The Church: Past, Present, & Future - Part II
The Church:
Past, Present, & Future
Part II
Sunday, December 14th, 2025
Apostle Mike Herzog
We continue to learn more about the Church, its purpose, significance, origins, and future. Apostle Mike opens with reviewing Ephesians 4:16.
From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
There is a role for every member of the Church. We are stronger together. The Church has an eternal purpose and is more than just a structure; it is the body of Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God delivered Jesus. The Holy Spirit also dwells in believers of Christ. Jesus will do nothing without His Church because it’s His body. He came to earth as a fulfillment of prophecy. He couldn’t return to heaven until the prophetic words spoken about Him were fulfilled. Furthermore, He cannot return to earth until the prophecies regarding what will transpire on earth before His return are fulfilled. People think that things going badly on earth are an indication of when Jesus will return, but that’s incorrect. No man can predict the exact date of His return. It will only happen in the fullness of God’s time. Acts 3:20-21 talks about when Jesus will return to the earth.
And that He may send [to you] Jesus, the Christ, who has been appointed for you, whom heaven must keep until the time for the [complete] restoration of all things about which God promised through the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
The Church goes through a reformation. This is when God makes major shifts in the Church to fulfill a purpose. God’s plans are unfolding incrementally over time. We must be open to the journey He’s leading. Constant small changes lead to massive change. Throughout history, there have been two reformations that have taken place and a third already in progress.
The first reformation was the birth of the Church. Jesus was born in 4 B.C. He came to the earth to die for our sins. This brought redemption for mankind. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon willing people. Believers became the body of Christ. They were no longer righteous by the law, but righteous through following Christ. Three thousand people got saved and empowered to be witnesses for Jesus. People were being healed, miracles were happening, and fellowship was growing. Jesus chose 12 apostles, and they were responsible for building the Church. This fulfilled prophecy and changed the world.
For the first 10 years, the apostles and prophets thought that only Jews could be saved. The Holy Spirit revealed that Gentiles could be saved, too. This revelation made the gospel of Jesus available to everyone. In Acts chapter 8, there was a Deacon named Steven that God began using for miracles. This made the religious leaders jealous, and he was stoned. This resulted in mass persecution that arose against the Church. When Jesus gave the great commission to the Church, He said they’d make disciples in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. After the great persecution of the Church, believers were scattered all over the nations just as Jesus had prophesied. On their travels, believers began testifying and healing people. This illuminated the realization that God can use anyone to perform His miracles, not just apostles. This was referred to as the Saints movement. God had to stir things up so change could happen to initiate growth. We wouldn’t have moved unless things got uncomfortable. The Church grows in persecution because its faith is tested.
In the book of I Thessalonians, during 50 A.D., Paul wrote a letter to those in the Church facing prosecution and hard economic times. This letter was meant to be an encouragement and reminder that Jesus will someday return.
I Thessalonians 4:16-18
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Some misunderstood Paul’s letter and went as far as to neglect their responsibilities, to sit and wait in prayer for Jesus’ return. This led Paul to write another letter in 60 A.D. in the book of Ephesians to correct them and redirect them to lead holy lives while awaiting the Lord. He talks about the gifts of the five-fold ministry that God has given us for the equipping of the saints, that we can come into the full maturity of the body of Christ. Rather, encouraging them to keep functioning, to always be prepared for Christ’s return, and to live in unity before Christ’s return could take place.
In 70 A.D., the Roman Empire sent a great army to Jerusalem. The city and the temple where Jesus used to reside when He was alive were destroyed. Many Jews had been killed. Christians had believed a prophecy Jesus had spoken about before His death about this mass destruction in Jerusalem, so they fled the city and were spared.
Luke 21:20-24
“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against these people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
Not a single Christian died during the destruction in Jerusalem because they obeyed Jesus’ prophecy.
Between 100 A.D. and 313 A.D., Christianity was prohibited in the Roman Empire. However, this did not stop the Church from growing. The gospel continued to be spread throughout the world. The worst persecution took place from 303 A.D. to 310 A.D. Emperor Diocletian started this persecution until his abdication in 305. Christians believed he was the antichrist spoken of in the book of Revelation. Diocletian demanded that every Bible be burned, all churches be torn down, and some churches were burned to the ground with people still inside, worshipping. Anyone who didn’t renounce their faith would lose their citizenship. Ten years later, Christianity arose again. Seventy years later, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. By 313 A.D., Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan. This made religious tolerance possible, put an end to Christian persecution, and permitted open worship. Constantine began to favor Christians. He banned taxes on Christian ministries and encouraged and assisted in building churches. He had become an advocate for Christianity. Seventy years later, Emperor Theodis made Christianity mandatory in order to maintain citizenship in the Roman Empire.
During times of persecution, the church was thriving, alive, and spirit-led. As things progressed, man took matters into their own hands. Rather than allowing the church to be spirit-led, man decreed Christianity to be mandatory. This removed the choice God gave man to believe. When man took control of something God never appointed him to, this led to a thousand-year dark period spiritually and culturally.
Revelation 2:4-5
Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent.
As the Church, we are the body of Christ. It’s not about a look, structure, or performance. It’s about a loving relationship with Jesus. The Dark Ages began because the Church moved away from a loving relationship with Jesus and moved into man made structure. If we do not learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat it.
