sermon | Peterborough church of Christ

The Essence of Atheism

bmd — Sun, 19 May 2019 12:54:38 +0000

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

The post The Essence of Atheism first appeared on Peterborough church of Christ.

Is There a God?

bmd — Sun, 19 May 2019 12:41:54 +0000

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

The post Is There a God? first appeared on Peterborough church of Christ.

What to Expect When Jesus Returns

bmd — Wed, 08 May 2019 20:16:43 +0000

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

The post What to Expect When Jesus Returns first appeared on Peterborough church of Christ.

How to Live Out Your Baptism Every Day

bmd — Sun, 05 May 2019 21:51:49 +0000

The apostle Paul wrote quite a bit about baptism in his letters, but his letters weren’t written to non-Christians needing to be persuaded to be baptized. His letters were written to Christians, people who had already been baptized. So why would Paul teach already baptized people about baptism? He was admonishing them to live out their baptisms, or the implications of their baptism, in their daily life. What does that mean and how do we “live out” our baptism? Here are a few thoughts to consider.

Abstain from Sin

Paul taught that Christians were “not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:15). Because of this, his opponents slanderously accused him of teaching that Christians could “do evil that good may come” (Romans 3:8). These opponents seemed to reason that if the Law was removed and people were justified by faith in Christ, then Christians would “continue in sin” (Romans 6:1). But Paul essentially said, “No they won’t! Not if they understand and live out their baptism.”

When we are baptized, we are not only saying we want to be forgiven of our sins, we are also saying we don’t want to be sin’s slaves anymore. We are saying we are absolutely done living to please the flesh and from now on we are going to live to please Jesus. We are killing and burying our sinful selves and being raised up to live a life of obedience to Jesus (not because of Law but because of His grace).

Anytime we fall again into temptation and sin, we need to remind ourselves of our baptism. We need to say to ourselves, “Why are you obeying sin? That life is dead and buried! You’re not that person anymore!”

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:12-14).

If a person goes “on sinning deliberately” (Hebrews 10:26), he is not living as a baptized person. That person can expect to be judged by God because he has “profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace” (Hebrews 10:29). We are forgiven people so long as we live out our baptism, doing our best to abstain from sin (see 1 John 1-2).

Love Like Family

The whole Bible is about the fact that God graciously chose to bless the descendants of Abraham and make them His special people. He established His first covenant with them. The death of Jesus fulfilled that first covenant and established a second covenant (see Hebrews 8-9). Paul argued that under the new covenant, it is not possible to become a descendant of Abraham by simply being born into that physical family. Under the new covenant, you become a descendant of Abraham – part of the chosen people of God – by faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul says in Galatians 3 that when men, women, slaves, free people, Jews, and Gentiles are baptized, they become, “Abraham’s offspring” (Galatians 3:29). In other words, by putting Christ on in baptism, we become God’s chosen people through faith. The story of Abraham’s family becomes our family story and we become “heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29).

Therefore, everyone who is in Christ is our family and when we love each other like family, we are living out our baptism. The apostle John wrote, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers” (1 John 3:14a). Loving our Christian family is living out our baptism. But that also means, “Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:14b-15).

Being baptized is about passing from death into life. And when you love the Christian family, you prove you have actually “passed out of death into life.” But when, on the other hand, you refuse to generously share “the world’s goods” with your brother in need, you prove you are still in death and the love of God does not abide in you (1 John 3:17).

Serve the Church

Paul also taught that we are “all baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). He compared the church to a body, with various body parts – each member empowered to do a specific job. Paul explained that all the parts have to work together, using their unique gifts, “for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7).

When there is “no division in the body” and all the members “care for one another” (1 Corinthians 12:25), then we are living out our baptism. But when each body part looks out for itself and show no concern for the other parts of the body (as the Corinthians were doing), then we are not living as people who have been “baptized into one body.” We are living as unbaptized people.

Living out your baptism means using whatever gifts God has given you to selflessly serve the rest of the body; which “makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:16). Living out your baptism means doing “nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). Living out your baptism means considering “how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Bottom Line

If you have been buried with Christ in baptism (Colossians 2:12), then live out your baptism today and every day. Live as someone who has been crucified with Christ. Live as someone who is dead to selfishness, ambition, and conceit. Live for the good of others and the glory of God. That’s how you live out your baptism.

