When the Church was born after the death and resurrection of the Adonai Yeshua HaMashiach/Lord Jesus Christ it was born of the Spirit. The Apostles did not set out to create another new religion or build a Church. God built the Church on the cornerstone of Yeshua/Jesus (Acts 4:11,Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:6-7). God built HIS House.
We want God to be builder of the House because we know from Psalms 127:1 that unless the Lord builds the house the laborers build in vain. Therefore, many of the houses we've seen built have been build in vain and by vanity. They were Ishmaels (God's permissive will) and not Isaacs (God's perfect will). I have attended and sat in the pews of enough Ishmael Churches that my heart's desire is for an Isaac Church. The inspiration of Solomon's Porch came out of my experience in Tallahassee, Florida from 1988 to 1993. I was so sick and tired of religion, programs, form and formality, politics and so on that my heart cried out just to worship the Father in Spirit and Truth. This one scripture in John that always jumped out at me;
John 4:23 (NKJV)23But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
Yeshua/Jesus said the hour is coming and NOW IS when TRUE worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. He told us the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
If the form, formality and organized religion of the Pharisees was good enough why would He, the Father, be seeking true worshipers to worship Him? Why? Because it wasn't happening. God had to build a new House on the cornerstone of Yeshua/Jesus because the house that held His name was built in vain. He needed a new foundation and new cornerstone for the rest of the house to build upon and around. We see the effect of this new "building" in the Book of Acts. Thousands of people were being saved on almost a daily basis. People were caring for and taking care of one another. Needs were being met. The Word was being taught and people were being discipled. Miracles and signs and wonders were present. The World was being shaken and lives were being transformed.
Ephesians 2:19 (NKJV)19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
So, what happened? Man and his desire for control is what happened. As the Church grew we saw and more of the flesh creeping into things. We got a glimpse of it in the Upper Room when Peter took it upon himself to call for a vote to appoint someone to take Judas' place (Acts 1:15). While it was a well meaning act it was not ordained by the Lord. The only thing the Lord told them to do was tarry but Peter decided not to sit still and had to do something. It is my belief that the appointment of Matthias belonged to Paul, whom the Lord knew was coming.
In our need to "help" the Lord make decisions and do His work we do things that while well meaning are not good. We create Ishmael's that God must honor instead of waiting for Him to birth Isaac. Don't you think that if the Lord wanted the Apostles to replace Judas He would have said something about it during the 50 days He was with them? I do. Here was have the seed of the flesh that is planted into the new ground called the Church. Over the years that seed would become a weed growing out of control. During the explosive, exciting years of the birth of the Church this weed kept getting crushed by the Holy Spirit and killed by the blood of the saints. As long as the power and convicting presence of the Holy Spirit was constant in the church the devil could not inspire the flesh to flourish. The flesh could not take control over the Church as long as it was constantly fighting for its life. The threat of being a martyr kept anyone from assuming leadership or taking a position of prominence unless inspired by the Holy Spirit. It wasn't until complacency set in and the original leadership had died off that this weed took over. (more)