GOD’S PURPOSE
Each one of us needs to fulfil God’s eternal purpose. It is up to us to discover and achieve it. But how can this be possible? At some point in our lives, we had an encounter with Jesus that marked us, as we used to live disordered and distant from the Lord. However, with this experience, we drew closer to Jesus and began our Christian life within the church. Nevertheless, many do not persevere, giving up on continuing the process of transformation. There is a principle we must never forget: we will never fulfil this purpose without the church. No one completes the race set by God alone or by seeking it in their own way. There is a way that God has established for this to happen: through the church. Yet, some think of the church as just another program. They come on Sundays, gather their families, and say, “Let’s go to church,” as if it were a temple, a place, a building—this is a completely wrong concept, tainted with religiosity. Christianity is not a religion; it is an experience with the living and true God, who transforms us to become more and more like Him: holy, pure, just, righteous, loving, and merciful. The church is the instrument the Lord has left for this to occur. The church is the body of Christ, and He is the head. Therefore, there is no head without the body, and vice versa, for otherwise, it would be very strange. Therefore, being outside the church means being outside of Jesus. Today, the church is the ark that protects you from the world. Today, the church is God’s answer to humanity. There is no salvation outside of Jesus, and thus, there is no way to maintain salvation outside of the church. Christ in us and us in Christ make up God’s family, which is the church. Being part of this family is a great privilege. Through this body, as members, fulfilling our proper function, we will fulfil God’s purpose in our lives, observing the four pillars of the early church: learning what is taught, that is, the necessary principles to fulfil the purpose; cultivating communion through relationships with the brethren; sharing what we have, what we can, and what we are (partaking of the bread); and seeking spiritual strength through prayer.
Now, as we continue to walk in the church, we draw nearer to Jesus and consequently become more like Him. This is precisely what Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7 – “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Paul pursued the proposed race until he became more like Him. When we stop or revert to doing things we shouldn’t, it’s because we either haven’t truly converted or we are spiritually cooling off, returning to old practices against God. How is your race? What happens when you stop walking? And when you don’t complete the race? One thing is certain: those who have strayed or given up will not receive a reward from Jesus, nor will they reign with Him in the millennium. Furthermore, the Word says they will suffer loss, without specifying what that loss entails. To receive a reward, you must fight the good fight of faith and complete the race, and we complete the race when we become like Jesus. That is precisely how we fulfill God’s eternal purpose.
So, what is your choice? What we choose here will determine our outcome there. There are things we must resolve here, not in eternity. We must live in a way that achieves these things and run the good race. We make our choices here, and it is the sum of these choices along the way that represents the race of our life. Today is an opportunity to readjust and resume this journey, this process, remembering that the Christian life is a daily experience with God that we seek. To do this, let us look at a text that is OUR MODEL, which has become a standard for us, because if the early church managed to fulfil God’s purpose for it, then we can too. As we go through the verses, we will extract the necessary teachings for our lives. So, pay attention.