I love you and God loves you,

Wes McAdams

The post How to Live Out Your Baptism Every Day first appeared on Peterborough church of Christ.

What Do They Need to Know Before They’re Baptized?

bmd — Sun, 05 May 2019 21:41:34 +0000

I believe we often baptize people before they’ve been properly taught. But then again, it’s often hard to determine what a person should know before they are baptized. Since baptism is only the beginning point, it is only necessary those who are baptized have a basic understanding of Christian theology, doctrine, and practice. But what exactly constitutes a “basic understanding”? What do people need to know before being baptized? I’m certain I can’t give an exhaustive answer to that question, but perhaps this post will help you as you think through this question.

Anticipating the Objection

First of all, I know someone will ask, “But, Wes, what about the people on the day of Pentecost or the Ethiopian eunuch or Cornelius? It doesn’t seem like they were taught much before their baptisms.” That’s a very pertinent question. So in anticipation of it being asked, let me go ahead and address it.

The answer is quite simple. 1st century Jews, proselytes (Gentiles who had become Jews), and God-fearers (Gentiles who had not become Jews, but worshiped God) were knowledgable about God, sin, atonement, the coming Messiah, and His coming kingdom. In fact, the Jews gathered on Pentecost (Acts 2) were probably far more knowledgable about the God of the Bible than most mature Christians are today.

When Peter explained that they were speaking in tongues because, “This is what was uttered through the prophet Joel,” the people understood what he meant. They understood that judgement was about to come upon them because they had “crucified and killed” the Lord Jesus Christ. They understood they needed to save themselves from that crooked generation (Acts 2:40). Which is why they asked, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) and why 3,000 of them responded when Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

There is a vast difference between teaching an ordinary person in 21st century America and teaching a Jew (or someone who followed the Jewish religion) in the 1st century world. That doesn’t mean it should take years of in-depth study to prepare someone for baptism, but it does mean they need to have a basic understanding of a few things before going down into the water:

They Need to Know About Jesus

First and foremost, baptism ought to be motivated by a love for Jesus. Baptism ought to be a response to what He did on the cross. If a person only understands she needs to be baptized in order to go to heaven when she dies, but doesn’t have a basic understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done, then she doesn’t have the knowledge she needs to be baptized.

The Ethiopian eunuch “had come to Jerusalem to worship” (Acts 8:27). He obviously understood about sacrifices and he probably understood about the coming Messiah. So Philip got in the chariot and, starting with the passage in Isaiah, “told him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35). Philip told him the Messiah had come and He was the final sacrifice for sins.

People need to hear “the good news about Jesus.” They probably need to understand something of His Abrahamic and Davidic heritage, His deity, His incarnation, His sacrificial death, His resurrection, His reign at the right hand of the Father, and most importantly His love. They need to understand His blood brings about things like redemption, reconciliation, forgiveness, and sanctification. Yes, I know those are deep subjects, but they are absolutely essential elements of the gospel. And they aren’t as complicated as you might think. Over time, I believe each of those points could be explained in such a way that even a child could comprehend them.

But I’m afraid we are often in such a hurry to get people in the water, their baptism is more of a response to our pleading than a response to Christ’s death. People need to know about Jesus before they are baptized.

They Need to Know About Their Lostness

Before someone is baptized, he needs to know he stands guilty before God. He needs to know, because he has chosen to join sinful humanity in rebellion against God, he is dead in his trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). He needs to know he has “made God angry” and is “going to be punished like everyone else” (Ephesians 2:3, CEV).

He needs to understand he cannot do anything to atone for his sins. He cannot make up for the evil he has done by doing a bunch of good deeds. His only hope is for God to have mercy on him and show him grace. And the ONLY way that will happen is through Jesus.

Baptism is meaningless for someone who thinks, “I’m a pretty decent individual. I don’t think God sees me as being wicked or an evildoer.” It is only when “godly grief produces a repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:10) that an individual is ready to “appeal to God for a good conscience” (1 Peter 3:21) in baptism.

Baptism is asking God – in faith – to remove your sins through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6). Until people know about their lostness, they’re not ready to be baptized.

