The Early Church and Us

I was reading in the first part of the book of Acts yesterday.

Anyone else find themselves feeling a little bit conflicted when you read the book of Acts and look at the church today?

I mean, it's awfully common for modern-day theologians and church growth consultants to pine for things to be "more like they were in the early church." And I get that. Who wouldn't want to see the extreme unity and sacrificial generosity of believers united around a purpose (Acts 4:32-35)? Who wouldn't want to see three thousand people trust Christ in a single day (Acts 2:41) and at least 365 people per year (Acts 2:47). Sign me up.

Then I read Acts 5 about an environment where two people were killed on the spot because they lied about their offering. I read Acts 6-7 about the intense persecution that drove an angry mob to kill a kid by throwing rocks at him. Ultimately I read Acts 8:1-3 about how the church began to be "destroyed" by fear of an evil man.

The early church wasn't singing Kum-Bah-Yah in a perfect holy huddle. They were fighting for their lives.

We seem to yearn for the days of the early church  with selective memories.

I'm praying for an Acts-like revival in Fort Worth. However, I'd also like to avoid the Acts-like persecution, if that's not too much to ask.