Most of our churches that claim to be Bible-believing and even fundamental, also claim to be New Testament churches. We proclaim to our communities, paint on our church signs, and print in our literature that we are a New Testament church.

However, in spite of our good intentions, desires, and ambition, rarely do we find a church that would begin to compare with a genuine, "book-of-Acts", New Testament church.

A careful study of the early church in the book of Acts will reveal several things that stand out as obvious characteristics of a New Testament church. Although this list is not all inclusive, the early church was characterized by these things:

1. Power of the Spirit (Holy Spirit is mentioned 55 times)

2. Proclamation of the gospel (Soul winning is referred to 68 times)

3. Praying that produces (Prayer is mentioned 42 times)

4. Preaching of the Word (Preaching is mentioned 42 times)

5. Persecution of the believers (imprisonment, beatings, stoning, death)

The book of Acts demonstrates to us that after Jesus went up, the Spirit came down, the disciples went out, and sinners came in. We read in the book of Acts, ". . . they were all filled with the Holy Ghost . . ." (Acts 2:4) "The Lord added to the church daily of them that they had been saved" (Acts 2:47).

People watched the apostles and ". . . took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). The apostles were accused of ". . . filling Jerusalem with their doctrine" (Acts 5:28). Church leaders gave themselves ". . . continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). "Prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God" (Acts 12:5).

The Word of God ". . . grew and multiplied" (Acts 12:24). Almost whole cities ". . . together to hear the Word of God" (Acts 13:44). It was said of Paul and Barnabas that they ". . . hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 15:26). The churches were ". . . established in the faith and increased in number daily" (Acts 16:5). Missionaries were charged with having ". . . turned the world upside down" (Acts 176). "Mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed" (Acts 19:20).

On and on the list goes. No, the early church was not a perfect church, but it was alive, growing and impacting its world for Christ.

In comparison, we must conclude that generally speaking the church of the 1990's has little in common with the early church of the book of Acts. We do not have churches like they did because we do not have Christians like they did.

The modern church is characterized by carelessness, casualness, coldness, and corruptness. Though many people profess to have the eternal life that Jesus died to make possible, very few seem to possess the abundant life that He also wants to give.

A WORLDLY CHURCH

The church of our day is a WORLDLY CHURCH. We see more and more that the church has become so worldly and the world has become so churchy that it is often hard to tell the difference. Sad to say, the world is having a far greater effect on the church than the church is having on the world.

More than one hundred years ago in Scotland, Andrew Bonar said, "I looked for the world and found it in the church; I looked for the church and found it in the world." Though many years ago, Bonar certainly described the church of our day.

God's people have forgotten that spirituality is not based on how far we are from the world, but how close we are to God (James 4:8). We have adopted the philosophy that we must become like the world was not many years ago.

Many Christians want to be good, but few want to be holy. Happiness has become of greater importance than holiness. Have we so soon forgotten that James 4:4 describes the friend of the world as the enemy of God?

A PRAYERLESS CHURCH

The church of our day is a PRAYERLESS CHURCH. The typical church knows little of prayer that produces. One obvious indication is the slow death of the prayer meeting. It is a known fact that the most poorly attended meeting of the week in most churches is the prayer meeting.

In fact in most churches the prayer meeting has become a preaching meeting during which we take several minutes for prayer requests and several men lead in prayer to pray for them. The "Sweet Hour of Prayer" that we sing about is reduced to the "Sweet Minutes of Prayer" that we actually experience.

For some Christians, their prayer life may consist of no more than thanking God about what He wants to do, while we spend an hour or two talking to man about what we want to do. Yes, prayer still changes things (and people too!), but we still continue to have not because we ask not (James 4:2).

A POWERLESS CHURCH

The church of our day is a POWERLESS CHURCH. Could it be that we do not have the power of God because we are content to live without it? We have been so intimidated by the Charismatic movement that for fear of having wildfire we are content to live with no fire.

Yet, it is Holy Spirit-fire that can keep lost men from Hell-fire and saved men from judgment-fire. Heaven is supercharged with God's power, but there is a short circuit that keeps the power of heaven from ever being displayed on earth.

A SINFUL CHURCH

The church of our day is a SINFUL CHURCH. Most people would not miss their yearly physical checkup. Yet they fail to see the need of a daily spiritual checkup. Therefore, the church is dying a slow spiritual death because of the plague of pride, the illness of iniquity, the infection of impurity, the disease of defilement, the filthiness of the flesh, and sickness of sin.

