God's Pattern For Congregational Growth

What does dynamic church growth look like in the New Testament?  Were there “mega churches” with highly organized programs, super committees, and dynamic public relations?  It might surprise us to see for there are today precious few congregations following the New Testament example, let alone even being aware of one!

By far, the most successful, influential and long lasting congregation we know of in the New Testament was the church of Christ in Antioch, Syria.  Their evangelistic thrusts took place continually for literally hundreds of years!  Antioch was one of the last congregations to fall into apostasy. This congregation was spontaneously planted and became aggressively evangelistic without any push from the outside to be so.  The news of what was happening in Antioch spread as far as Jerusalem to the point where they had to “check it out!”

What does, then, dynamic congregational growth look like in the New Testament?  The church of Christ in Antioch is a powerful case study, one to which we should pay heed.  Here are some characteristics of dynamic congregation growth, both then and now:

•       God first takes people out of their “comfort zones” and scatters them – Acts 11:9.  When Christian people become fewer in number, weaker in resources, driven out of jobs and moved out of their traditional surroundings, God is ready to grow that congregation.
•        Among the “scattered,” God raises up a few people to spontaneously reach out to previously “unseen” seekers of God’s truth, shares the gospel and baptizes them.  In Acts 11:20, scattered people form Cyprus and Cyrene began to teach Gentiles the gospel in Antioch, a group previously ignored by earlier efforts.  When God is ready to grow a congregation, a few people begin to reach out and teach those they previously ignored for one reason or the other.
•          God blesses individual spiritual initiative to share the gospel with others.  The more it happens, the more God blesses the efforts.  This is what Luke tells us what happened in Acts 11:21.
•          When congregations begin to show individual spiritual imitative, taking the Great Commission seriously, God raises up help from outside the congregation who just begin to “show up!”  God did this for Antioch in Acts 11:22. They sent Barnabas as emissary.
•          Such strong individual spiritual initiative will do a number of things according to Acts 11:23:

1.     Make God’s grace very visible.

2.     Bring gladness to others.

3.     Bring exhortation to even more faithfulness.

4.     Bring a “steadfast hope” to the congregation.

•          All these things working together will cause “many to come to the Lord.”  Acts 11:24
•          When many come to the Lord, these faithful individuals will actively seek out even more help from outside the congregation.  They will literally go to people in other congregations to say, as it were, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”  This is illustrated in Acts 11:25 when Barnabas left Antioch to go to Tarsus to look for Saul.
•          Not only will others be sought, they will be BROUGHT in to help!  Barnabas did not go to Saul for a “consultation” or attend a “seminar,” he physically brought him to Antioch as we see in  Acts 11:26.
•          God uses all these things working together to drive the congregation “into the Word of God” for a period of intensive Bible study as He did in Antioch in Acts 11:26.  Saul and Barnabas studied with the Antiochene brethren for about a year!
•          When the faithful spread the gospel, teach others who had been previously ignored, bring outside help in to assist in the work and engage in serious Bible study, God will cause the outsiders to take notice – even if it may be in derision!  “…they were called Christians first in Antioch.” – Acts 11:26
•          When God causes a congregation to grow, there will arise preachers and teachers capable to deliver powerful messages and teach others the details of the Christian faith as was evidenced in Acts 13:1.
•          All of these things coming together will motivate a congregation both worship and fast as they did in Antioch in Acts 13:2.
•          Worship and fasting will garner even more blessings of God as evidenced in Acts 13:2 which will then, in turn, cause more fasting, along with prayer as the church Christ in Antioch did in Acts 13:3.
•        Finally, what is the result of this all?  The congregation, now strong in numbers, faith, knowledge, and commitment to the Great commission will reach out and establish other congregations, thus completing the “unbroken circle!”

We are saved so as to be used by God to save others.  Congregations grow so they can then establish other congregations.  This is a pattern that worked then and it still works today!  Every congregation should strive to continually plan to grow in these ways, not to build a larger and richer “super congregation,” but to have the faith, resources and the passion to continually plant new works.  THIS is how the church of Christ “turned the world upside down” in the 1^st century, all for the Glory of God!

NOTE: Picture courtesy of: http://hamptonchristianchurch.com/AboutUs/History/tabid/33947/Default.aspx  This is a picture of the Hampton Christian Church, Hampton, VA circa 1885.  Our parents were members of this denomination until they were taught the truth in 1963 by my grandparents, bro. and sis. Clyde and Georgie Taylor.  The church moved to a new location in 1974.  The building is now used as a women’s shelter and is missing the steeple, having fallen into disrepair. - Russ

Red Flags for Evangelism

The other day I ran across a blog posting on http://prdaily.com, written by Michael Sebastian. Though not having anything to do with evangelism per se, Michaels thoughts are very instructive for our evangelistic efforts. We must never give the wrong impression to anyone, especially in regards to our integrity. We must never come across as anything "less than honest."

