Month: May 2019

What is the church of Christ ?

By / about our church

It has one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one Lord, one body, one baptism and one GOD and Father of all.

An open Bible

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

The church of Christ is not a new church. Congregations worshipping and teaching as we today existed in East Anglia over 250 years ago. However, what is more important is the fact that such congregations date from New Testament times; the first church of Christ was established by Christ, through His apostles, in Jerusalem about the year AD30. That church is described in the Scriptures. We read about the names it wore, the message it preached, its worship, and the way it was governed. In short, the New Testament gives a pattern for the church. All who are following that pattern faithfully are members of the church of Christ and are God’s children whether they are known to us or not. In fact, such groups have been found in parts of this world where we did not know they existed. Yet their existence should not surprise us because the Word of God is the seed of the kingdom which produces the true church wherever it is sown. (Luke 8:11)

By definition the church of Christ cannot be a denomination because it is not dependent on man-made creeds, but simply in the New Testament pattern. We do not conceive of ourselves as being a denomination — nor as Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish — but simply as members of the church which Jesus established and for which He died.

And that, incidentally, is why we wear His name. The term “church of Christ” is not used as a denominational designation, but rather as a descriptive term indicating that the church belongs to Christ.

We recognize our own personal shortcomings and weaknesses — and this is all the more reason for wanting to carefully follow the all-sufficient and perfect plan God has for the church.

We cannot point you to any place on earth from which the church is controlled or governed. Our only head is Christ Himself (Ephesians 1 :22-23). Each congregation is self governing whilst being bound to other congregations by ties of brotherhood. Each congregation also seeks to be governed in the way taught in the New Testament, that is by a number of elders. (These men are not ecclesiastical dignitaries, but men of wisdom and spiritual maturity, selected from the local congregation itself). They are assisted by deacons (1 Timothy 3 :1-13 ; Titus 1 :5-9). The work of preaching and teaching is done either by local men of ability or able men whose lives have been given to this work.

To avoid any confusion, we must clearly point out that we are not connected in any way with religious bodies with similar sounding names i.e. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons). Also we are not connected with the “Church of England” (Anglicans), “Roman Catholic church” (Catholics), Jehovah’s Witnesses”, or any other religious groups. We are simply “Christians” (Acts 11:26). We call ourselves a “church of Christ” because that is one of the ways in which New Testament churches were designated (Romans 16:16).

Baptism is a very misunderstood concept in the modern religious world. In fact, it is one of most controvesial of issues. Thus, we seek to go back to the simplicity of scripture on the matter.

The early church baptised by full immersion. We see in every conversion in the New Testament that baptism is full immersion for the remission of sins. No sprinkling, or pouring, is found in scripture. Infants were not baptised, only accountable believers were immersed for the remission of their sins. (Acts 2 :38; 1 Peter 3 :21).

In the salvation of man’s soul there are two necessary parts: God’s part and man’s part. God’s grace is so great because He makes salvation possible. The Bible says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2 :8-9). No man deserves salvation because his choice to sin has separated him from his God. (James 1 :14-15; Romans 3 :23, 6 :23). The love which God feels for man led Him to send His Christ into the world to redeem man (John 3 :16; Hebrews 2 :10). The life and teachings of Jesus, the sacrifice on the cross, and the proclaiming of the good news of salvation to man is God’s part in salvation. 

MAN’S PART

1) Hear the gospel (Romans 10:17; John 8:32)

2) Believe the gospel (Hebrews 11:6; John 20:31)

3) Repent of past sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30)

4) Confess faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:32)

5) Be Baptised (Galatians 3:27; Acts 2:38)

6) Be faithful unto death (Revelations 2:10)

 

WHAT ABOUT YOU ?

Christ gives us clear motives for obeying Him which include promises to the obedient and warnings to the disobedient. If you believe in worshipping God in spirit and in truth, if you believe that God’s Word still speaks to you today, if you appreciate warmth and friendliness, why not come and visit with us.

We welcome any enquiries that you might have.

email: david.hepburn173@btinternet.com
Phone: 01733 245115 / 07812 427 955
www.peterboroughchurchofchrist.org 

Address

Peterborough church of Christ
Fleet Community Centre
Fleet Way
Peterborough
PE2 8DL

