What does your answer to the question have to do with the Word of God? I refuse a cap with the bill turned toward the back, unless I’m using some equipment which requires it, but does that mean it’s a sin for someone to constantly misuse the purpose of a bill on a cap? I think that wearing gold necklaces is feminine, and therefore men shouldn’t wear them. But I’m not about to tell some 280 pound NFL linebacker that he dresses like a girl. I might have a hard time proving that it is sinful for a man to wear jewelry, if it’s not a sin for a woman. In matters of taste, it’s not our business to condemn one another. Matters of overt sin and heresy are different, but I’m talking about differences in preferences. Did those twelve disciples like everything about each other?
Could Matthew do anything about his past? Could Matthew undo the fact that he had been a publican? How about Simon? Could he erase his days in the resistence movement? Can I do anything about my earthly citizenship, except perhaps to stop pointing it out all the time? Who we were in the past may have been important at some time – positively or negatively. But much more important is who we are today – disciples of Christ and members of the Lord church.
I think that I can see hints of that among the members of the Lord Jesus’ first church. We know that they quarreled about their ideas of superiority and authority. How much of that was based on provincial differences, educational differences or things out of their sinful pasts? Did the poor fisherman look down on the formerly rich tax-collector? Or was it vice versa? Did the rejected Galileans resent the proud Judean? Which of the disciples are you most like? I know that you’d prefer to say the Apostle John, but there might be some disagreement about that. Are you a doubting Thomas? Are you a proud Andrew, expecting to sit at Jesus’ right hand? Maybe you are a lying, Christ-denying Peter. And yet, here you are. The Lord has not put you out of His church.
The first church of Christ went on to fill the world with other churches of Christ. That ragged band of a dozen men soon became ten dozen men and women. On the day Pentecost, the 120 became 3,120. Soon the church was growing daily with the converts won by the dozen, and ten dozens, and thousands. Someone might say the reason why the church did so well was because Christ was their pastor. But He was no longer pastor when they experience their greatest successes.
The difference between that church and this church was perhaps their nearness to Pentecost. It wasn’t that they had better members than what we have. By some standards, we may have better members than they had. At least by our standards, we might say that. It wasn’t that they had more members initially then we have. They were simply a group of men from middle-class society who were filled with the Spirit of God, willing to do the work of job the Lord’s way. Shouldn’t that be the testimony of us as well?
The church in Jerusalem was an amalgamation of winners, losers and semi-losers. But the Lord made them into the greatest church in the history of the world. And He can still do that today. May He start with us – beginning yesterday.