BIBLE PASSAGE: Acts 2:42-47 “42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
THE FOUR PILLARS OF THE VICTORIOUS CHURCH
There is a goal in my heart as the pastor of this church, not just a wish: to get as close as possible to what the early church lived 2000 years ago. If you ask me what I desire the most, pursue, and insist upon, it is this. This is the model of a victorious church. This is the standard for us. This should be OUR MODEL. In the construction industry, after we created a project, we would send it to the “model makers” to create a model of what we were going to build. It is somewhat similar to what this passage in Acts represents for us: a model that we need to build with the grace of the Holy Spirit. We are still far from this reality, but it will not paralyze us. On the contrary, we believe and work to be THE CHURCH OF ACTS. However, to achieve this goal, we must observe the pillars that sustained and firmly upheld this work (the building of Christ). As we read the early accounts of the church, we realize that it grew and prevailed with astonishing efficiency. In chapter 2, starting from verse 42, it explains why: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
PERSEVERANCE: The first thing to learn from this text is the word “persevered.” Perseverance is crucial for us, the church of the Lord Jesus. For all natural aspects, perseverance is necessary: in a course, at work, in treating an illness, cleaning a room, carrying out a task. Now, even more so for spiritual matters, where we often only see results later or in eternity. Perseverance is often referred to as “GRIT, DETERMINATION, INSISTENCE, PERSISTENCE…“. What does perseverance really mean, and what is its purpose? The Bible affirms that we need perseverance so that, having done the will of God, we may receive what is promised (Hebrews 10:36). Why? Because perseverance is not an end in itself. It is not the objective of the Christian life; it is just a means, a key to what is most important: doing the will of God (Hebrews 10:36b). Therefore, we are not those who shrink back; we are those who persevere for the preservation of the soul (Hebrews 10:39). Jesus said in Luke 21:19, “By your endurance, you will gain your lives.” So, we can define perseverance as remaining in a state or activity, even in the face of opposition or failure. To remain firm and constant, staying unchanged or undeterred from our purpose. Perseverance is the attribute of a wise person who evaluates before starting something (Luke 14:28) and who, during the journey, knows that vigilance (Ephesians 6:18) and persistence will be necessary. They understand that even amidst tribulation, testing, and life’s pressures, perseverance is developed, leading to experiences that fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. Consider what Romans 5:3-4 says, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” We know that we will only receive the reward, the prize if we reach the end. That’s why we always say that perseverance is one of the secrets of the victor. In a race, what matters is not how you start but how you finish. If we have the firm determination to complete the race and endure to the end, holding on to the bull’s horn and biting its ear, the bull will fall. So, we often speak about not throwing in the towel, not dropping the baton, not giving up in the face of suffering and difficulties. Romans 8:18 assures us that the present sufferings are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in us as a result of our positive response to God. Jesus is coming back, and only those who persevere until the end will reign and be rewarded. So, always remember Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” and James 1:12, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” We should never forget that those who wait on the Lord will never be put to shame. There is a saying, “Soft water on hard stone, eventually pierces it.” This happens because it has to do with constancy and perseverance. Now, the most interesting thing to note in the Acts passage is that they all persevered together, never alone. This greatly facilitates reaching the goal and objective. Let us study what the early church persevered in and where they invested their time.
PERSEVERANCE IN THE APOSTLES’ DOCTRINE
The doctrine of the apostles is the set of teachings left by Jesus to be practiced by His church through His disciples. It speaks of the Christian foundation upon which we should base our lives. Today, we teach exactly what the apostles taught. Look at what Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 – “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” We must guard and preserve the health of God’s Word within the church, being as zealous as possible about it.
Our entire teaching structure is established for you to stand firm in the way of the Lord. Therefore, do not miss the courses that the church offers you. They will always teach you the path you should walk. Anyone who claims to already know what is being taught smells of arrogance and presumption. No one is so wise that they have nothing left to learn. On Mondays and Tuesdays for those who do not study and on Sundays for those who study, we continue semester after semester recycling the main teachings of the apostles’ doctrine. “Panorama Bíblico,” “CME – Curso de Maturidade no Espírito” (Spiritual Maturity Course), and “CTL – Curso de Treinamento de Liderança” (Leadership Training Course) make up what we call the “Path to Maturity.” So, do not miss all these courses, as well as the “Veredas Antigas” seminars, Men’s and Women’s Gatherings, Couples’ Gatherings, Conferences, and retreats, etc. We do not teach just anything. We present pure, genuine, unique doctrine directly from the source. This also happens in our worship services, cell groups, and collective and individual discipleship. There are many ways for you to hear the Word of the Lord and be transformed in soul and character. Do not miss out on this movement. Our vision is for you to become a minister of the Lord, a true disciple of Jesus. Sometimes, we see tremendous effort devoted to transient and passing things of this world, but we do not see the same dedication to spiritual and eternal aspects. We need to evaluate more where our hearts are and what we truly desire.
