You know, Jesus once said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. And when I look around at the modern religious world, I see a house struggling. I see confusion, contradiction, and division. But I also believe this: it doesn’t have to be that way. Not if I’m willing to go back—not to tradition, not to opinion—but back to the source. Back to the Word. Back to where it all began.
That’s what I’m calling you to in this lesson: a church to find. I’m not asking you to find the church that suits you. I’m asking you to find the church that’s shown to you—on the pages of the New Testament. You and I don’t need to settle for man-made substitutes or inherited traditions. We can open our Bibles, go to Acts chapter 2, and find the blueprint.
There, on the Day of Pentecost, after Jesus had died, risen, and ascended, the church began. One sermon, preached with boldness and backed by the miraculous, led to three thousand souls being baptized. And then what happened? The Lord added them to the church. Not a denomination. Not a man-made religious system. But His church—the one Jesus said He would build (Matthew 16:18). That’s the church I want to find. That’s the one I want to be part of.
So how do I know it when I see it?
Let me show you what Scripture reveals—what the church looked like when it was born. These marks aren’t cultural—they’re spiritual. They’re not bound by time or geography—they’re bound by truth. And these marks can still be seen today, if I’m committed to following Christ and His Word.
The church of the New Testament was marked by devotion.
Acts 2:42 tells me they were continually devoting themselves—not casually, not occasionally, but persistently, with intense effort—to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
That’s not surface-level faith. That’s deep, daily commitment. That’s people who were all in. And if I want to be part of that same church, I can’t treat faith as an accessory to life. It has to be my life. My schedule, my relationships, my decisions—they all revolve around Him.
The church of the New Testament was marked by worship.
Verse 47 says they were praising God. Their worship was not about performance, preference, or popularity—it was about giving God what He asked for in the way He asked for it. They didn’t innovate. They followed the instructions.
Jesus said those who worship the Father must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). That’s not an either/or. That’s both. It means I have to bring my heart and my obedience. If God has said something about how He wants to be worshiped, I’m not free to alter it—even with good intentions. Worship is not about what moves me. It’s about what honors Him.
The church of the New Testament was marked by fear—holy awe.
Acts 2:43 says everyone kept feeling a sense of awe. This wasn’t just respect. This was fear—a deep, trembling reverence for the power, presence, and holiness of God.
Some today want to soften that. They say fear just means reverence. But when Ananias and Sapphira died, when thunder shook Mount Sinai, when the power of God fell upon a city, people were afraid. They were awestruck. And rightly so.
God wants me to grow from fear into love—but not to forget the awe. If I lose that, I lose urgency, I lose obedience, and eventually—I lose faith.
The church of the New Testament was marked by sharing.
They were together. They had all things in common. They met each other’s needs—physically, emotionally, spiritually. They weren’t just Sunday acquaintances. They were family. Fellowship wasn’t a potluck—it was a lifeline.
And they didn’t just share resources—they shared their lives. That kind of unity is rare. But it’s also powerful. When the world sees a church that truly cares for one another, it notices. When generosity is real and without strings, it shines.
The church of the New Testament was marked by unity.
Verse 46 says they were of one mind, continuing together. Their unity wasn’t superficial. It wasn’t based on compromise or ignoring truth. It was based on a shared commitment to Jesus and His Word.
Unity takes work. It takes humility, patience, and love. But Jesus prayed for it in John 17—that they all may be one, so that the world may believe. If I’m constantly divided, if I elevate my preferences over God’s Word, I can’t be part of the answer to that prayer.
So what do I see in Acts 2?
A church that was devoted, reverent, generous, united, and growing. Not because of programs or popularity, but because the Lord was adding to their number—daily—those who were being saved.
That’s what I want to be part of. And the good news? I can. You can. We don’t need a council, a vote, or a new doctrine. We just need to go back to the Word and obey it.
Jesus is still the head of His church. His plan hasn’t changed. The message of salvation—faith, repentance, baptism for the forgiveness of sins—that hasn’t changed. The mission to reach the lost, to love one another, and to glorify God—that hasn’t changed.
The church of the New Testament is not a dream. It’s not lost in history. It’s a reality for those who are willing to follow the truth and let the Lord add them to it.
So I ask you today: don’t settle for what man has built. Find what God began. Open your Bible. Go back to Acts 2. Look at what they believed, how they lived, and what they became—and then make the choice to be part of that.
Seek—and you will find.
How can we find the Church we read about in the New Testament? It is not about who is right, but what is right. Join Neal Pollard as he looks into the Bible to read about the starting point of the Lord’s Church–a Church to find.