They Need to Know the Commitment They Are Making

Last, but certainly not least, people must know what they’re getting into. Jesus said a person must first “count the cost” (Luke 14:25-33) before becoming His disciple. People need to be told what is going to be expected of them and what they are going to have to give up as disciples of Jesus.

Not only should those being baptized understand they are dying to sin (Romans 6:1-7), they also need to understand something about the church. Acts 8:12 says, “When they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” We have to teach people about the kingdom and the obligations that go along with being a citizen of that kingdom.

Among other things, being converted to Christ is being recruited to the cause of Christ. Until they know what that means, they’re not ready to commit to a Christian lifestyle.

Bottom Line

There is much more that could be said on this issue; and at the same time, I don’t want to give the impression that someone needs to be a Bible scholar before being baptized. But the fact of the matter is, the decision to be baptized should not be based on emotion or evangelistic pressure.

The decision to be baptized should be based on having been taught what it means to be a disciple of Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20).

I love you and God loves you,

Wes McAdams

The post What Do They Need to Know Before They’re Baptized? first appeared on Peterborough church of Christ.

Jesus Doesn’t Judge A Church By Its Size

bmd — Fri, 03 May 2019 15:28:13 +0000

The phrase, “Church growth” has become a buzzword in religious circles. For many, the size of a church is the primary way to judge its health and success. They believe churches should do anything and everything to grow their numbers, because size is what matters. But on the other hand, there are those who assume a large church indicates compromise and apostasy. Have you ever stopped to consider that the New Testament puts very little emphasis on congregational size? So why do we emphasize it so much? Maybe it’s time to realize that Jesus doesn’t judge a church by its size.

Judging Large Congregations

Just because a congregation is large does not necessarily mean it is healthy, successful, or being blessed by God. There are plenty of churches who have gotten large by telling people what they want to hear. Paul told Timothy a time would come when people would, “accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3). When this happens, we shouldn’t assume Jesus is applauding these churches for the fact that they are bursting at the seams.

When we equate large churches with success, we are often willing to do anything it takes to “grow.” We start thinking of the church as a business and the community as potential customers. We start catering our “menu of ministries” and the way we worship to what people want, all because we judge a church by its size.

But on the other hand, we must not assume every large church is large because they are compromising the truth, entertaining the masses, or not teaching sound doctrine. I know several wonderful congregations who have well over a thousand members. Sometimes churches have a lot of members because they really are reaching a lot of people with the gospel.

Judging Small Congregation

Just because a congregation is small, does not mean the members don’t care about reaching people with the gospel. It does not mean they are “inward focused.” It does not mean that church is dying.

Many Christians get discouraged with their smaller congregations, or refuse to place membership in smaller congregations, because they have preconceived ideas about there being something wrong with small congregations. There is nothing wrong with a small congregation. Jesus loves small congregations too.

But on the other hand, there are those who equate small with faithful. Or they equate small with friendly and close-knit. Just because a congregation is small does not mean it is a faithful congregation or that it is a loving close-knit family. Sometimes the stereotypes are true. Sometimes a congregation is small because the members are doing nothing to reach people with the gospel.

How Jesus Judges a Congregation

When we learn to see the church the way Jesus sees the church, we will stop judging congregations based on size. We will start to understand that Jesus’ criteria for being a successful congregation is far less quantifiable than average Sunday morning attendance.

Jesus judges a church based on whether or not they are “in step with the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14).

So here are some of the ways you can tell if a church is in step with the truth of the gospel:

They are devoted to “the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).

They don’t just talk about love; they love people in tangible ways. They sacrifice themselves and their belongings for one another (1 John 3:16-18).

They “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name” (Hebrews 13:15).

They understand their salvation is a matter of God’s grace and not their own doing, so there is absolutely no boasting (Ephesians 2:8-9).

They walk in the good works God prepared for them to do (Ephesians 2:10).

They “purge” evil people from their fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:13).

Their worship assembly is edifying and things are done decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:26-40).

They are full of humility, gentleness, and patience. They bear with one another in love and are eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:2-3).

Their minds are “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2).

They “walk by faith, not by sight” and make it their aim to please the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:7-9).

These are just a few examples of things the New Testament actually emphasizes; numbers are not one of them. Small churches can be pleasing to the Lord and large churches can be pleasing to the Lord. Jesus doesn’t judge a church by its size…neither should we.

I love you and God loves you,

Wes McAdams

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