PERSEVERANCE IN FELLOWSHIP
Fellowship comes from “common” plus “union.” “Common” is the basis of the word “community,” and “union” is the basis of the word “unity.” Community plus unity generates fellowship. A community without unity is just an institution, an association, or a philanthropic entity, much like a company. An army fits this description as well. But what it lacks is unity. They may have unity, like a football team. However, unity is different from union. Unity is something generated by the Holy Spirit. It is divine, supernatural. No human can create unity. Unity can only happen in a community called the church. Fellowship has the central objective of creating bonds among brothers and sisters, relationships that involve common purposes and activities, being partners in the work of Jesus. Usually, we like people who like us or people who are similar to us. This is not the Spirit of Christ. We must maintain fellowship and love everyone without distinction. That is being a family. We are engaged in the greatest divine enterprise in the universe. We are a family not only because we attend the same building to worship God, but because we share the same life, the same spiritual genetic makeup: we are children of God. We share the life of the same Christ. A dog cannot have fellowship with a cat, nor a mouse with an elephant. They do not have the same kind of life. You also cannot have fellowship with darkness because you are now light. You can no longer have fellowship with someone who does not have the life of God within them. You need your family.
Christianity is not meant to be lived alone. Life in community is the biblical way to live the Christian life. The more you grow in God and draw close to Him, the closer you will be to people, to your brothers and sisters. Imagine a circle. Now think that God is in the middle of that circle, and we are on the periphery, on the edge. I might be on one side of the circle, and you on the other, but as we draw closer to God, we draw closer to one another. So, when we have real intimacy with God, we demonstrate it in fellowship with our brothers and sisters.
Without fellowship, we are like a brick outside the construction, a member outside the body, a soldier lost on the battlefield. In other words, it’s a contradiction, a life without purpose. It’s like a sack of potatoes thrown together. There is union, but no unity. To achieve unity, we need to become mashed potatoes. What is necessary to make mashed potatoes? First, the potato cannot be raw; it needs to be cooked. Similarly, believers need to be cooked by the fire of the Holy Spirit, baptized in the Spirit. Raw potatoes cannot become mashed potatoes. Then, the potato needs to be peeled, removing the skin. This symbolizes appearance, letting God deal with pride, the desire to be different, the difficulty of submission, not wanting to accept the vision. Strong personal thoughts are the skins that need the cross to deal with them. Finally, the potatoes need to be mashed, which speaks of brokenness – there will only be unity among a people who accept being broken. One of the indispensable prerequisites for a man of God, a church leader, is that they be teachable and correctable. God will not promote unity with men who are whole, strong, and in control of themselves! Unity alone will not lead us to fulfill God’s purpose for the Church. Unity is relatively easy to find anywhere. But unity, that is something much deeper and more relevant. There will only be a move of God where there is unity in the local church. God only moves in mashed potatoes.
We need to maintain our individuality and forget individualism. This is a characteristic of the carnal. Let God mash you because after being mashed, no one sees our differences. Therefore, we reject gossip, politicking, human respect over divine respect. As long as we live in carnality, pride, self-opinion, and appearance, there will be no unity, and God cannot act.
It is not difficult to imagine what happens to a single coal outside the fire. Nor is it necessary to discuss the uselessness of going to war alone. The fellowship of the church is spiritual security for you. Through it, your fire is maintained, and your battles are won. Ecclesiastes says that a threefold cord is not easily broken. “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). Everyone agrees that two heads are better than one, that the strength of two people produces greater results than that of a solitary individual.
Observe what powerful and effective work we can accomplish in unity. When one falls, the other lifts him up; when one is growing cold, the other warms him. When someone tries to fight against one, the other rises up to help. This is tremendous! We must consider that work in unity produces spectacular synergy. Synergy is the result of the cooperation of two or more people to accomplish a specific function. What’s most incredible about this is that one person’s strength performing a certain function alone is different from their strength when they perform the same function together with another person. The combined force of both is increased and potentiated, bringing about greater results than expected. We see this principle in the Bible in Leviticus 26:8: “Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.” In this passage, it is said that five people will put a hundred to flight, and a hundred will put ten thousand to flight. Proportionally, one person will put twenty to flight in smaller numbers, but one person will put a hundred to flight in larger numbers. Glory to God! What tremendous strength is generated in unity! With a united cell group (network), no enemy can resist us. We are cooperating together for the edification of a victorious Church, and unity is the greatest expression of a community living worthily before the Lord with this charge.