Sebastian says that there are four "catch phrases" that people often use to "underline" a point that actually do far more damage than good. These "catch phrases" actually send the signal that the person saying them is not to be be trusted.

When sharing the gospel our words must be "seasoned with salt" so as to focus totally on Christ and His Word alone. Let's avoid using these four "catch phrases" when we share the gospel:

1) "Let's be clear."
2) "To be perfectly honest."
3) "Frankly."
4. "Just between you and me."

When people use these phrases, this is what people HEAR:

1) "Often times, I am NOT clear!"
2) "Often times, I'm NOT perfectly honest."
3) "Often times when I speak I am NOT frank."
4) "Often I say different things to different people based upon the circumstances."

Sharing the gospel is literally a LIFE AND DEATH message! Let's not jepordize a soul by being careless in our conversation for "...knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men!" (II Corinthians 5:11)
- Russ McCullough - Distrubuted Through JTC Media

The Instrument of Division - Part III

THE ANTI-DISCRIMINATION ARGUMENT

One of the strangest and most bizarre “arguments” set forth by the instrument of division is what we will call (the faction has no formal name for it) “the anti-discrimination” argument. On one hand this argument is downright silly, yet, on the other hand, it clearly illustrates just how far that evolutionary and circular thinking has permeated those among us who want any kind of change at any kind of price so we can have “progress.” Rick Atchley articulates this foolish notion:

Please do not say that you can only praise God from the heart with the voice and not the instrument. This is an unkind and an untrue insult to all believing musicians. Playing an instrument to the glory of God is not just an aid to worship, it is an act of worship… Now many a-cappella churches allow people with gifts in acting or in painting to bless the body. Why would we deny that same sweet privilege to our gifted musicians? (1)

This is a very old and very Catholic argument. It is pure “Thomism” (the imagination is truth theory of Thomas Aquinas). As we have observed, Aquinas believed that, like Aristotle, men come to “truth” primarily through their senses, one of which – according to Aquinas – is imagination. If one can “imagine truth,” it becomes truth to that person. Aquinas “imagined” all kinds of biblical personages, including Jesus Christ, speaking to him on a regular basis in person and in real time! More importantly, he also taught that truth is better communicated visually than orally. That is why popery adopted all kinds of visual stimulations into their “worship.” When one experiences art, sculpture, drama, stained glass, pomp and circumstance…one is experiencing pure Thomism.

It is to this Thomistic theory that Atchley goes to assert that it is “discrimination” to disallow the “gifted musicians” among us from “giving glory to God” with an instrument for other such “gifts” are allowed in worship in some congregations. Sadly, THOSE practices are also additions that presumptively corrupt the pattern of revealed New Testament Christianity. “Performances” of any kind in worship are not to be found in the pages of the New Testament revelation! Paul did not paint pictures and Peter did not put on plays during worship… and neither should we!

Not only that, the argument would open a “Pandora’s box” of insane “worship” experiences. For example “IF” we should – to use Atchley’s word – “insult” gifted musicians by denying them the ability to use their gift in worship…what then will we then say to the “gifted” plumber, electrician, bricklayer and sales person? Will they too be invited to “share” their gift in public worship?

Most importantly, the Holy Spirit NEVER intended to use sensual stimulation to communicate the gospel! Paul clearly articulates God’s will in this manner in Romans 10:17 – “For faith comes by HEARING, and hearing by the Word of Christ.” Jesus, from Matthew to Revelation, continually pleads for us to “have ears to hear what the Spirit says!” Thomas Aquinas and Rick Atchley are VERY wrong in their assertions. The performing arts have no part in biblical New Testament worship for they glorify only man!

(1) Rick Atchley, December, 2006, Richland Hills church of Christ – “Both / And” sermon

To Be Continued…

The Instrument of Division - Part II

By adopting the subjective and evolutionary so-called “allegorical method,” the instrument of division is able (so it thinks) to put forth “arguments” in support of it’s demonic purpose – the deconstruction and destruction of the Lord’s Body as described in the New Testament. To the faithful and Berean Christian these assertions are specious, shallow and superficial. Unfortunately, to those who have “itching ears,” they are appealing, innovative and pragmatic. There are many such “arguments.” Generally speaking, however, there are five main assertions – the new revelation argument, the anti discrimination argument, the less narrow door argument, the silence of the scriptures argument and specific passage arguments.

