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By Neal Griffin
There is a large denominated religious organization near us which prominently displays this sign: "GROWING BY THE GRACE OF GOD". On its very expensive acreage are a day care center, a beautiful new cathedral, a community services building, a parsonage, and a magnificent gymnasium type family center. Its vacant lot accommodates several pee-wee softball and soccer teams. In this mornings paper there was a glowing tribute to a pastor of a church in a nearby city who had catapulted the membership from a little over four hundred to over fourteen hundred. His church was " bulging at the seams" while construction was under way to accommodate the crowds. One cannot deny that this is growth, and this is the kind of growth that preachers are hired to produce, and the lack of which is the reason for the firing of many of them. But, is this the growth desired by God? This very interesting sociological question has roots extending all the way back to the beginning of Christianity.
Pentecost had resulted in the conversion of many true hearted Jews. They heard the good news of salvation preached in tongues so that they all could understand and believe. They willingly submitted to initiation into the Kingdom in baptism. They enjoyed a brief season of peace and then came the dispersion. They all fled back to their home countries. They fled without Bibles or written instruction of any kind. Their instruction was by miraculous revelation of the Holy Spirit. It is very conceivable that there were only a few converts in each major city. In either case, it is very likely that in the beginning these converts had either gotten acquainted at Jerusalem or they previously knew each other at home. Either way they probably established contact and began assembling to build one another up to love and good works and for mutual edification. Exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit the first Christians grew in the truth and knowledge of Jesus the Christ. Their faith took root and abounded. Every one in these small families of Christians went about their daily lives demonstrating Christian qualities, and when opportunity presented itself, testified of the Good News. Slowly, in human terms, the Gospel was spread and, in some cases, men were converted to Christ.
But, while this was happening, Satan was not asleep. He was, as he is today, stalking about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. An observation about "roaring" lions I am compelled to make at this point. While lions are "roaring" beasts, they do their roaring AFTER the conquest. As a matter of fact, they are very sneaky and deceptive while stalking their prey, and such is the case with Satan. While the Holy Spirit was busy planting the seeds of the Kingdom Satan was busy sowing seeds of division.1'st Corinthians chapter I. He was smarting over the fact that Jesus had broken the chains of death. He was enraged and all the more determined to steal precious souls out of the Kingdom. Satan roars often but he also exercises every wile in his deceptive power while he is stalking his unsuspecting prey. He is the greatest of all liars. But we can, by the grace of God ( His name be praised), be delivered from such treachery.
What happened next is sketchy. We can only speculate to fill the vast chasm between then and now. The dark ages must have concealed another great battle between God and Satan, but one thing is sure, and that is that the forces of good were victorious. We came out of it with written instructions, and the Gospel is accessible in every nation. But, another aspect of it is the sad contrast between the religion that was practiced by those early Christians and the religion of today.
I am convinced that the greatest reason for this contrast is an attitude of heart. We are addressing an attitude of heart that concerns itself with what we want instead of what God wants. This is Bible talk. It is what God wants that is important. "The world is passing away and everything in the world which men want is passing away too, but the person who does what God wants lives forever" 1'st John 2:l7. It does not come any plainer than this. This is too simple to be misunderstood. So, what does this have to do with New Testament growth?
What it has to do is that God is not impressed with numbers. It does not take numbers of men for God to accomplish His will. Judges chapter 7. God is not impressed with grand cathedrals. In fact, He dwells NOT in houses made with the hands of men. Acts 7:48. Buildings built with the hands of men are not ordained monuments to God. They are but monuments to the pride of men. New Testament growth has to do with the increase of the Spirit. It has nothing to do with numbers produced by paid pastors. It has nothing to do with the construction of massive cathedrals. In fact, Spiritual growth does not have anything at all to do with anything that men can brag about. If we must boast let it be in the fact that Jesus is our Saviour. It is what God wants that is important, and what God wants is the service of dedicated hearts in the everyday lives of converted Christians. Romans l2:l. This is where our focus should be instead of promoting denominated religious institutions with their large numbers and massive cathedrals. We need to turn again to the first principles of the rudiments of Christianity. This is where New Testament growth begins. We need to be concerned with what impresses God instead of with what impresses men.
Please think on these things. I believe them to be true to the Word.
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