The Church 501 – 1000AD (August 15th)
Acts 11:19 – 30
1.) Jesus spoke about the essence of the church in Matthew 18:20 when he said, “Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
This is a foundational understanding of the church. The church exists when two or more come together in Christ’s name. It might be for fellowship (relationship), or knowledge (growing in the faith), or witness (giving away our faith and love). Christ is with us as the central aspect of our life as the church.
2.) The good news of the Lord Jesus Christ was being shared to the Jews but messengers began to share with the Greeks (according to Acts 11:19 – 21). The Greeks responded and the church, as defined by two or more gathered in Jesus name, began to grow.
Barnabas was sent to Antioch from Jerusalem and discovered the “Christians,” these Greek followers of Jesus Christ, forming the church. In Acts 11:26 we discover that the name, Christian, was first used in Antioch to identify followers of Jesus Christ in the church.
Barnabas took Paul, who was called Saul at this time, to Antioch. We read this verse about what happened next. “So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.” (Acts 11:26) We see the essence of the church in Antioch, one of relationship and growing in knowledge.
Hold this understanding of the church from Jesus’ words and this story in Acts as we look at a period of church history, approx. 500 – 1000, and how the church was influenced by people, movements, geography and time and how the church influenced others.
3.) The church began in a spiritual explosion and moved into all parts of the Roman world. The Church was a persecuted minority in its beginning. Constantine was converted and he joined the Roman Empire to the Christian faith and church. It was a vital time as doctrine and practices were getting figured out. But the Roman Empire did not last forever.
Around the year 475 the Roman Empire collapsed. What took its place was the beginning of smaller, regional kingdoms. It was a period of feudalism, a decentralized authority structure for the various regions.
4.) In this time period I lift three issues that were getting worked out in the church.
*The Church was letting go of the control of the state. (The two groups were joined together by Constantine and others. This was a transition of letting go.)
*The Church was holding on more to the importance of the popes in some traditions. (This was happening with the lessening of political power, but gaining of the spiritual influence.)
*The church in the East and the West were divided along the lines of Orthodox beliefs and Catholic practices of the faith. (There was no desire for unity, divisions kept growing.)
I want to focus on three topics that were going on in this time period. Practices, Building and the Crusades.
5.) Practices
Let’s look at a song, a creed and a prayer that were written during this time period.
*The song, “Be Thou My Vision,” was written in a poem form in the 800’s. It is found in the United Methodist Hymnal on page 451. Let us read the first and third verse together.
*Let us read “The Apostle’s Creed” that was affirmed around 700 AD. This was based o the Old Roman Creed that was written around 200AD. It is found as #881 in the United Methodist Hymnal.
*Here is a prayer written by King Alfred, who lived from 849 – 901.
“Lord God Almighty, Shaper and Ruler of all creatures, we pray thee for thy great mercy, that thou guide us better than we have done, towards thee. And guide us to thy will, to the need of our soul, better than we can ourselves. And steadfast our mind towards thy will and to our soul’s need. And strengthen us against the temptations of the devil, and put far from us all lust, and every unrighteousness, and shield us against our foes, seen and unseen. And teach us to do thy will, that we may inwardly love thee before all things, with a pure mind. For thou art our Maker and our Redeemer, our Help, our Comfort, our Trust, our Hope; praise and glory be to thee now, ever and ever, world without end.” (A Time to Pray, 365 Classic Prayer, foreword by David Adam, page 96)
6.) Building
The church it its essence is spiritual but we discover in history that is focuses on the physical. I want to talk about the church and its buildings. It was during this time period that buildings began to have a greater importance and significance. In the early history of 200 – 500 AD the church and state were together. So, buildings were a function of the state, to some degree. There were some people, movements, that built monasteries in opposition to the state. These monasteries were simple structures, that were also easy to attack and destroy which was happening during this time in history.
The importance of the huge cathedrals, as symbols of faith, were being built, in some ways as a contrast to the simple monasteries. The cathedrals were grand, expressive and majestic. They were also hard to attack and take over.
Another feature of these big buildings were that in the villages the cathedral was the tallest building in the village. It was a symbol of the Lord watching over you, a reminder that in all your life in the village, the Lord was watching you, was loving you and was with you. You could not be prevented from seeing the building that symbolized God and being reminded of God’s presence in life.
It is worth mentioning that the Cathedral of Notre Dame was begun in 1163. It is visited by 13 million people today and a practicing congregation still uses the building. It is an impressive building.
7.) Crusades
One of the periods of church history that started around the year 1000 was the period of the Crusades. Christians had traveled to the Holy Lands peacefully for years to see the sites where Jesus lived. It has been a special thing to do, it still is.
Christian leaders promoted the cause of going to the Holy Land to take over the Sacred sites because the Seljuk Turks, some new and fanatical converts to Islam, held control and were harming the pilgrims.
“In 1095, after Eastern Emperor Alexius I sent out an urgent appeal for help, Pope Urban II proclaimed the First Crusade to regain the Holy Land. Preaching at the Council of Clermont in southeastern France, the pope urged Christians to take up the cross and strive for a cause that promised not merely spiritual rewards but material gain as well: “For this land which you inhabit… is too narrow for your large population; nor does it abound in wealth; and it furnishes scarcely food enough for its cultivators. Hence it is that you murder and devour one another…enter upon the road to the Holy Sepulchre; wrest that land from the wicked race, and subject it to yourselves.”
As Urban ended his impassioned appeal a roar arose from the multitude; Deus Volt! God wills it! So, there on the spot Urban declared that Deus Volt! would be the crusader battle cry against the Muslim enemy. (Church History in Plain Language, Bruce Shelley, page 187)
The rest of the history book goes on to tell of the violence and murder that happened all in the name of Christianity.
8.) What can we learn from history as we affirm the significance of the church. The church is when two or more come together in Jesus name, to growing in knowledge, faith and witness.
a.) We need to realize that the Kingdom of God is not about Kingdoms on earth. The Crusades failed to accomplish much and we are still paying a political price, and perhaps a spiritual price for seeking to build a physical kingdom rather than a spiritual kingdom.
Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19 – 21)
b.) As we think about our building what does it say about God, about our faith in God? What does the space in this sanctuary communicate? What does a newly constructed parking lot communicate to our community? What do we need to change, update, get rid of, so that our facility expresses God’s glory?
In Luke 21:5, 6 it says, “Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; ever one of them will be thrown down.”
c.) What does an ancient song, prayer or creed tell us about our faith? Why is it important to learn from our past? Why do we need the newest “Christians” to create new songs, new prayers and expressions of faith, like new creeds in 2010?
Psalm 149:1 says, “Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.”