Services

Sunday 

10 am – Bible Study
11 am – Worship

The church of Christ

By / about our church

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.(Jn. 4:24)” Peterborough Church of Christ is a group of Christians striving to follow the pattern of worship found within the Word of God. Our goal is to simply be Christians who are pleasing to God. We do not claim to be perfect, but we do proclaim the excellencies of Him who is perfect (1 Peter 2:9).
Jesus is the foundation of the church (1 Cor. 3:11), and He purchased it with His own blood (Acts 20:28). Jesus makes the statement, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (Jn. 14:15).After the great love Jesus showed us by dying on the cross for our sins, we simply want to love Him back by obeying His commands.
As you read through the Scriptures, you will not find denominations. Instead, you will discover that there was only one church/body (Eph. 4:4). The apostle Paul emphasized over and over again that the church was to be in unity and of the same mind (Phi. 1:27). In fact, Paul condemned the concept of denominations when he wrote to the church at Corinth: ” Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10).Paul continues on in that same chapter talking about how some were calling themselves by the names of men. Then Paul asked the question, “ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1Cor. 1:13). Obviously the answer to Paul’s question is no.
This is why we believe it is imperative that we worship God and live our lives according to His Word and His Word only. If you are interested in learning more about the church that Jesus purchased with His own blood, then feel free to contact us or worship with us. Glory be to God and the wonderful grace He has given us.

The Essence of Atheism

By / Doy Moyer, sermon

Start with nothing. From nothing, for no reason or purpose, lifeless, mindless material just came into existence.

Lifeless, mindless material, existing for no reason and with no purpose, somehow, some way, through a process that has never been observed anywhere, spontaneously generated something that was living.

This living thing, having come into existence from mindless and lifeless material, for no purpose and with no reason or meaning, found a way to replicate all by itself.

Over millions and millions of years, this now-living material, existing for no reason or purpose whatsoever, developed into creatures that could think and reason intelligently, and are held morally accountable for their actions.

Thus, lifeless, mindless matter, from accidental, purposeless, non-rational forces of chance, gave rise to life and mind, reason and intelligence, morality and responsibility.

Intelligence and morality are thus the end product of non-rational, mindless, lifeless, chance accidents through time.

End in nothing.

Start with nothing. End in nothing. No reason. No purpose. No meaning. From nothing to nothing. Everything in between is the result of mindless, accidental forces with no ultimate goal or purpose.

All of this is called good science.

Those who accept this are then given to ridicule those who believe that Intelligent Mind is responsible for giving humans reason, intelligence, purpose, and morality.

This is considered the epitome of reason and logic.

Doy Moyer

Is There a God?

By / Keith Sharp, sermon

n 1986 a famous visitor made a brief tour of the inner solar system. A luminous body with a long, faint tail hurried on its journey around the sun and returned to the recesses of space. The British astronomer Edmond Halley observed this phenomenon in 1682 and, based on the times of similar sightings in the past, correctly predicted it would return in 1758. He was quite correct, and this body, which circles the sun about every seventy-five years in its highly elongated orbit, became known as Halley’s comet. In the eighteenth century astronomers worked out a complex formula, based on Newton’s theory of gravity, to accurately predict the orbits of comets.

So, what’s the point? The Hebrew king and poet David asserted that the universe itself declares the glory of God. “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And the firmament is declaring the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1).

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that the existence and predictable operation of the physical universe, comets included, will lead an honest, intelligent inquirer to believe in the existence of God.

It Is a Matter of Faith

The scientific method of study, called the “empirical method”” is observation and experimentation. For something to be truly a matter of science, it must be measurably observed and the event must be repeatable under the same essential circumstances at different times and places. If scientists cannot “see” something happen and set up a situation (experiment) at another time and place so that the same thing happens again, it is not a scientific matter.

For example, who was the first European to discover the Americas? This question is historical, not scientific. We cannot observe the discovery of America, nor can we experimentally repeat it. Scientific evidence, such as that gained by archaeologists, may be studied, but essentially the inquiry is historical rather than scientific.

The God revealed in the Bible is spirit (John 4:24) and has no material existence (Luke 24:39). He is invisible to man (l Timothy 6:16). God cannot be put into a test tube. I cannot demonstrate by observation and experimentation that God exists, but neither can the atheist prove He does not. To do so, the atheist would have to be able to observe all portions of the universe at the same time in both the material and spiritual realm. In other words, to prove by observation that there is no God, one would have to be God. The existence of God is not a question of science but of faith.

This does not mean it is unreasonable to believe in God. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The word “conviction” is translated “evidence” by the New King James Version. “Faith” is conviction about something we do not see based on evidence.

I believe that Christopher Columbus saw one of the islands of the West Indies on October 12, 1492. I did not and cannot see this happen, and I cannot repeat this in an experiment. But my faith rests on clear, compelling historical evidence. It is a reasonable faith. I believe the same is true of my faith in God.

First Argument

Please consider with me three principles of natural science that provide powerful, logical evidence for our faith in the existence of God.

Law of Causality

The first principle of science is the Law of Causality (Buffaloe 6). In essence, it states there must be an adequate cause for every effect. This principle is the basis of scientific inquiry. Natural science deals with the material universe and correctly looks for natural causes to natural events. Scientists properly attribute an earthquake to the movement of tectonic plates. Whether the hand of God is behind it is not their business as scientists.

