The early Christians believed
The disciples believed that Christ was going to return in their lifetime. This promise of His return was so real that they were willing to do what Christ had taught. When we think of the apostles and all they went through to spread the gospel of Jesus, they never weighed the cost. They were bold, outspoken, unwavering, and unapologetic in their faith. The Holy Spirit led the apostle Paul to write, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Paul wrote, we which are alive, a clear indication that he expected the return of Christ in his lifetime. Paul desired that Jesus would find him as a good and faithful servant. He was not the only one to believe that Christ’s return could happen at any moment. The apostle John wrote, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).
The early Christians, beginning with the apostles, felt an urgency to do the works that Christ had called for them to do because they took His promise to return to be an event that would literally happen within their lifetime. Because they believed that Christ could return at any moment, they wanted to be found actively serving the Lord. They wanted to be found ready. They lived each day with the belief and knowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ could return at any moment. There are always going to be those who act like or do not believe that the Lord is really coming back and I am sure that they existed in the early days of the church. What made the difference was the zeal of those who did believe the Lord’s return was imminent. They were not afraid to stand up when others told them to sit down. They were not afraid to tell others about Jesus while others were ashamed to admit they went to church. It is these Christians – the ones motivated by the return of Christ at any moment – we read about in Jude: And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh (Jude 22-23).
Powerless churches do not have to remain powerless. While there is no immediate cure-all that will instantly heal a powerless church, there is something that can be done. It begins with us – each member of the local congregation. It begins with us living our life as though the Lord Jesus Christ could return at any moment. It begins with us accepting by faith that His return is imminent and living our lives as if we truly believe it. If we knew the Lord was coming back at 11:45 a.m. on December 21st, 2014 – a Sunday – there is no doubt in my mind that we would spend Friday and Saturday telling others about Jesus, we would purge our homes of things we knew God would not approve of, and we would do everything in our power to be in church at that time. We would want to seek forgiveness of those we may have hurt or been unkind to, we would want our family and closest friends with us in church. We would be willing to give of whatever we had to reach out and help others. How different would our walk with Christ be today if we knew that he was returning then?
If we would grab on to the simple truth that we do not know when Jesus will return and that it could be any moment, I believe we would not only see personal revival break out, we would also see lives healed, families restored, and local church congregations full of people willing to spread the gospel and desiring to make a difference in their community. We’d see personal growth in our faith, we’d see a boldness in our ability to share the gospel with others, and lives transformed by the loving mercy and tenderness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