Past, Present, & Future
Part II
Sunday, December 14th, 2025
Apostle Mike Herzog
We continue to learn more about the Church, its purpose, significance, origins, and future. Apostle Mike opens with reviewing Ephesians 4:16.
From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
There is a role for every member of the Church. We are stronger together. The Church has an eternal purpose and is more than just a structure; it is the body of Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God delivered Jesus. The Holy Spirit also dwells in believers of Christ. Jesus will do nothing without His Church because it’s His body. He came to earth as a fulfillment of prophecy. He couldn’t return to heaven until the prophetic words spoken about Him were fulfilled. Furthermore, He cannot return to earth until the prophecies regarding what will transpire on earth before His return are fulfilled. People think that things going badly on earth are an indication of when Jesus will return, but that’s incorrect. No man can predict the exact date of His return. It will only happen in the fullness of God’s time. Acts 3:20-21 talks about when Jesus will return to the earth.
And that He may send [to you] Jesus, the Christ, who has been appointed for you, whom heaven must keep until the time for the [complete] restoration of all things about which God promised through the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
The Church goes through a reformation. This is when God makes major shifts in the Church to fulfill a purpose. God’s plans are unfolding incrementally over time. We must be open to the journey He’s leading. Constant small changes lead to massive change. Throughout history, there have been two reformations that have taken place and a third already in progress.
The first reformation was the birth of the Church. Jesus was born in 4 B.C. He came to the earth to die for our sins. This brought redemption for mankind. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon willing people. Believers became the body of Christ. They were no longer righteous by the law, but righteous through following Christ. Three thousand people got saved and empowered to be witnesses for Jesus. People were being healed, miracles were happening, and fellowship was growing. Jesus chose 12 apostles, and they were responsible for building the Church. This fulfilled prophecy and changed the world.
For the first 10 years, the apostles and prophets thought that only Jews could be saved. The Holy Spirit revealed that Gentiles could be saved, too. This revelation made the gospel of Jesus available to everyone. In Acts chapter 8, there was a Deacon named Steven that God began using for miracles. This made the religious leaders jealous, and he was stoned. This resulted in mass persecution that arose against the Church. When Jesus gave the great commission to the Church, He said they’d make disciples in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. After the great persecution of the Church, believers were scattered all over the nations just as Jesus had prophesied. On their travels, believers began testifying and healing people. This illuminated the realization that God can use anyone to perform His miracles, not just apostles. This was referred to as the Saints movement. God had to stir things up so change could happen to initiate growth. We wouldn’t have moved unless things got uncomfortable. The Church grows in persecution because its faith is tested.
In the book of I Thessalonians, during 50 A.D., Paul wrote a letter to those in the Church facing prosecution and hard economic times. This letter was meant to be an encouragement and reminder that Jesus will someday return.
I Thessalonians 4:16-18
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Some misunderstood Paul’s letter and went as far as to neglect their responsibilities, to sit and wait in prayer for Jesus’ return. This led Paul to write another letter in 60 A.D. in the book of Ephesians to correct them and redirect them to lead holy lives while awaiting the Lord. He talks about the gifts of the five-fold ministry that God has given us for the equipping of the saints, that we can come into the full maturity of the body of Christ. Rather, encouraging them to keep functioning, to always be prepared for Christ’s return, and to live in unity before Christ’s return could take place.
In 70 A.D., the Roman Empire sent a great army to Jerusalem. The city and the temple where Jesus used to reside when He was alive were destroyed. Many Jews had been killed. Christians had believed a prophecy Jesus had spoken about before His death about this mass destruction in Jerusalem, so they fled the city and were spared.
Luke 21:20-24
“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against these people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
Not a single Christian died during the destruction in Jerusalem because they obeyed Jesus’ prophecy.
Between 100 A.D. and 313 A.D., Christianity was prohibited in the Roman Empire. However, this did not stop the Church from growing. The gospel continued to be spread throughout the world. The worst persecution took place from 303 A.D. to 310 A.D. Emperor Diocletian started this persecution until his abdication in 305. Christians believed he was the antichrist spoken of in the book of Revelation. Diocletian demanded that every Bible be burned, all churches be torn down, and some churches were burned to the ground with people still inside, worshipping. Anyone who didn’t renounce their faith would lose their citizenship. Ten years later, Christianity arose again. Seventy years later, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. By 313 A.D., Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan. This made religious tolerance possible, put an end to Christian persecution, and permitted open worship. Constantine began to favor Christians. He banned taxes on Christian ministries and encouraged and assisted in building churches. He had become an advocate for Christianity. Seventy years later, Emperor Theodis made Christianity mandatory in order to maintain citizenship in the Roman Empire.
During times of persecution, the church was thriving, alive, and spirit-led. As things progressed, man took matters into their own hands. Rather than allowing the church to be spirit-led, man decreed Christianity to be mandatory. This removed the choice God gave man to believe. When man took control of something God never appointed him to, this led to a thousand-year dark period spiritually and culturally.
Revelation 2:4-5
Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent.
As the Church, we are the body of Christ. It’s not about a look, structure, or performance. It’s about a loving relationship with Jesus. The Dark Ages began because the Church moved away from a loving relationship with Jesus and moved into man made structure. If we do not learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat it.
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