We've had a number of new members added to our number this year at Providence church.  The pic shows the two of the four children that have been born into our covenant families in 2014.  

We praise the Lord that He has blessed us so, and we praise God that our families have a high regard for the Scripture's command to be "fruitful and multiply."  

All this is to say that Providence Church, unlike many other churches today, won't be dying out anytime soon.  
But there is another reason why this picture noteworthy.  It displays something of our church's unity.  These families came forward on Sunday for a child dedication.  They took vows to raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and Matt (who is at the pulpit) closed this part of the service by praying for them.

What's the big deal?  It is this:  Matt is believes Scripture teaches paedo-baptism.   In other words, Matt is supporting these families despite their difference of opinion on the matter of when baptism should be applied--just like the other elders (and credo-baptist congregants) support his family (and other paedo's in the congregation) in so far as they can when it comes to the baptism of an infant or covenant child.

In other words, there is a difference of opinion on this matter, and we have to deal with it.  At Providence we seek to love and accept each other in the Lord despite our quibble over water's application.  

Baptism, while an important issue, isn't a fundamental issue.  For at least 500 years the church has been divided upon it and good Christian men have disagreed.  Fortunately, it doesn't have to be a strident division.  We at Providence have sought to demonstrate that the sign of our unity (the sacrament of baptism, which signifies our union with Christ and each other) does not have to be an issue that actually breaks our unity.

These two dynamics of our church home here in Ashland are just some of what makes Providence such a great place to worship.

When you come to the Ashland, Mansfield, or Wooster areas you have to choose a church.  But how do you choose?

So far in this series we've said that you need to choose one that will 1) highly esteem Scripture and the preaching of the gospel, 2) rightly administer the sacraments, and 3) exercise church discipline.

But, like the 80's rock band Heart, we have to ask, "What about Love?"  

You can make the argument that if the three marks of the church mentioned above are observed, then you will likely have a church of love.  Preaching the gospel will facilitate love.  The Sacraments point us to the love of God in Christ.  Church discipline, you might say, is a form of "tough love" for those who are erring.

All this is true, but we should not forget that Scripture teaches that a true congregation of Christ will demonstrate heartfelt, mutual love.  One of the main themes of 1 John is that of loving the brethren.  Indeed, John makes love one of the primary tests of faith.  It follows then that a congregation that loves Christ will be one that manifests love.

Of course, we ought to distinguish what we mean by love.  We live in a culture that is quite lost when it comes to the idea of love.  In our paganized society love can mean anything from a wishy washy sentimentality to a masochistic acts.  

Biblically defined though, love is obedience to God's law.  Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."  Jesus also said that the commandments could be summarized with the law of love:  Love the Lord your God with all your heart mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.  In sum, God's law is the gauge of love.

But how do you know when a congregation is expressing love?  Perhaps it might be helpful to ask yourself the following kinds of questions:  

1. Do these people worship as if they really love God and want to adore him?  Or does it seem that church is more for networking or routine? 
   
2. Are the people really engaged with the worship or are they just going through the motions?
   
3. How do these people talk?  Do they express reverence for God?
   
4. Are their concerted efforts to fellowship with one another and enjoy each other's company?  Or is Sunday worship a "hit and skip" kind of thing?
   
5. Do these people respect their leaders and seek to take care of the elderly?  Do they have children, and are they really showing them affection, or are they more concerned with their own well being?
   
6. Are these people genuinely concerned for my well being?  Will they have me into their home and support me in prayer?  Do they share their gifts and graces with one another or do they tend to keep to themselves?  
   
7. What are their marriages like?  Is their obvious sacrificial love among the couples?  Or do they joke about marriage and disparage it?
   
8. Are they giving regularly and even sacrificially?
   
9. Can these people be trusted?  Or do they go back on their word a lot?
   
10. Does there seem to be an attachment to materialistic things?  
    

Okay.  By now you probably realize that this is an outline of the 10 commandments.  But that's the point.  A congregation that loves is one that is keeping the commandments.  

Time to let the cat out of the bag.  For the last several weeks we've been talking about how to choose a church. But I've been hiding something from you.

The items I've listed in these posts (the pure preaching of the gospel, the right administration of the sacraments, and the exercise of church discipline) have some history behind them.  They typically go by the call line "The 3 marks of a true church."

Many churches have become what the Bible terms, "synogogues of Satan."  That is to say, they are no longer churches that are faithful to Christ.  The question, of course, arises as to how to define a true church from a false one.

These were the traits that were developed during the Reformation as our Protestant father's sought to work through whether or not they should continue being aligned with the Catholic church.  

Today these principles still are helpful for us.  Churches come a dime a dozen.  There is one on almost every corner in cities like Ashland and Mansfield.  But which ones are faithful to Christ?  Which ones are not?

You can typically tell by looking to see whether or not a church is practicing these three marks.  If they are, it is likely that the church is serious about discipleship and are ready to nurture you & your family in the faith.

We still have two more posts to do in this series.  We still have the mark of love, and we will be doing a post on traits that likely show a church is definitely not worth your time.

If you are at a store buying clothes, you will want a salesman who is kind enough to tell you the shirt you picked out looks ugly on you.  

You don't want someone who will tell you anything just to make a sale (or worse, completely ignore you and not give a hoot about what you are doing there!).

The same is true when it comes to the church you choose.  

