Pastors and church members always ask how many people attend some church where they are not a part. When the response is that a small number of people attend a particular church, many will question whether that small group is even a church at all. These questions can result in two problems: 1) the questioner may be filled with pride that his church has a greater attendance than the small church and 2) the one attending the small church may feel discouraged that his church isn't growing like the larger church or he may begin questioning what is wrong with the small church of which he is a part, even if there is nothing wrong.
There are two ways to answer the question of how many people are required to properly establish a New Testament church 1) from the Scripture, and 2) from history. From Scripture Jesus taught church truth during His earthly ministry. The apostles didn't understand much of what they were taught until after the resurrection, yet the truth is there for us to understand and apply today. When teaching church truth in Matthew 18, Jesus delved into how many people are needed to organize a New Testament church. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Jesus was not teaching about a random gathering of believers at the local grocery store or restaurant. Jesus taught about a gathering of believers in His name. That means these believers were gathering together by His authority. The only authorized gathering of believers to be found in the New Testament is the gathering of a New Testament church. Look how many Jesus required for a New Testament church gathering! He said, "...two or three..." Isn't that amazing? An assembly of believers does not have to wait until there are 50 or 100 before they organize as a New Testament church. It only takes two or three! If we want to believe and apply the Word of God, we will start looking at church attendance differently. Jesus does! From History The following was adapted from an email sent out by Pastor David Oldfield. It shows us the practice of what Jesus taught in the New Testament. Gustaf Palmquist was born in 1812 into a family of seven children in Sweden. At some point, his mother came under Holy Spirit conviction, but turning to her Lutheran priest, she was told that her deep piety was sufficient for her salvation. Having no peace, she turned to an old neighbourhood widow who pointed Mrs. Palmquist to salvation in Christ. With the peace of God in her heart, she began to pray for the salvation of her family. At the age of thirty-two, eight years after his mother's death, while a professor at a teacher’s college in Stockholm, the grace of God came upon Gustaf, and he trusted the work of Christ on the cross for his salvation. When he started earnestly witnessing for Christ, the Lord led him to F.O. Nilsson, a Baptist pastor in Helsingland in northern Sweden. Nilsson helped Palmquist to understand God’s Word. Before his training was complete, a group of Lutheran acquaintances told him they were emigrating to the United States and wanted him to be their pastor. After months of preparation and travel, Palmquist found himself almost alone in Rock Island, Illinois. From there, he started travelling all over the Midwest, looking for Swedish-speaking people with whom he could share the gospel. Then in 1851, he heard about a wonderful moving of the Holy Spirit in a Baptist church in Galesburg, Illinois, and he went to investigate. There the seed of Baptist doctrine that had been planted in his heart back in Sweden germinated. On 27 June 1852, he was immersed. A month later he was ordained in the Galesburg Baptist Church. Then forty-seven days after his baptism, on 13 August 1852, he organized the first Swedish Baptist Church in America, consisting of two men and one woman. The church grew and prospered under the Lord’s blessings, and one church led to another and another for the glory of God. What God did with that tiny church is amazing, but that little church would have been discouraged by many pastors today. Numbers do not always indicate the blessing of God. The apostle Paul prophecied a "falling away" during these Last Days, which could translate into little attendance in a New Testament church. In these Last Days, numbers can mean that compromise has occurred. We should look for spiritual indications of growth rather than just the attendance, baptism and offering totals. As Jesus admonished us, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment (John 7:24)." Let's stop focusing on the numbers and just get back to being faithful to the Lord Jesus. It only takes two or three to establish a New Testament church. Those two or three can be used to accomplish God's work. That is the greatness of our God! That also brings glory to God, which is the purpose of a New Testament church (Ephesians 3:21).
1 Comment
|
About Jerry JacksonJerry has been writing for many years now. He has written tracts for several churches, as well as his ministries in Papua New Guinea and in Canada. He has had the opportunity to have many of his articles published in several Independent Baptist periodicals over the years. His main goals are to teach truth and lift up the Saviour. Archives
April 2024
Categories
All
|