Surrounded by a Great Cloud: 24 Posts on Church History: The birth of the Church

Kudos to my son, TJ, for creating the image I plan to use throughout our survey of church history. I’ve entitled the study “Surrounded by a Great Cloud.” 

When did the first individual enter the cloud? Another way of asking that question is: When did the Church begin? Unlike some, I don’t believe the Church was born during the life of Christ. Nor do I believe it had its beginnings after the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Lord. No, the Church began at the creation of Adam.

Man and God. Fellowship. Worship. 

Our Old Testament is the story of how that God blessed, corrected, guided, and received worship of a faithful remnant. I mentioned the names of several individuals in my last blog entry. Each was part of that remnant. Abel. Enoch. Noah. Abraham. Sarah. Can you think of others? I bet you can!

When considering these issues, I cannot help but be reminded of what God informed His prophet, Elijah.

¹⁴ He [that’s Elijah speaking to God] replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

¹⁵ The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. ¹⁸ Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19

7,000! In a dark time within Israel, there were thousands who remained faithful to YHWH. Refusing to bow the knee to a false god. Resisting the pressure to worship an idol. The remnant. 

Through wilderness, captivity, desert years and conquest, a united monarchy, national division and exile, the faithful have remained just that–faithful. 

That cloud of witnesses which surrounds us (Hebrews 12:1) is massive! 

As a young Christian, I really appreciated the ministry of Steve Green. His song, “Find Us Faithful,” was especially meaningful. Here are the words:

We’re pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road
And those who’ve gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace
Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who’ve gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives

[Chorus]
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful

[Verse 2]
After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we’ve left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

[Chorus]
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful

As a result of my study in Church history this year, I want my life to prove to be a “stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace.” I want to run my race. And I want to run it for you.

Won’t you run with me?