Like the salesman who has the courage to tell you your shirt is ugly, you should want a church where the leadership is willing hold the brethren accountable for the ugliness of sin in their lives.

Church discipline is not one of those things that might come to mind when you are choosing a church.  It ought to be, however.  That's because it is an extension of the gospel ministry.

You might say church discipline is the practical side of the ministry of the Word. It is a way of applying the Scriptures in real life situations.  

A church that practices discipline is a church that is serious about the purity and protection of its membership.  Sin can easily spread like gangrene, infecting you, your family, or your friends. Scripture also shows that the sin of one can result in God's wrath coming upon the corporate body (e.g. Judges 7).  

But church discipline will preserve a congregation from such miseries.  That's why you'll want to make sure you put this in the checklist when choosing a church in Ashland, Richland, and Wayne Counties.

We've said that it is important to choose a church where the Word of God is central, particularly as it is expressed in the preaching of the gospel. 

But keep in mind that you will also want to consider whether or not the sacraments are being rightly administered.

I understand if this sounds a little Roman Catholic to you.  Evangelicals today don't typically think a lot about the Lord's Supper and Baptism or consider them to be very important.  Just hang with me for a second, and I think you will understand why this is so.    

The sacraments are another form of gospel ministry.  They are visual sermons, so to speak.  They help to confirm you in the truth of God's promise and build you up in the faith, just like the reading and preaching of God's word.  

You might say that baptism and the Lord's Supper are extensions of the preaching of the gospel.  They compliment and assist it by doing to the eyes what preaching does to the ears.

Admittedly, its nothing flashy.  There are no light shows or glitzy showmanship.  The sacraments contain common elements and are presented in a very plain fashion.  That's how God normally works though, and the power is in the plain-ness.

For instance, in baptism you see what God does when one first comes to faith. As you behold the waters flow over that person, you can remember that "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit."  Tit 3:5 ESV

When you come to the communion table the sufferings of Christ are put before your eyes (and even put into your hands!).  Thus, you have a powerful testimony to the atonement that was made for your sins.

That is why you should seek a church that takes baptism seriously and is committed to having Communion on a regular basis.  These are ordinances that God has instituted for your spiritual well-being.  If a church isn't committed to them (or if a church is administering them in a way that is not in accord with Scripture) that church isn't committed to your nurture in the gospel.

In the future, we'll likely do a series on the sacraments.  There is a lot to learn on this subject!  For now, it is enough to say that the sacraments should be on your radar when looking around for a church.  

If you've just moved to the Ashland, Mansfield, or Wooster areas, you've got to find a church.  But what criteria do you use for making such a decision ?  

In our first post in this series we said that a godly church needs to be Scripture based church.  By that we meant one that actually reads the Bible during its services.

Today we want to stress how important it is to find a church where the Gospel is preached.


The pulpit ministry of a church should simply be an extension of the church's Scriptural commitment.  But you have to recognize that not all churches that "preach the Bible" preach the gospel.

Al Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, has expressed that much of what passes as "biblical preaching" in our contemporary society is nothing more than moralistic, therapeutic deism.  That is to say, the minister will read a Bible passage(s) and then give you tips on how to live a better life.  Coupled with vague references to a benevolent deity who would never send you to hell (so long as you are doing your best), this preaching amounts to nothing other than a mish-mash of self-help mumbo jumbo.  

Such messages have nothing to do with the gospel.

True preaching of the gospel will no doubt explain the full extent of God's law.  It will certainly point you to what God requires of your life.  But it will also point you to Christ, the who has become the Savior of those who have failed to live up to that standard.

Let me give you a couple of illustrations.  I grew up in a "liberal" church.  This church had an excellent liturgy.  They read large passages of Scripture, recited the creeds, and sang the old hymns of the faith.  However, the preaching was a major fail.  I actually sought to keep track of how many times the minister made reference to God or Christ.  There were many weeks where I didn't hear a single mention of either.

I attended another church later in life for about 6 months.  It was what you might call an "evangelical church."  The people were strong believers and they sincerely loved the Lord.  However, the pastor, though he too was a dear brother in the Lord, rarely talked about the gospel and pressed its significance upon the congregation.  

Another illustration may be witnessed in the experience of one couple who attended a church I used to pastor.  They had recently moved to the area and had visited many churches.  Despite their best efforts, they failed to find any who even recognized our need for the gospel.  In her own words, she said, "Nobody ever has mentioned anything about sin!"

Each of these is an example of a deep deficiency in a church's preaching ministry.  

The ultimate point of a sermon should be to "bring Christ to the fore."  That is to say, a minister should highlight what God has done (or is doing) through Christ to save sinners.

Of course, one shouldn't write off a church because he didn't hear the gospel once or twice in any given month.  You'll want to look at the overall trajectory and consider whether or not the overall scope of the ministry is one that is gospel centered.

For instance, ask yourself questions like these: "Am I learning about Jesus here? Do I hear the gospel a good majority of the time?  Is this a place where I could bring my unsaved friends and be assured that they would be confronted with the saving work of God?"

Another way to look at it is like this:  When you leave church on a given Sunday, do you think, "Boy, I can do it!" (moralism).  Or do you find yourself saying, "Wow!  He did that for me?" (gospel).


If you feel greatly humbled and overcome with awe because you've met Christ at the cross, you know that this particular church loves the gospel and is committed to Christ.