The major difference between the early church and the church today

The book of Acts can be quite an inspiration. In it, we read about thousands making the decision to follow Jesus and be a part of His growing church. Many of us want to see the same kind of growth today, but we aren’t. Why? It’s because there is one major difference between the early church and the church today.

The major difference between the early church and modern church

If you’ll allow us to paraphrase, the only thing that Jesus said would make the church resistible to others is that the church follows Him. And if we look at history, this is exactly what we see. For the first 300 years of Christianity, Christians were persecuted for following Jesus and sharing His message. They were not persecuted or disliked for being judgmental or hypocrites or too political. They were persecuted for choosing Jesus over Caesar.

The church was all about Jesus, and it exploded in popularity as a result. It moved people. And it eventually led to the fall of an empire.

Do you think the church today looks anything like that? If we’re honest, the church in America looks more like a tool of the empire rather than an instrument of breaking down barriers, reaching the unwanted and helping those in need. 

This is the major difference between the early church and the modern church. The early church was all about Jesus and embracing His two main principles of loving others and loving God. The modern church is about worshipping Jesus from a distance, ensuring that people follow a set of invisible rules and alienating anyone who is different.

Hope for us all

Now, enough of the gloom talk. We love the church. Really. And we love those outside of it. That’s why we want to see them be brought together.

There is hope for the church when it sheds its walls and made-up preconceptions of who gets in and who gets left out. There is hope for the world when the church puts others before it and serves and helps and reaches out.

Are you ready to change the church for the better of the world? We are. We would love for you to join us as we explore how to do this.

Centerpoint Church is ready to walk with you on your faith journey

At Centerpoint, our community believes in purpose and passion, and we would love to walk with you on your journey in finding yours. We are currently going through a new sermon series titled “What Would Jesus Undo?” It’s all about what we imagine Jesus would want to undo in today’s church to rebuild it to better fit His image and His teachings. 

Do you feel like the church has lost its way and could use some restructuring? You’re not alone. We encourage you to listen to our series online and welcome you to come to one of our Sunday morning services in Valrico, Florida.