The early Church, in three centuries, turned the Roman Empire upside down without a marketing budget, without buildings, without a professional clergy class, and while being actively persecuted by the state. The modern church has all of those things — and is losing ground in every Western nation. Something changed. And it wasn't the culture. It was the program.

Last time we established what it means to live under grace in this present dispensation. Now the question becomes practical: what was Jesus's actual program for His Church — and are we still running it?

So what's different? It's not the program — it's us. The Church has drifted.

The good news is that Scripture spells out this program clearly, and history shows us exactly how powerfully it worked in the lives of early believers. There's really no mystery here if you're honestly looking for the truth. Anyone who can read simple language can discover it right in the New Testament.

This program isn't complicated at all. It boils down to two main things: Most churches today operate a come-to-us model: build an attractive service, make people comfortable, hope they bring their neighbors. But Jesus never modeled or commanded this. His program was simpler and more demanding: preach the gospel and confirm the gospel. That's it.

Let's look at how Jesus Himself modeled this. "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach" Acts 1:1-2. Notice that — He both did and taught.

"Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of diseases among the people" Matthew 4:23-24. See the pattern? Preaching and healing went hand in hand.

When John the Baptist sent messengers to ask if Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus pointed to the evidence: "Go and shew John again the things which ye do hear and see. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached unto them" Matthew 11:1-6.

Mark records the same two-part ministry: "He healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils... And he preached in their synagogues" Mark 1:34-39.

Jesus Himself declared His mission this way: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me TO PREACH the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal... to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord" Luke 4:16-19.

The Disciples Carried On This Same Work

Preaching and healing was the great work Christ started, and it's exactly what He commanded His disciples to continue — both before and after the cross.

Look at what happened before the crucifixion: "He called unto him his twelve disciples [Judas included], he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease... These twelve [Judas included] Jesus sent forth and commanded them... as ye go preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give" Matthew 10:1-7.

Mark tells us: "He ordained twelve [Judas included], that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils" Mark 3:13-15.

And they actually did it! "And they [the twelve, Judas included] went out, and preached that men should repent. And cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them" Mark 6:7-13.

Luke confirms: "He sent them [the twelve, Judas included] to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick... and they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where" Luke 9:1-6.

The Seventy Were Also Empowered

It wasn't just the twelve apostles. Christ ordained seventy others and sent them out two by two to do the exact same work. He told them: "into whatsoever city ye enter... heal the sick that are therein, and say [preach] unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you" Luke 10:1-24.

The Great Commission Continues This Pattern

When Jesus was ready to return to Heaven, He specifically commanded His followers to carry on what He "began both to do and to teach" Acts 1:1-2.

He declared: "All power [authority] is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Then He commissioned them: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (age, Matthew 28:18-20).

But first, He told them to wait for power: "but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" Luke 24:49Acts 1:4-8.