Furlough message...Three chartisics of the Early Church

1. Prayer

- The early church was a Militant Church, seeing it was a church upon it’s knees. It was a Church that strapped on it’s boots and went to war. Their witness was powerful for behind it there was that prevailing prayer, conquering even the proud legions of Rome.

a. Prayer is shows our dependecy upon God. when we don’t pray, we depend upon our own strenght to accomplish the work of the Lord.

b. God is the one who moves in the hearts of men, and through prayer we move the heart of God.

c. The Church today faced with the evil of cicity needs men and women to pray.

i. we complain about all that is happening with the laws of the land, but are we praying.

d. You will not become a person of prayer unless you prayer. Prayer will never be part of your life, unless you begin to pray

f. Power to wittness, power over sin only comes through prayer.

2. Unity

Lord Jesus prayed for unity of believers

​ KJV 1900Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Paul wrote of unity of the Church

​ KJV 1900Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

​ KJV 1900Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

​ KJV 1900Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

​ KJV 1900There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Paul talks about the unity of the body of believers

​ KJV 1900Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

​ KJV 1900And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

c. Peter speaks of unity

​ KJV 1900Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

d. Nothing will tear apart a church faster then disharmony in the Church. What kind of testemony is it to the World?

Dependence the Holy Spirit a. The Spirit gives us understanding of the gospel and makes it effective in our lives

​ KJV 1900And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

b. The Spirit is the agent of our sanctification, spiritual cleansing, and renewal

​ KJV 1900And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

c. the Spirit causes us to abound in hope

​ KJV 1900Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

d. Our access to God is in the Spirit

​ KJV 1900For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

e. We are joined to the body of Christ by the Spirit () and

f. God dwells within us as his new temple through the Spirit’s indwelling of the church (; ).·     

g. We know that we abide in God and God in us, because he has given us his Spirit (; ).·     h. The Spirit secures our salvation by sealing us for the future day of redemption (; ; ).·   

  i. God gives his Spirit as the down-payment and guarantee of our inheritance in Christ.·     

j. The Spirit assures us that all of God’s promises will be fulfilled (; ; ).·    

k; God pours his love into our hearts through his Spirit (), and gives us assurance of our sonship by causing us to cry, “Abba, Father” (; ).·   

 l.The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death ().·   

m. We now serve God not under the old written code of the law, but in the new life of the Spirit ().·     

n. We walk in the Spirit and set our minds on the things of the Spirit ( ).·    

 o. God’s glorious Spirit rests on us when we suffer for Christ ().·    

 p. The Spirit opens the eyes of our hearts to know God better (), strengthens us in our inner being (), and fills us with the fullness of God (; ).·     

q. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in our hearts and enables us to put sin to death, promising to give life to our mortal bodies ().

God gave us the Spirit to give us life and to secure, seal, sanctify, and assure us. It is by the Spirit that we live, walk, worship, pray, serve, and suffer. The Spirit opens eyes, strengthens hearts, enables holiness, and fills us with the fullness of God. And God says don’t grieve the HS but depend upon Him for we are dependent on the Spirit for everything relating to our life and walk in Christ.