THE NEW REVELATION ARGUMENT

Since Satan tempted Eve in the garden, people have injected heresy into God’s will by claiming new and special revelation from God himself. When rebellious and self serving humans want change and cannot find support for such in the Bible, claims of “special revelation” are made. Until 2006 we never experienced such apostate thinking in the church of Christ. However, all that changed in December of that year when our erring brother Rick Atchley preached three sermons to the Richland Hills church of Christ in Ft. Worth, Texas. In true existential form, he entitled these lessons “Both / And.” The existentialist sees “truth” and “progress” in contradiction and chaos. Among other “arguments” for the instrument of division he attempts to assert that God’s will embraces both vocal and “instrumental” praise though our God is “not a God of confusion but of peace.” Atchley’s centerpiece salvo was the “new revelation argument.” Here is the exact quote:

Right there in that spot about 1994 in the middle of my sermon, the Holy Spirit said to me; “and that’s what you and all the preachers like you are doing who haven’t for years believed that the worship to God with instruments is wrong but you continue by your silence to let people think it’s wrong to all the body to be disrupted and you do so under the plea, “Well, we’re maintaining peace, but that’s not peace, that’s cowardice." I knew then the day would come I’d have to teach this lesson.(1)

We should shudder at the thought of adding to God’s revelation! The wise man of Proverbs tells us clearly in 30:5 -6 that adding to God’s Word will find us to be liars by God Himself! The Scripture plainly states that “God IS (present tense meaning “now and forevermore”) “no respecter of persons,” (Acts 10:34) that “The faith was once deliver-ED (past tense) to the saints (Jude 3) and that “His divine power has giv-EN (past tense) to us ALL things pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that has call-ED (past tense) to us glory and virtue.” (II Peter 1:3)
“IF” Rick Atchley is right, “IF” the Holy Spirit really spoke to him and “IF” what Atchley “says” the Holy Spirit said was really spoken by Him, then:
• God now allows man to add to divine revelation
• God now IS a respecter of persons – in fact Rick Atchley now possesses “greater truth” than ALL the inspired New Testament writers who somehow “missed” the will of the Holy Spirit in regards to the instrument!
• The faith actually was NOT completely delivered to the saints in the long ago.
• God has actually NOT delivered to us “all things pertaining to life and godliness.
Words mean things. “IF” we are to take Atchley at his word then we MUST embrace his assertion that he (Atchley) is a modern day prophet with more insight, revelation and inspiration than Peter and Jude!

(1) Rick Atchley, “Both / And” #2, approx. 5 minutes 30 seconds into the sermon as transcribed by the author.

To Be Continued:

The Instrument of Division - Part II

By adopting the subjective and evolutionary so-called “allegorical method,” the instrument of division is able (so it thinks) to put forth “arguments” in support of it’s demonic purpose – the deconstruction and destruction of the Lord’s Body as described in the New Testament. To the faithful and Berean Christian these assertions are specious, shallow and superficial. Unfortunately, to those who have “itching ears,” they are appealing, innovative and pragmatic. There are many such “arguments.” Generally speaking, however, there are five main assertions – the new revelation argument, the anti discrimination argument, the less narrow door argument, the silence of the scriptures argument and specific passage arguments.

THE NEW REVELATION ARGUMENT

Since Satan tempted Eve in the garden, people have injected heresy into God’s will by claiming new and special revelation from God himself. When rebellious and self serving humans want change and cannot find support for such in the Bible, claims of “special revelation” are made. Until 2006 we never experienced such apostate thinking in the church of Christ. However, all that changed in December of that year when our erring brother Rick Atchley preached three sermons to the Richland Hills church of Christ in Ft. Worth, Texas. In true existential form, he entitled these lessons “Both / And.” The existentialist sees “truth” and “progress” in contradiction and chaos. Among other “arguments” for the instrument of division he attempts to assert that God’s will embraces both vocal and “instrumental” praise though our God is “not a God of confusion but of peace.” Atchley’s centerpiece salvo was the “new revelation argument.” Here is the exact quote:

Right there in that spot about 1994 in the middle of my sermon, the Holy Spirit said to me; “and that’s what you and all the preachers like you are doing who haven’t for years believed that the worship to God with instruments is wrong but you continue by your silence to let people think it’s wrong to all the body to be disrupted and you do so under the plea, “Well, we’re maintaining peace, but that’s not peace, that’s cowardice.” I knew then the day would come I’d have to teach this lesson.