Fellowship is much more than just attending a worship service and sitting next to a brother or sister whose name you might not even know. There is a spiritual fellowship that unites all believers from all times. This is real and very good, but as individuals, we also need a living fellowship that involves communication. I have a need to know and be known, to share my life and feel part of a community. That is why the size of the church might initially overwhelm you. But do not worry. Despite being huge, we are a very small church. We are a church in cells. During Sunday celebrations, you will have fellowship with the whole church in spirit, but during the week, in the cell groups, you will experience church life and fellowship with your brothers and sisters in a practical and intimate way.
Just as children learn from their parents and older siblings, you also need older siblings and spiritual parents to grow in God. Neglecting this will only bring harm to you. There are churches where people only go to seek blessings and participate in campaigns. This is not wrong, but it is not the true meaning of being the Church, and solely doing this will not lead you to grow. You need to be occasionally exhorted, corrected, motivated, sometimes carried, and other times encouraged and forgiven. All of this happens in discipleship.
The group of Jesus’ disciples can be a good example for this study. At first, they were together, but they did not have unity. One wanted to be greater than the other (Mark 9:34). Unity gradually developed until it reached its fullness in Acts chapter 1 (Acts 1:13-14). Now, one could speak of “unanimity,” which means a single opinion, a single mind. In fact, in the original group of twelve, there was never full unity for two basic reasons: Judas Iscariot was seeking only his own interest (John 12:6), and the other disciples were immature. They were in a learning process. This happens in any kind of human relationship. There is a time of getting to know each other, involvement, interaction until unity is achieved. Until then, perseverance is required. We cannot give up at the first difficulty.
One of the most fantastic prayers in history is found in John 17. There, Jesus asked the Father for something simply astonishing: He asked that the brothers and sisters in the church be one, just as He and the Father are one. Can you imagine that? Jesus is one God with the Father. But the most extraordinary thing is the reason He made this prayer. He said, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21 and 23). The world will simply believe in Jesus if we live a life of fellowship and unity. Fellowship attracts more people than evangelism. In fact, He said that we would only be recognized as His disciples if we love one another (John 13:35). Fellowship helps us express this love to the world. This is exactly what we see happening in Acts when Christians gained favor with the people (grace) because they loved one another – something that was impossible to find in the world. The result was that the Lord added more and more to those who were being saved.
In conclusion, perseverance in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship within the church are vital aspects of a victorious church. The church should strive to be built upon the teachings of the apostles and remain united in a true, loving, and Christ-centered fellowship. By doing so, the church becomes a powerful force, demonstrating the love of Christ to the world and attracting others to the faith.
There is a released power that only happens when there is communion. Jesus said, “If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). There are certain prayers that will only be answered if we pray together in agreement, in communion. There are many things you can do alone, but the greatest and most important things you will always do as a team, either in the cell group or in the church.
The word “communion” in the original Greek is “Koinonia,” which literally means shared life. None of us possess the fullness of Christ within us, but when we have communion, it is as if the different parts come together and form a whole. We may wonder, “Why do I have to have communion with my brothers and sisters? I am an introverted person, reserved, I don’t like opening up to anyone, I believe everyone has their own life, I solve my problems alone, and I don’t want to bother anyone.” These thoughts are the biggest hindrance to communion with the saints, with our brothers and sisters. We need to understand and have a revelation of the importance of communion with our brothers and the benefits it will bring to our lives. A church, a network, a cell group will only grow when it becomes a family, a team, a community, where there is a desirable environment for all the brothers and sisters. Without communion, there is no genuine growth. There may be swelling, but genuine growth only happens when relationships are strengthened, allied, and established.
