The Real New Testament Church
  • Home
  • Contents
  • Preface
  • Real Plan
    • Chapter 1 - In the Beginning
    • Chapter-2-After the Beginning
    • Chapter 3 - Kingdom
    • Chapter 4 - Earth in the Kingdom or Kingdom on Earth
    • Chapter 5 - Original Earth in the Kingdom
    • Chapter 6 - Renovated Earth in the Kingdom
    • Chapter 7 - Kingdom on the Degenerated Earth
    • Chapter 8 - Tribulation
    • Chapter 9 - Kingdom on the Regenerated Earth
    • Chapter 10 - New Earth in the Kingdom
    • Chapter 11 - Covenant
    • Chapter 12 - Major Covenants of the Bible
    • Chapter 13 - Eternal Covenant
    • Chapter 14 - Renovation Covenant
    • Chapter 15 - Covenants for Israel
  • Real Church
    • Real Fundamentals >
      • Chapter 16 - Real Church
      • Chapter 17 - Church Covenant
      • Chapter 18 - Calling
      • Chapter 19 - Parables
      • Chapter 20 - Kingdom of Heaven Parables
      • Chapter 21 - Description
    • Real Legality >
      • Chapter 22 - Law
      • Chapter 23 - Transgression
      • Chapter 24 - Justification
    • Real Life (zoe) >
      • Chapter 25 - Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 26 - Progression of Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 27 - Birth
      • Chapter 28 - Dependent Life
      • Chapter 29 - Sanctification
      • Chapter 30 - Rule of Life
      • Chapter 31 - Return to Law
      • Chapter 32 - Faith
    • Real Composition >
      • Chapter 33 - Headship
      • Chapter 34 - Body
      • Chapter 35 - Women
    • Real Incarnation >
      • Chapter 36 - Function and Form
      • Chapter 37 - Purpose and Mission
      • Chapter 38 - Manifestation
    • Real Doctrine and Practice >
      • Chapter 39 - Apostolic Teaching
      • Chapter 40 - Apostolic Tradition
    • Real Apostolic Teaching >
      • Chapter 41 - Values
      • Chapter 42 - Prayer
      • Chapter 43 - Works
      • Chapter 44 - Giving
    • Real Apostolic Tradition >
      • Chapter 45 - Governance
      • Chapter 46 - Simplicity
      • Chapter 47 - Gatherings
      • Chapter 48 - Supper: Celebration and Sign
      • Chapter 49 - Supper: Apostolic Tradition
      • Chapter 50 - Practice
    • Real Growth >
      • Chapter 51 - Growth
      • Chapter 52 - Exponential Growth
    • Real Warfare >
      • Chapter 53 - Temporal Simulation
      • Chapter 54 - Confirmation of Scripture
      • Chapter 55 - Sovereignty of God
      • Chapter 56 - Warfare
      • Chapter 57 - Utter Defeat
      • Chapter 58 - Freedom
      • Chapter 59 - Incomparable Power
      • Chapter 60 - Armor
      • Chapter 61 - Full Armor
  • Real Reformation
    • Chapter 62 - Law and Life
    • Chapter 63 - From Law to Life
    • Chapter 64 - Divine Reformation
  • Conclusion
    • Chapter 65 - Real New Testament Church
  • Endnotes
  • About
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Chapter 41 - Values
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Values are standards, principles, or qualities that are esteemed. Therefore, they are indicative of what is important, both individually and societally.
    
Personal values are typically formed early in life through the influence of parents, teachers, and other authority figures. Then, reinforced by emotional investment, they gradually become incorporated into thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors.
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​Human lives reflect their values. I once attended a church service where the pastor asked the children among the congregants, “What do your parents value?” As parents sat mortified, many children answered with complete honesty. The answers included TV, work, family, computer, etc. The exercise revealed that human beings do what they value and value what they do.

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                                              Change

Once values are ingrained, change proves difficult. It is typically sought only after the experience of a significant crisis.
    
The pain and suffering associated with various crises can motivate a serious reconsideration of personal or societal values. However, while crises can influence the desire to change values, they cannot furnish the power necessary. Changing deeply rooted standards, principles, or qualities from worldly to biblical occurs only by the power of God.
    
Both believers and unbelievers experience pain and suffering. Only the believer, however, is equipped to endure with purpose. He is set apart from the unbeliever by the indwelling presence and power of God.
    
When the believer encounters difficulty and suffering, he can rejoice. He understands that by His presence and power God, “… causes all things to work together for good to those who love [Him], to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Consequently, the believer recognizes that God is able to use his pain and suffering for good.
    
In contrast, the unbeliever is left to his own devices to assuage his pain and suffering. Rather than God and His infinite means, he has nothing more than the finite resources of the world with which to alleviate his distress.
 
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)
 
                                      Church Values
 
The values of a particular church group are clear to all who are familiar with their practice. Whether associated with the temporal, organized church or the eternal, organic church of the New Testament, values guide mission and activity. As a result, they reflect the direction and fruitfulness of the church.
     
The New Testament church bore spiritual fruit in significant quality and quantity. In stark contrast, the temporal, religious church is limited in the production of spiritual fruit. It does not bear the quality and quantity of spiritual fruit reflected in the pages of the New Testament. The discrepancy is related to the values they embrace.

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​It is clear from the New Testament that the early church valued:


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Early Church Values
  • The imminent return of Jesus Christ.  
  • Christ indwelling, empowering and using His church.  
  • The immediate, active headship of Jesus Christ.  
  • Intimate, shared life fellowship with Jesus Christ. 
  • Walking by dependent faith.  
  • The guidance of both apostolic teaching and apostolic tradition.  
  • Fervent prayer.
  • Participatory worship.  
  • The Lord's Supper celebrated together as a full meal.  
  • Multigenerational community.  
  • The priesthood of every believer.  
  • Interactive gatherings.  
  • Selflessness measured by giving and service.
  • Mutual discipleship.  
  • Lifestyle, team-oriented outreach.    
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The values of the church serve a significant role in determining its spiritual vitality and fruitfulness. The primary factors that shaped the values of the early New Testament church were the leading of the risen Savior, the teaching and tradition of the Apostles, and prayer. As evidenced by church history, whenever and wherever these same values are cherished, they contribute to the bearing of spiritual fruit in New Testament quality and quantity.   
                                       

© 2022 James Hiatt
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