Becoming a First-Century Church

Chapters 1–2

📖 Teaching Outline with Biblical Illustrations

Chapters 1–2 of Becoming a First-Century Church by Clarence Sexton Audience: Adult Sunday School or Bible Class Length: 50 minutes

Chapter 1: The Foundation Must Be Right

Text: Matthew 16:13–18

“13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Time: 25 minutes

1.1 Introduction – The Importance of Foundations (2 mins)

Illustration: The Wise and Foolish Builders

Matthew 7:24-27 – A wise man builds on the rock, a foolish man on sand. Storms reveal what was hidden. Application: What foundation are we building on?

1.2 Christ Is the Foundation (6 mins)

Text: Matthew 16:16–18

Peter confesses: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replies: “Upon this rock I will build my church…”

Illustration: Paul’s Correction in Corinth

1 Corinthians 3:11 – “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

The church in Corinth tried to build on personalities (Paul, Apollos), but only Christ is the true foundation.

1.3 The Church Is Christ’s Possession and Work (5 mins)

Text: Matthew 16:18 – “I will build MY church.” Illustration: Paul's Charge to the Ephesian Elders

Acts 20:28 – “...the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Application: The church is not ours to reinvent. It belongs to Christ.

1.4 The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail (5 mins)

Text: Matthew 16:18 – “...the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Illustration 1: Peter in Prison

Acts 12:1–11 – Herod tried to silence the church by imprisoning Peter, but God delivered him miraculously. Illustration 2: Stephen's Martyrdom

Acts 7:54–60 – The death of Stephen fueled the expansion of the church through persecution.

1.5 Application and Reflection (7 mins)

Question: What false foundations do churches build on today?

Programs instead of preaching

Tradition instead of truth

Entertainment instead of evangelism

Illustration: The Church at Laodicea

Revelation 3:17, 20 – “Thou sayest, I am rich... and knowest not that thou art wretched...”

Christ is outside, knocking, asking to be let in.

Chapter 2: The Church Was Born in Prayer

Text: Acts 1:12–14 “12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.

13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”

Time: 25 minutes

2.1 The Setting: Waiting for the Promise (5 mins)

Text: Acts 1:12–14 – “These all continued with one accord in prayer...” Illustration: Jesus in Gethsemane

Luke 22:41–44 – Jesus prays before the cross. He doesn't organize, argue, or protest—He prays. Application: Waiting time is not wasted time when it's spent in prayer.

Luke 22:41–44 “41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

2.2 The Church Begins in Prayer, Not Planning (5 mins)

Illustration: The Fall of Jericho

Joshua 6:2–5 – Victory came through faithful obedience and trust in God's Word, not strategy. Application: Programs don’t bring Pentecost—prayer does.

Joshua 6:2–5 “2 And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.

3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.”

2.3 Unity in Prayer Brings Power (5 mins)

Text: Acts 1:14 – “With one accord in prayer and supplication...”

Illustration 1: Pentecost

Acts 2:1–4 – The Spirit came when they were “with one accord in one place.”

Illustration 2: Tower of Babel (Contrast)

Genesis 11:6 – Human unity without God brought confusion; godly unity brought revival.

Genesis 11:6 “6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.”

2.4 Characteristics of New Testament Prayer (5 mins)

Illustration 1: Elijah’s Fervent Prayer

James 5:17–18 – Elijah, though human, prayed earnestly and stopped rain for 3.5 years. Illustration 2: Hannah’s Supplication

James 5:17–18 “17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”

1 Samuel 1:10–13 – She prayed so earnestly Eli thought she was drunk. God answered her cry.

1 Samuel 1:10–13 “10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. 11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no rasor come upon his head. 12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. 13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.”

2.5 Application and Challenge (5 mins)

Discussion Question: Why don’t we pray like the early church today?

Busyness? Many Christians cite the busyness of daily life as a significant obstacle to spiritual practices like prayer.

Perception Gap: While 85% of church leaders identify busyness as a major barrier to discipleship, only 22% of practicing Christians agree. 

Spiritual Apathy: A notable portion of self-identified Christians (10%) consider their spiritual growth "not too" or "not at all" important, indicating a lack of urgency in prioritizing spiritual disciplines.

Unbelief? There's a growing trend of minimizing God's role in daily life among Americans, including self-identified Christians.

Belief Statistics: Only 40% of Americans believe in the existence and influence of the God of the Bible.

Spiritual Engagement: A mere 16% of adults say God is the most important element of their life, and only 14% claim He has total influence over their life choices.

Disunity? Disunity and a preference for solitary spirituality have led to decreased communal prayer and spiritual conversations.

Private Faith: A significant number of Christians view their spiritual life as entirely private, leading to fewer communal prayer experiences. 

Reluctant Conversationalists: Three-quarters of self-identified U.S. Christians have fewer than 10 spiritual conversations per year, indicating a reluctance to engage in faith discussions.

Illustration: Jesus Cleansing the Temple

Matthew 21:13 – “My house shall be called the house of prayer...”

Jesus drove out distractions and reclaimed the purpose of the temple.

Closing Summary (2–3 mins)

The church must be built on Christ – Matthew 16:18 “18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

The church must begin and continue in prayer – Acts 1:14 “14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”

Final Verse: Colossians 1:18 – “That in all things He might have the preeminence.”