The church is becoming an intensive care unit where much time is spent trying to nurse back to health a multitude of sickly saints.

A STARVING CHURCH

The church of our day is a STARVING CHURCH. The Word of God has become misused, abused, confused and little-used book. While the cults have tried to replace the Bible in our nation and world, many Christians have willingly replaced the Bible in their lives and homes.

The Word of God is not being learned, loved, or lived. If some Christians went on a physical diet in proportion to their spiritual diet, they would starve to death in a week. Why is it that most Christians can pick up the newspaper and read the daily news for thirty minutes, yet they struggle to pick up their Bible for thirty seconds to read the good new!?

For many Christians, if their Bible were stolen or lost for a month, nothing in their lifestyle would change. Preaching is hurting, too! We need preaching that will expound the Word and expose sin and Satan. People love to her what they want, but hate to hear what they need. Fact is, preaching that doesn't terrify the devil is not worth a hill of beans!

AN IDLE CHURCH

The church of our day is an IDLE CHURCH. Many churches are more like the First Church of the Deep Freeze where "many are cold but few are frozen." There is little unction in the pulpit and the result is little action in the pew.

Their favorite verses are "in the last days perilous times shall come," and "narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it." They are convinced that so few find the way because the world is too far gone and it's just too late!

Witnessing is minimized, and so lights are hidden under bushels and the salt has lost its savor. If as many people turned out for Thursday night soul-winning as do for Tuesday night softball, you could begin to reach a community with the gospel and people would be down the aisle and in the baptistery regularly.

Soul-winning is left to the pastor and his staff while the majority of church members cannot claim to have ever led one person to Christ.

A COMPLACENT CHURCH

The church of our day is a COMPLACENT CHURCH. "Who cares?" is the typical attitude of most people toward most things. It seems like our get up and go got up and went a long time ago. Most Christians are so subnormal that if one ever gets normal, everyone will think he is abnormal. Most new converts would have to backslide to even feel comfortable in most of our churches. Christians would rather play than pray, organize than evangelize, and be in the supper room with Christians than the upper room with Christ.

AN INDEPENDENT CHURCH

The church of our day is an INDEPENDENT CHURCH. It is sad that we would ever come to the place where the church of God is no more than a highway repair kit and a spare tire just in case they get in trouble along the road of life.

Of course, they still keep their "God Is My Co-Pilot" bumper sticker visible. "More love to Thee, O Christ . . ." is not a popular song to be sung. In fact, we have chosen to put those "Keep Out" signs in certain areas of our lives just in case God tries to enter them.

How do we so quickly forget that "to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that He might be Lord both of the dead and living" (Rom. 14:12)? Is it not true that if Christ is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all?

There is no denying that the needs are great. Yet from my heart I must ask, "Are we truly too far gone, is it too late for God to work?" Some would say that the only hope of the church is the rapture. Certainly Titus 2:13 tells us to be, "looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ."

He may come in the next sixty seconds, or He may not come for the next sixty years. There is the blessed hope of the church which is the return of Christ for His church at the rapture. There is also the glorious hope of the church returning to Christ in genuine revival.

Is revival still possible? Can the church again come to a place where Christ is not just present and prominent, but preeminent (Col. 1:18)? Can the church again begin to impact and reach a lost and dying world with the gospel (Rom. 1 16)?

Can the church again pray like everything depends upon God and work like everything depends upon people? Can the church again be pure and powerful and pleasing to God? The answer is an overwhelming, "YES!" Here's why:

1. God is still God and He does not change. (Mal. 3:6-7)

2. God still answers prayer and does "great and mighty things which thou knowest not." (Jer 33:3)

3. God's Word is still "quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. (Heb. 4:12)

4. God is still "faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" when there is genuine confession of sin. (1 John 1:9)

5. God still draws nigh to those who draw nigh to Him. (James 4:8)

6. God still blesses obedience in the lives of His people. (Luke 11:28, James 1:25)

Revival is a supernatural work of God. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to turn the hearts of the people of God back to God Himself. Yes, revival is possible! Our churches do not just need bigger buildings, better methods, larger offerings, greater workers and new ideas. Rather, the church needs a revival that will allow God to be known as the God of our lives, our homes, our churches, our communities, and our nation.

"Wilt thou not REVIVE US AGAIN that thy people may rejoice in thee?" (Psalm 85:6)

"O Lord, REVIVE THY WORK in the midst of the years . . ." (Habakkuk. 3:2)

For copies of this message in tract form write to: Evangelist Tom Palmer, 217 W. Fifth St., Lewistown, PA 17044.