We should shudder at the thought of adding to God’s revelation! The wise man of Proverbs tells us clearly in 30:5 -6 that adding to God’s Word will find us to be liars by God Himself! The Scripture plainly states that “God IS (present tense meaning “now and forevermore”) “no respecter of persons,” (Acts 10:34) that “The faith was once deliver-ED (past tense) to the saints (Jude 3) and that “His divine power has giv-EN (past tense) to us ALL things pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that has call-ED (past tense) to us glory and virtue.” (II Peter 1:3)
“IF” Rick Atchley is right, “IF” the Holy Spirit really spoke to him and “IF” what Atchley “says” the Holy Spirit said was really spoken by Him, then:
• God now allows man to add to divine revelation
• God now IS a respecter of persons – in fact Rick Atchley now possesses “greater truth” than ALL the inspired New Testament writers who somehow “missed” the will of the Holy Spirit in regards to the instrument!
• The faith actually was NOT completely delivered to the saints in the long ago.
• God has actually NOT delivered to us “all things pertaining to life and godliness.
Words mean things. “IF” we are to take Atchley at his word then we MUST embrace his assertion that he (Atchley) is a modern day prophet with more insight, revelation and inspiration than Peter and Jude!
To Be Continued:

The Instrument of Division

Satan has a weapon of mass destruction. No, it is not nuclear, tactical or strategic. It appears innocent yet it is lethal. It is not expensive and therefore very available to armies of apostates. It fits easily into the "side door" of many a congregation. The weapon is stealth and may be invisible in plain sight. It claims to contribute to growth while designed only to destroy. Its proponents speak of peace, harmony and tolerance while practicing war, discord and intolerance towards any opposition. Just what is this weapon of mass destruction? To the wise and faithful it is a poisonous leaven that will murder souls. To its proponents, it is cynically called "instrumental praise."(1) "Miss Bertha plays on"(2) and millions march off into apostasy.

The "Instrument of Division" is the instrument!

Many congregations in the church of Christ are "emerging towards apostasy" with the embrace of a deadly instrument of division. They are grasping at the "clanging cymbals" of instrumental music in "worship." The fact that drums, guitars and saxophones divide the body of Christ, injure love and kill fellowship means absolutely nothing to those who insist upon their addition. There are many "reasons" for these departures from "the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints." However, when these "reasons" are all boiled down to their core essence, they parallel Saul's "reasons" to ignore God's clear, direct and linear commands regarding the wicked Amalekites. We read about Saul's apostasy in I Samuel 15. What motivated Saul in the long ago, now motivates the instrument of division.(3)

1) Popular opinion. 2) Presumptive biblical interpretation. 3) Partial obedience. 4) Self promotion. 5) Pragmatic motives.

How can this be? How can people claiming to be Christians divide the Body of Christ and still sleep at night? How can people cause division and blame others for what they themselves have done?!

The instrument of division must embrace a different biblical interpretive method in order to do Satan's bidding.

The instrument of division must reject biblical and linear interpretation, the kind that Samuel followed in I Samuel 15 and Saul...did not. Instead, the apostate must embrace the allegorical interpretive method, a method that goes in continual circles always asking questions and never finding the truth. (4)

The so-called "allegorical method" has been around since the 2nd century A.D. The Alexandrian (Egypt) Jewish teacher, Philo, embraced Plato's allegorical interpretive method used by the Greeks in the study of Homer and applied it to the interpretation of what we now call the Old Testament. Homer, of course, wrote pure fiction. Plato taught that one could understand Homer best by filtering his work through the filter of ones own "stories" and personal "experiences." The resulting interpretive chaos had every Greek with a different Homerial interpretation! Applied to fiction, it meant nothing...BUT...when applied to Scripture, the pre-Messianic Jews soon theologically digressed back to the days of the Judges where "every man did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25)

Philo was a strong influence on the famous patristic, Clement of Alexandria. Clement had a protégé as well, his name was Origen.(5) It was Origen that piped the allegorical fantasies of Philo and Clement into the mainstream thinking of the rapidly apostatizing 2nd century church of Christ. Origen convinced many Christians of his time that the Scriptures held multiple meanings and these multiple meanings came from the individually personalized stories and experiences of each individual Christian. As a result, the emerging Roman Catholic Church used Origen to justify every digressive doctrine, every change in biblical leadership and every fantasy regarding the Lord's Supper that would soon evolve into the Mass. Today the current pope in Rome credits Origen for the creation and evolution of the ever changing "Magesterium" of Roman Catholicism.

