I can’t tell you how many times I have read through, studied, and preached from the Book of Acts over the last 35 years! This one thing I know, however, I have never seen it as I am seeing it in this current teaching series. I don’t ever recall knowing of anyone who has focused on the references to “The Way” in this book, as a means of describing the life-pattern of the early Christians. It appears that the term “The Way” was used, not as a name, or a label, but as a description of how early Christ-followers behaved. No one called this group “The Way” in an attempt to describe a new religion or denomination. It wasn’t a name for a body at all. I call them Christ-followers, because the term “Christian” was not used until later at Antioch, and was apparently something of a derisive term which was best pronounced while looking down one’s nose. It is interesting to me that any newly-formed group of followers of Jesus Christ has to deal early-on with the charge that it is a cult. I suspect that this occurs, not over the charge of the teaching of heresy, but because its unbridled enthusiasm for its new identity is threatening to the status quo. I remember having to deal with this when we began Grace Fellowship in 2003. Someone in town was even heard to refer to our new church-start as “The Kenleyans”! I have learned that only faithful teaching over a period of years can effectively dispel such charges.
This coming Sunday, June 28, I will be sharing one of the most important teachings about the church that one can ever learn. It will be entitled (unless I change it before the end of the week) “THE WAY– Not Religion, But Relationship.” Read Peter’s sermon in Acts 4 and see if you can find the key verses to this thought. I hope to see you Sunday to expand on it. I would appreciate any comments you might have on this series. Have a blessed week!
