Re-Turn / Re-Think

THE EARLY CHURCH (ACTS)

EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH GROWTH

❖ Faith was based on Scripture and Christ centered

CHRIST IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH

Christ is the foundation of every true church. All

who are brought to a new faith are to be established
on Him. The plain, simple truths of the gospel are to
be kept before minds. Christ crucified as the
atonement for sin is the great central truth of the
gospel, round which all truths cluster. To this great
truth all other truths are tributary. All truths, rightly
understood, derive their value and importance from
their connection with this truth.
Letter 39, March 12, 1902, to Elder E. E. Franke, an evangelist. {UL 85.8}
EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH GROWTH

❖ Faith was based on Scripture and Christ centered

❖ Living the Gospel and Christian Ethos in Society and every
day life
❖ Liberating and passionate Faith as a contrast to the
„appeasing of the Gods“ and pagan cultus
❖ Serving the Community and fellow men
❖ The loving and caring Family Community
THE JESUS FAMILY - MARK 3 & 10

Copyright
WHEN THE CHURCH WAS A FAMILY

“For the early Christians, the church

was a family—in word and deed.”
Joseph H. Hellerman, When the Church Was a Family: Recapturing Jesus’ Vision for Authentic Christian Community (Nashville, TN:
B&H Academic, 2009), p. 117.
SEE HOW THEY LOVE EACH OTHER

„See, they say, how they love one another… At the

same time, how much more fittingly they are called
and counted brothers who have been led to the
knowledge of God as their common Father, who have
drunk in one spirit of holiness, who from the same
womb of a common ignorance have agonized into the
same light of truth! … One in mind and soul, we do not
hesitate to share our earthly goods with one another.
All things are common among us but our wives.“
Tertullian’s Apology, Chapter XXXIX.
THE TEMPLE

Copyright
THE CHURCH GOD’S AGENCY

The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of

men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to
carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has
been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to
the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members
of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness
into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The
church is the repository of the riches of the grace of
Christ; and through the church will eventually be made
manifest, even to “the principalities and powers in heavenly
places,” the final and full display of the love of God.
Acts of the Apostles, 9.1
1.John 4:8

„He who does not love does not know God,

for God is love.“

LOVE IS NOT AN ATTRIBUTE;

IT’S GOD’S ESSENCE OF BEING
26.01.2016 | Stephan Sigg
Mt 5:44-45

„But I say to you, love your enemies, …that you may be

sons of your Father in heaven;“

LOVE IS NOT SIMPLY A FEELING

IT IS A COMMAND
26.01.2016 | Stephan Sigg
Mt 22:34-40; Mk 12:28-31; Lk 10:25-37

„On these two commandments hang all the law and the
prophets.“

LOVE IS NOT A SIDE NOTE; IT’S

THE SUMMARY OF GOD’S WORD
26.01.2016 | Stephan Sigg
1. Timothy 1:5

„Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure

heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith“

LOVE IS NOT A MINOR SUBJECT

IT’STHE MAJOR DISCIPLINE
26.01.2016 | Stephan Sigg
John 13:35

„By this the world will know that you are my disciples.“

LOVE IS NOT JUST A LABEL

IT’S A TRADEMARK
26.01.2016 | Stephan Sigg
Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control.

LOVE IS NO CHRISTIAN ACCESSORY;

IT’S THE GOAL OF SANCTIFICATION
26.01.2016 | Stephan Sigg
1.Corinthians 8:1

„We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs

up, but love edifies.“

LOVE IS NO BALLOON;
IT'S A BUILDING BLOCK
26.01.2016 | Stephan Sigg
1.Peter 4:7-11

THE END OF ALL THINGS IS NEAR!

LOVE IS NOT A BEDTIME STORY;

IT'S AN END TIME MESSAGE
26.01.2016 | Stephan Sigg
1.Corinthians 13

„And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But
the greatest of these is love.“

LOVE IS NOT TEMPORARY;

IT LASTS FOREVER
26.01.2016 | Stephan Sigg
Neuroscience

3 Regulatory Brain Systems

2019 01 | Stephan Sigg

CHURCH IN THE L-MODE

All mental health problems are related to these 2

THREAT DRIVE LOVE

Thread-focussed Achievement-focussed Bonding-focussed

Aim: Self-protection Aim: Posession, Merit Aim: Peace

„Better safe than „Take what you want „A peaceful state of
sorry“ or need“ mind“

Fight-Flight Response Desire, Want, Need, Compassion, Kindness

Anxiety, Worry, Anger Goals, Power, Warmth, Care, Close,
Disgust, Submission Pleasure, Opportunity Affiliation, Affection,

Me-centered Me-centered Us-centered

Motivator: Fear Motivator: Reward Motivator: Connected

2019 01 | Stephan Sigg

A VISION OF CHURCH

„The church of Christ, enfeebled, defective as she may

appear, is the one object on earth upon which he bestows in
a special sense his love and his regard. The church is the
theatre of his grace, in which he delights in making
experiments of his mercy on human hearts. The Holy Spirit
is his representative, and it works to effect transformations
so wonderful that angels look upon them with astonishment
and joy. Heaven is full of rejoicing when the members of the
human family are seen to be full of compassion for one
another, loving one another as Christ has loved them. The
church is God’s fortress, his city of refuge, which he holds in
a revolted world.“ {1888 1554.1}
The EGW 1888 Materials
EVANGELISM & THE CHURCH

“All Christian evangelism is fundamentally rooted in

ecclesiology. It can even be said that the church does
not really need an evangelistic strategy. The church is
the evangelistic strategy…The most evangelistic thing
the church can do, therefore, is to be the church not
merely in public but as a new and alternative public; not
merely in society but as a new and distinct society, a
new and unprecedented social existence. On this view,
any evangelism for which the church is irrelevant, an
afterthought, or instrumental cannot be Christian
evangelism.”
Bryan Stone, Evangelism After Christendom: The Theology and Practice of Christian Witness (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press,
2007), p. 15-16.
WHEN THE CHURCH WAS A FAMILY

“Against all odds the early Christians won

thousands to the Savior and ultimately
triumphed completely over competing religious
options in the Roman Empire. And we can trace
much of the vitality of the Christian movement
to the surrogate family values and behaviors
that characterized local church life.”
Joseph H. Hellerman, When the Church Was a Family: Recapturing Jesus’ Vision for Authentic Christian Community (Nashville, TN:
B&H Academic, 2009), p. 214.
Re-Turn / Re-Think
HOW DO WE TRANSLATE THIS?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE CHURCH?