As convoluted as Origen was, a man would come along several hundred years later that would "poison the well" even more. That man was the delusional Thomas Aquinas, a man that imagined biblical characters speaking to him "in person," "revealing" understandings of various Scriptures. His delusion was fueled by a life long obsession with the pagan philosopher, Aristotle. Aristotle taught that man learned truth primarily through his senses. Aquinas adopted this falsehood even though the Scripture clearly teaches that "...faith comes by hearing and hearing through the Word of God..." (Romans 10:17) Making his delusion chronic, Aquinas taught that one of man's senses was his imagination. So as if multiple meanings and individual private interpretation were not enough, Aquinas asserted that if one could "imagine" a "truth," it then became "truth" to you! (6)

Fast forwarding to today, one can adopt the instrument of division when one embraces the "multiple meanings of Scripture," filtered through one's own "stories" (Origen) fueled by the over active "imagination" (Aquinas) that renders "truth" to the adherent of such nonsense.

Origen + Aquinas = Apostasy

The sad thing is that nearly every person advocating the instrument of division has likely never even studied Origen or Aquinas, let alone the New Testament in any great detail. Any teaching they may have experienced is likely to be superficial at best. More likely than not, such teaching was presented with the smooth words of emergent teachers steeped in the teachings of Brian McLaren (7) rather than in the teachings of Christ and the apostles!

(1) See bro. Alan Highers skillful refutation of bro. Rick Atchley's pro-instrument assertions at: http://www.seektheoldpaths.com/stop707.htm#RTAD
(2) See an earlier post on the history of "Miss Bertha" here at:http://samuelslinesaulscircle.blogspot.com/2009/09/miss-berthas-revival.html
(3) See the foundational post for this entire weblog at: http://samuelslinesaulscircle.blogspot.com/2008/04/samuels-line-and-sauls-circle.html
(4) I have written a soon to be published book on biblical (mis)interpretaion entitled Emerging Towards Apostasy
(5) I have written extensively about Origen and Aquinas et. al. For more on this, go to: http://samuelslinesaulscircle.blogspot.com/2008/04/time-traveling-error-from-fallto.html
(6) Ibid.
(7) For a synopsis of Brian McLaren, see: http://samuelslinesaulscircle.blogspot.com/2008/09/who-is-brian-mclaren-why-do-you-need-to.html

To Be Continued...

Ezra Chapter 7 - A Man Prepared for Change!

Change hurts. It makes people insecure, confused, and angry. People want things to be the same as they've always been, because that makes life easier. But, if you're a leader, you can't let your people hang on to the past.(1) - Richard Marcinko

We all experienced radical change in 2010. If nothing else, should the Lord's coming be delayed, we will certainally experience more radical change in 2011. As Richard Marcinko observed, change does hurt. As we begin this new year of change we can learn a lot from a man who epitomized change - Ezra the priest of God.

Few men experience more change than did Ezra, finding himself transferred from the palacial halls of Cyrus the King of the Medo - Persian empire to the broken down rubble of long abandoned Jerusalem. Ezra was not intimidated by such change, he was inspired by it! Inspiration is preceded by preparation.

Ezra Chapter 7 details Ezra's preparation and we can learn from it. Ezra knew who he was, he knew the Word of God, he was willing to leave the familiar, he did God's will, he took direction from others, he was thankful and he took courage for the Hand of God was upon him!

Ezra 7:1 - 5 - Ezra Prepared for Change By Knowing Who He Was - A Son of Aaron

Here we see Ezra's family tree, he was a direct decendant of Aaorn the High Priest of God. Though we might define Aaron by his temporary lapse into sin regarding the "golden calf," God did not. In fact God's view of Aaron is revealed in Hebrews 5:1 - 4, Aaron was a man "called by God.!" Everyone has an "Aaron" in their family tree, even if it is you! Thank God He doesnt define our worth by our worst deed! We can prepare for change in 2011 by knowing who we are and being proud of it like Ezra.

Ezra 7:6 - Ezra Prepared for Change by Knowing God's Word

Preparation requires knowledge, especially when it comes to the work of God. Ezra, perhaps more than anyone in the Old Testament is equated with theological excellence. In fact, Ezra focused on "rightly dividing the Word of Truth" with Pauline dedication. He "set his heart" to "study the Law of the LORD," to "do it" and to "teach his statutes and rules in Israel." We can prepare for change in 2011 by knowing God's Word like Ezra did by studying, doing and teaching it.

To Be Continued...

(1) Source: http://famousquotes.com
Picture Courtesy of: http://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/Picture.htm