Читать книгу With One Accord in One Place - Armin Gesswein - Страница 7

Introduction

Assembly-truth is the most powerful truth in the New Testament. Especially as it is on display in the Jerusalem congregation described in the book of Acts. I am surprised that more have not developed it. Once we get the idea that church (ecclesia) really means “assembly” we are off to the right start.

It leads right into revival truth of the highest kind. Not some kind of revival—but church renewal. We are introduced to the Bible basis of awakening for our congregations. This is the high road on which we find Christ at work building His New Testament church.

I finally understood it: the local congregation is the basic unit for the powerful working of the Holy Spirit. It gives new birth and power to all other action, whether it is individual or group action, evangelism or missions or witnessing or prayer or whatever. Move any of these into the action of an assembly and they move into another dimension of power, up to divine specifications. Normal. Mature.

BOOK OF THE CHURCH

The Acts has well been called the “book of the church.” This is also true of the whole New Testament, including the book of the Revelation where the Lord says, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” This He says seven times (Revelation 2-3). There is nothing like this in the entire Bible. When Jesus was here on earth, He would say, “Take heed how ye hear.” Now, from heaven, He says, “Let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” I earnestly pray for such an ear.

Lately I discovered that most of the things we are now seeking for our churches are demonstrated in the first church, the mother church, the model church, in Jerusalem. This tells me I am no longer merely in the realm of good ideas—but in God’s Word. This not only gives us new vision but faith as we pray for our congregations. Church truth begets church faith. Now that “church growth” is the main topic of study everywhere, we must be very sure of our Biblical base.

Recently at a famous garden I stopped to admire a Mexican coral tree with its gnarled branches crisscrossing in every direction from the trunk. How like the Jerusalem congregation, I thought: organic in its growth all the way. Rugged. Tested. Tried. True. What a profound structure, branching out into all kinds of developments. One is reminded of the “tree of life” with its twelve kinds of fruit and the leaves of the tree “for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22).

What a challenge—to trace the many forms of growth and life which came out of this one congregation! To take this assembly out of the Acts would be like lifting from the sky the very cloud which gave us the rain!

It is my prayer that God will use these pages to quicken churches everywhere.

—Armin R. Gesswein

San Juan Capistrano, California