But natural causes can only explain so much. Eventually, one is forced back to the uncaused First Cause. It is the ageless question, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” The backward chain of events must come to rest somewhere.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Perhaps the most basic principle of physics is The First Law of Thermodynamics. This law “states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed but can be changed in form” (Buffaloe 76). High school chemistry students learn to balance chemical equations. Everything that goes into the chemical process must be accounted for in the product. Nothing comes out of a chemical process that was not put into it, and whatever is put into the process comes out in one form or another.

The First Law precludes the reasonable possibility that energy came into being by natural causes; since, in the natural world, “energy can neither be created nor destroyed.”

Second Law of Thermodynamics

This important principle of physics holds that energy tends to dissipate itself … In other words, the second law relates energy changes in a system to the organization of that system. Placed in this context, it states that there is an increase in entropy (disorder or randomness) – that is, a decrease in organization. Since useful energy is organized energy, an increase in entropy means a decrease in useful energy (Buffaloe 77).

According to the Second Law, usable energy in a closed system tends to decrease. Things tend to disorder, not to order. As we drive our cars down the highway, we don’t stop to let gasoline (the energy source) out; rather, we must stop to put more in. The usable energy is converted to motion and heat.

Think!

Now, please think with me. Either the material universe does exist, or it does not. Of course, to be rational, we must accept its real existence. Otherwise, there is no such thing as science, the study of the material universe; and our senses, upon which we depend to gain all accurate information, are totally untrustworthy.

Further, either the physical universe has always existed, or it had a beginning. The cosmos has an immeasurably huge amount of usable energy. Our sun, one small star among numberless stars that compose the Milky Way galaxy, itself one of myriads of galaxies, converts 4,700,000 tons of its own mass into radiant energy each second (Britannica Macropaedia. 17:808). If the universe were infinitely old, all usable energy would have dissipated in the infinite past. Thus, the cosmos had a beginning.

Atheists once looked to matter and energy as the uncaused first causes. Recent research in nuclear physics has further revealed the very essence of matter. Physicists now describe energy particles which compose electrons, protons, and neutrons; which, in turn, are the components of the atom. In other words, behind all matter is energy. Before there was matter, there was energy. The only prime mover atheists can propose is mindless energy.

The question, then, is: Is mindless energy an adequate first cause? Either energy is the uncaused first cause; or there must be a supernatural, i.e., outside and above the realm of the natural, uncaused first cause. But, since energy cannot be infinitely old (Second Law, i.e., entropy), energy cannot be the uncaused first cause. Therefore, we must look for a supernatural origin of the universe.

As our Explorer satellites ranged deeper into space, past Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. Uranus, and their systems, and finally out of the solar system into the unfathomable recesses of the abyss beyond, pictures of incredible varieties of chemical and physical forms hitherto unimagined were sent back to earth. Yet in all this infinite variety is found order. The basic laws of physics and chemistry which have been found operable in our experience on earth apply as well in these remote worlds. The Law of Gravity applies precisely the same on Uranus as it does on Earth. Our universe has amazing order in incomprehensible complexity.

How does one explain such order in diversity? Energy is the only answer available to the atheist. The universe as a whole must be viewed as a closed system, and energy in a closed system tends to disorder, not order (Second Law). Thus, again we are forced to look for a supernatural beginning of the cosmos.

Law of Biogenesis

One of the basic principles of biology is The Law of Biogenesis: “Thus far, life seems to come only from prior life in an unbroken chain, at least under conditions that prevail at present on earth” (Buffaloe 114). The fact is, there is no compelling evidence that life can possibly come from nonlife under any conditions, and the evidence is against the existence in ancient times of the imagined conditions under which life might supposedly have evolved by natural means. The consistent result of hundreds of years of experimentation about the origin of life has been and continues to be that life comes only from prior life.

Think!

Either life exists on the earth, or it does not. Again, to be rational, we accept the existence of life on Earth.

Further, either life has always existed on earth, or it had a beginning. Since life and the earth are parts of the universe, which had to have a beginning, life had to have begun here sometime.

Finally, either life came from natural causes or supernatural. The consistent experience of science is that life does not naturally arise from nonlife, nor has any experiment ever been conducted under any conditions, which demonstrates that it can. Thus, if we are reasonable, we must accept a supernatural origin of life on earth.

What Kind of Supernatural First Cause?

In Romans chapter one the apostle Paul shows why the Gentiles needed the gospel. They had rejected the knowledge of God and were inexcusable for so doing. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

We should mentally see (understand) what is behind those things we physically see. There must be an adequate cause (Law of Causality) for the existence of the universe. What do we understand when we see the material universe?

