What Every Christian Should Know About: Church History - Part 1 of 3, The Early Church to St. Augustine

In this 3 part series, Pastor Powell seeks to highlight some of the most important ideas, people, and movements within the universal Church during its two-thousand year history.

In part 1, the Early Church, the Early heresies regarding the person of Jesus, the Ecumenical Councils, and St. Augustine are the focus.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #19: Matthew 26:52

The Vision of the Cross, 1520-24 by Raphael and his assistants

Matthew 26:52     New International Version

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword."

The History of the Church contains amazing highs of love, mercy, and justice, and horrific lows of hate, greed, and injustice.  As a rule of thumb, the more temporal power the Church has wielded, the worse it has behaved.  When the Church has had the power to put people to death, it has tortured and murdered in Christ's name.  

Prior to the famous vision of Constantine preceding his victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312, the Church was a persecuted minority.  One generation later it began to wield the power of the Roman Empire, a change for the worse if ever there was one.  Now, nobody in their right mind would rather be a member of a persecuted minority instead of a member of the ruling elite, but those aren't the only two choices that were, and are, available to the Church.

In America today, 'Christian' Nationalism promises to give Christians the cudgel with which to beat down their enemies, enabling the Church to dominate society through the force of law whether its teachings are accepted by the citizens of the nation or not.  This proposed bargain has tremendous appeal to those who are scared about the future of the Church in America, promising to erase decades of change that they don't like.

But the promise is a hollow one, and also something that Jesus warned Peter against believing.  Having the whip-hand won't fill our churches again, it won't undo the sexual revolution, and it won't force God to bless America simply because prayer in school is once again mandatory. 

What it will do, instead, is make evangelism a more daunting task, drive yet more young people from a Church that in their eyes cares more about controlling than loving people, and offer up to Christians all the temptations associated with the love of power (its cousins in crime: lust and greed).

The sword?  It won't help you.

Sermon Video: Speaking Truth to Power - The Martyrdom of John the Baptist, Mark 6:14-29

 When confronted with a morally repugnant situation, John the Baptist spoke with clarity, unafraid of the power wielded by Herod Antipas. As a result, he was imprisoned, and eventually martyred. Why did he speak? Because he represented God, and God's Word on the matter was clear. When called to speak, we need the three things that John had: (1) A righteous reputation that doesn't allow our words to be dismissed, (2) Knowledge of the Truth, and (3) the courage to speak, especially to those with power. While you or I may never speak before a king or president, our own families, workplaces, and communities also have those with power, when they abuse it, when they utilize it for immoral purposes, we too must speak up.

Sermon Video: A world without life after death - 1 Corinthians 15:29-32

What would be different about our world if we knew that there was no life after death? Considering that most people both now and throughout history have some sort of belief in an afterlife, the changes would not be small. The Apostle Paul outlines three of them, (1) we would lose our connection to our ancestors, (2) any rationale for self-sacrifice {much less worth dying for}, and (3) any hope for final Justice. In the end, without a resurrection the most likely human response is, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." Hedonism and hopelessness are a toxic combination. Thankfully, Paul's thought is only a hypothetical, for the resurrection of the dead IS a reality, there will be a Judgment Day, and we have every reason to Hope beyond this life when we are in Christ.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: We Need Love - 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:3

What is the center of Christianity?  Having explained to the church at Corinth their need for unity and gifts of ministry from the Holy Spirit, Paul chooses to remind them that these things, are necessary as they are, are not the foundation upon which Christ is building his Church, that honor belongs to Love.  How does Paul know this?  Simple, if one were to have gifts of showmanship/eloquence without Love, one would have nothing.  If one were to obtain deep knowledge and wisdom without Love, one would be nothing.  And if one were to give charitably all that one has, even being willing to surrender one's life for others or even the Gospel, but has not Love, one would gain nothing.
Without Love (and I'm using the capital L on purpose, as Paul is about to define the Love he's talking about in the next passage, and trust me, it isn't the love we toss around all the time), nothing that Christians build will matter.  Love is at the heart of God's will and God's plan, for as John reminds us in his letter, "God is love".  We all need Love.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: The Martyrdom of Stephen - Acts 6:8-8:2

The powerful story of the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts marks the moment when Christianity became a new religion, and not just a reform movement within Judaism.  On it's surface, it is also an important message about remaining faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ no matter what the consequences might be.  There is another message for those willing to listen to it, one that may be difficult to hear, and that is the sermon of Stephen itself.  If you read the sermon of Stephen, it begins as a summarization of the history of Israel as God's Covenant people.  As it progresses, the emphasis shifts to the lack of faith and disobedience of the people, especially the trouble that Moses had in trying to lead them.
When Stephen reaches his conclusion, that his audience are heirs of that "stiff-necked" heritage, the trial itself has become a referendum on those sitting in judgment.  Are they followers of the prophets of old, or are they followers of the unbelieving generation that died in the desert?  The question is easily answered by Stephen's conclusion, "you who have received the law...but have not obeyed it."  To obey the Law is to follow Moses, to ignore it is to follow the path of rebellion.
When you read the story of Stephen, who do you identify with?  Most readers would assume that they're on Stephen's side, that they stand with the martyrs against oppression, hatred, and rebellion.  Most would assume that, but Stephen's question remains, do you obey the Word of God?  Everyone who obeys, by faith, can rightly claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ, those who do not, are sitting with the Sanhedrin.
When you hear the Truth, from God's Word or God's modern-day prophets, what is your response?

To watch the video, click on the link below
Sermon Video