There are many brothers and sisters who have the complex of Adam: they want to relate only and directly with God. They want to hear only the directions coming from God in prayer but are not open to hearing God’s directions through the leaders that God has established in the church. This goes against unity. Which growth involves more cross-bearing? Submitting only to God or submitting to God through men? Which relationship involves more breaking of reputation? Sharing with God in our room, in secret, or sharing with our leadership.
God chose a way to relate on earth, and His Son Jesus confirmed it; it’s called DISCIPLESHIP! We need to persevere in having communion with our brothers and especially with our disciples. Do not wait for God to touch your heart for you to desire communion. We don’t only do what we need, but what we know is necessary for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.
Understand that communion is an opportunity for us to grow in God. We should always seek opportunities to have communion with our brothers and with the men and women of God. Create situations of communion like barbecues, outings with your cell group, trips, dinners with disciple couples… Seek to combine communion with your daily activities: the supermarket, visits to brothers, rehearsals, days off, cinemas, theaters, pizzerias, fast-food places… Take advantage of every possible situation for communion. The best way to initiate communion with someone is through conversation.
THEY PERSEVERED IN BREAKING BREAD Breaking bread reminds us of some texts from the Word. Jesus said in John 6:48, “I am the bread of life.” He also said in John 6:57b, “whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.” Therefore, this term “they broke bread from house to house” means that there was food being shared from house to house. John 6:58 says, “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” We must persevere in sharing this bread in our cell meetings, in our celebration services, in our day-to-day lives. They were committed to breaking bread, to an authentic Christianity, with life, with reality, concretely, sharing needs. It wasn’t just meetings, chit-chat…
We see in this aspect the principle of giving and receiving operating. Here we learn to give ourselves as Jesus did during His life on earth and as He symbolized very well in the communion. Through the communion, Jesus taught us that we should give ourselves to one another, as He did. He set the ultimate example and asked that whenever we did it in His memory, we would remember that no one has greater love than one who lays down his life for his friends.
THEY PERSEVERED IN PRAYER As the last pillar of the church, we see that they persevered in prayer. The corporate prayer of the church has the power to show our dependence on God, to unite us in a single purpose. The church is a living spiritual organism. Only by praying will we achieve what the early church achieved. We will never have complete communion, which turns into unity, if not under prayer, both individual and collective. There is power released when the church prays. We need to dig deeper into this reality in our midst and experience the depths of the Lord for us. The Holy Spirit came only because they persevered in united prayer in the upper room.
When the church is established on these four pillars, it prevails and advances over the ranks of the empire of darkness, growing in fruits for God and the fruits of the Spirit. The early church experienced a great revival by persevering on these four pillars. The consequence of this was fear and the power of God. Look at Acts 2:43, “And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.” Fear is a mixture of love and fear. To fear God is the beginning of all wisdom. Those who fear God are blessed, says the Bible. Those who have no fear of God have no commitment to the church. In Acts 2:47, we see: “praising God and having favor with all the people.” They were committed to prayer. They persevered in prayer. We can pray anywhere. God calls us to be praying people. Many do not arrive early at church to pray. Our God is a God who honors prayers. The Bible says that we find joy in the house of God.
CONSEQUENCES: The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. The Lord does this and wants this. It is the consequence. Even if we do not see this, we must believe because it is God’s desire. God will give us a multitude of children. That is God’s vision. If our hearts align with God, He will align our lives. Whenever there is unity, there will be new conversions because unity generates intimacy, which brings children to God.
The Church is the best place to fulfill God’s purpose. In fact, it is the way God has prepared for us, and the closest comparison to the church is found in Ephesians 5, which compares it to the relationship between husband and wife. Paul tells us to love our wives as Christ loves the Church. If this is not fully lived among us, today the Lord gives us the opportunity to offer our lives to Him as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing, so that we may experience and not only know how good, pleasing, and perfect God’s will is.