There must be incomprehensible power behind such an awesome expanse, infinite intelligence to bring order to such endless variety, and will to accomplish purpose. There must be eternal existence to qualify as the uncaused First Cause. The attributes of intelligence and will show this Cause to be a Person, i.e., a Being possessing personality. Having eternal existence and infinite power and intelligence, this Person must be supernatural. The Bible calls this Person, who has eternal self-existence, infinite power and intelligence, and will, God.

Conclusion

Imagine, if you will, a print shop containing many reams of paper, gallons of ink, and thousands of sets of type reproducing over and over the twenty-six letters of the alphabet and the numbers zero through nine. Due to a gas leak, one great explosion occurs in this shop. Ink, paper, and type are hurled randomly and violently in all directions. When the dust settles, the smoke clears, and all components come to rest, the result is all thirty volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica in order with no misspelled words or grammatical errors. Incredible?

And yet atheists demand we believe that the universe, infinite in size and complexity, incredibly orderly in function, composed of over one hundred chemical elements in virtually limitless combinations, is the result of a “Big Bang” produced by mindless energy aeons ago. My mind is not capable of such childish, irrational faith.

Incontrovertibly, the existence and predictable operation of the physical universe, in all its parts, will lead an honest, intelligent inquirer to believe in the existence of God. Indeed, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God.”

Keith Sharp

What to Expect When Jesus Returns

By / sermon, Wes McAdams

If we are going to restore New Testament Christianity, then I believe we need to restore a biblical emphasis on the Return of our King. As Christians, the Return of Jesus is our hope. It is what we should be longing for (2 Timothy 4:8). But many of us don’t long for His appearing, because we don’t understand the pivotal role the Return plays in the Christian story. Here are a few things we can expect when Jesus comes back.

Resurrection of the Dead

Most Christians I talk to simply seem to believe we go to heaven when we die. They believe that when this life is over, we immediately go to our eternal dwelling place and that’s it. The story is over. But that’s really not a biblical concept.

The Bible actually says very little about what existence is like for God’s people when they die. Here are a few details we can piece together:

  • Jesus simply described it as being at “Abraham’s side” (Luke 16:22).
  • Paul said that it was “gain” and was “far better” to “depart and be with Christ” (Philippians 1:21-23).
  • The Spirit said it is a “blessed” state of “rest” (Revelation 14:13).


But these are only a few minor footnotes in the biblical story. The real story is about the dead waiting to be raised to life again. When Jesus returns, the dead will be raised and transformed, receiving brand new glorious bodies.

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

In the biblical story, death is a curse that has fallen over the whole earth because of our rebellion against God. Like characters in a fairytale, mankind has lived under this curse for millennia, anxiously waiting for someone to come and break the spell. The Good News is, Jesus has already broken the curse. And when He comes again, the curse will be lifted once and for all. No more death!

Jesus will call us forth from the realm of the dead, transform our bodies into immortal bodies, and from the moment we meet Him in the air, “we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Judgement

While we wait for Jesus to return, we are to live in obedience to the Gospel. In other words, we are to live in obedience to Jesus’ Kingship. We are to be His faithful servants, believing He is the King of the world who broke the curse, believing He is coming back, and believing He will reward our love, loyalty, and devotion.

Jesus is calling His entire creation to receive this Good News, to receive Him as King, to bow their knees in humble allegiance to Him. Sadly, the majority of mankind continues to rebel. They continue to choose the way of darkness, the way of death. For them, the Return will not be celebratory reunion.

Jesus will return with “mighty angels.” He will come in “flaming fire.” As for those who are not living in obedience to the gospel:

“They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:9-10).

Neither the living nor the dead, who reject the grace and mercy of God, will escape this fate. The dead who do not belong to the Lord will be raised to face this judgement. But God wants to spare as many as possible from this fate. He is giving mankind ample opportunity to stop rebelling and repent (2 Peter 3:9).

The Destruction of the Earth

Peter compares the Day of the Lord to the days of Noah, when the earth was destroyed by water. In those days, God destroyed the wicked world with a flood and gave Noah a brand new place to dwell. The Bible tells us that we are headed toward a second destruction of the world.

“The heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” (2 Peter 3:5-7).

Everything in the world is under the curse and it will all be destroyed by fire. But it seems creation itself is waiting for this cleansing fire, “The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:21).

After the heavens pass away with a roar, after the heavenly bodies are burned up and dissolved, after the earth and the works that are done on it are exposed, then God’s people will be like Noah’s family when they stepped off the ark. We will have a “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

The Bottom Line

The fire is coming, but those who are in Christ have NOTHING to fear. We don’t know what our new bodies will be like except that they will be new, glorious, and imperishable. We don’t know what our new home will be like, except that we will always be with the Lord. And for me, that’s all that matters.

Because of His grace, I get to be with my Lord and His people for all eternity. Which is why I desperately long for His return!

I love you and God loves you,

Wes McAdams