What would see if went back to the first century church and attended their assembly for worship?

1. Worship 33 AD
If you attended worship in early
church, what would it be like?

2. Our VBS – Time Machine
• What if you could go back to the
beginning of the church – Pentecost –
Acts 2
• Would you recognize it?
• What would they be doing?
• Study Acts 2

3. Some things very different
• Not in a “church” building
• No pews (with padding)
• No central heat / AC
• No electric lights

4. Some things very different
• Singing –
– More chant form
– Words are direct quotations from Scripture
– No song books
– No 4-part harmony

5. What you would see:
• Open to all
• Acts 2:5 And there were dwelling in
Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from
every nation under heaven.
• It took the Jews some time to adjust
to accepting Gentiles
• Every nation under heaven

6. What you would see:
• Excitement
• Acts 2:6-7 6 And when this sound
occurred, the multitude came together,
and were confused, because everyone
heard them speak in his own language. 7
Then they were all amazed and marveled,
saying to one another, "Look, are not all
these who speak Galileans?

7. What you would see:
• Excitement
• There was real joy
• Enthusiasm = God dwelling in us – If God is in
you – you will be excited
• They were glad to be together
• Acts 2:46 So continuing daily with one accord in
the temple, and breaking bread from house to
house, they ate their food with gladness and
simplicity of heart,

8. What you would see:
• Bible Preaching
• Many sermons today have little Bible in them
• 2 Timothy 4:2-4 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season
and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all
longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come
when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according
to their own desires, because they have itching ears,
they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will
turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside
to fables.

9. What you would see:
• Invitations to obey
• Acts 2:40 And with many other words
he testified and exhorted them,
saying, "Be saved from this perverse
generation."
• Not just at the close of a sermon

10. What you would see:
• Worship
• Acts 2:42 And they continued
steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine
and fellowship, in the breaking of
bread, and in prayers.
• 4 of 5 parts of worship mentioned
here

11. What you would see:
• Worship
• Apostles' doctrine – teaching, preaching,
study, read the Word of God
• Fellowship – share their money, give as they
are able to support the work
• Breaking of bread – Communion, Lord's
Supper
• Prayers – A vital part of their worship

12. What you would see:
• Fellowship
• Acts 2:44-45 44 Now all who believed
were together, and had all things in
common, 45 and sold their possessions
and goods, and divided them among all,
as anyone had need.
• Fellowship is more than eating a meal
• Fellowship is sharing, working together

13. What you would see:
• Evangelistic
• Acts 2:46-47 46 So continuing daily with
one accord in the temple, and breaking
bread from house to house, they ate their
food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all
the people. And the Lord added to the
church daily those who were being saved.

14. What you would see:
• Evangelistic
• Daily – not one hour a week
• Where ever they went – they taught in
public places (temple) and privately
(house to house)
• Acts 8:4 Therefore those who were
scattered went everywhere preaching the
word.

15. Conclusion
• The externals would be very different from
what we are used to seeing.
• The practice, the worship, the teaching,
would be very similar to today.
• Our goal – Do what they did and
we will be what they were –
New Testament Christians.