Do our church leaders really recommend books other than the Bible?

At Neighborhood Church we are not hesitant to recommend quality, theologically responsible writers and speakers. Recommending these teachers is not intended in any way to replace the supreme authority that the Bible should have in our lives. In fact, we recommend these teachers because of what the Bible itself teaches about God’s plan for equipping His people to display and declare His glory in the world.

What does the Bible say about the role of human teachers in God’s Church?

Paul reminds us God gifted His church with apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” (Eph. 4:11,12) Many of the gifts God has given to the church through pastors and teachers are still available to us through books and in more recent times, recordings and digital media.

When the teachers of Neighborhood Church prepare to expound the Word of God, they often consult the writings of gifted pastors and teachers. It would be foolish, neglectful, and even arrogant for us to disregard the gifts God has given to His Church for the understanding and application of Scripture.

As shepherds, we deem it both wise and caring to point the people of Neighborhood Church to gifted people who accurately explain the Scriptures and who forcefully challenge our sin and apathy. We are all benefactors of these gifts God has bestowed on His church.

How are we meant to evaluate human teachers?

God has blessed His church through teachers like Athanasius, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, Stott, Packer, Sproul, Piper, Keller, Horton, McArthur, and many more. They, like all human teachers, are
imperfect vessels, but gifted vessels nonetheless.

Whether we are listening to one of our church’s own teachers or reading a book from a current or ancient author, we must always do so comparing their words against Scripture. As Rick Warren suggested, we should listen and read as we eat fish: Swallow the meat, and spit out the bones. Our leadership will do our best to recommend to you authors and speakers who serve good meat with few bones.

How does Neighborhood Church choose whom to recommend?

In order to do that, we diligently look for resources that draw people to the Bible as the true and final authority for knowing and glorifying God. We make every effort to steer people to material affirming the Bible’s teaching that God is supreme over all things, does all things for His own glory, and is therefore the source and center of our greatest joy.

We commend to our church teachers who see the purpose of the Christian life as the joyful magnification of the glory of God through His Son. Such teaching exalts the honor of God and the work of His Son while infusing purpose, strength and joy into the lives of His people. May God continue to be exalted through the gifts He has given His church.

What is the commission of the Church?

Jesus commissioned His Church to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19). Fulfilling this commission requires a clear understanding of our task.

What are we supposed to do?

Jesus told His Church to make disciples. A disciple is a student who seeks to learn all he can from a teacher and who seeks to model his life after that person. We are to raise up disciples of Christ who trust Him, follow Him, and who seek to live in obedience to Him.

Among whom are we supposed to do this?

The Church was told to do this among all nations. The word “nations” is another word for “people groups.” A people group is a group of people who have their own culture, language, and identity. There are thousands of people groups scattered throughout the world. 

What does accomplishing this commission demand?

Making disciples requires evangelization and training in the Scriptures, which is best done through local communities of believers. Doing this among all people groups requires strategically sending believers into unreached people groups with the purpose of making disciples and establishing the Church in those groups.

What do you consider “Local Evangelism”?

Local evangelism (“local outreach,” “outreach to our community,” or even just “evangelism”) is sharing the Gospel with the desire to see others become devoted disciples of Jesus. This is something every believer can and should do wherever they are. While godly lives are essential to authenticating our message, evangelism requires using words about Christ. (Mk. 16:15; 1 Pet.2:9).

What do you consider “Global Missions”?

Global missions (“frontier missions,” “global outreach,” or even just “missions”) involves all that is required to see the Church established among every people group so that each people group has trained believers who can then reach out to their own people through evangelism while demonstrating Christ’s love (Rom. 1:5; Rev.7:9). Completing this task involves many roles, tools, and gifts—and is also something toward which every believer can and should contribute.

Why do we need to make this distinction?

Although clearly related, maintaining a distinction between local evangelism and global missions is helpful for several reasons:

• Since all believers should be committed both to reaching out locally and to seeing the Church established among every people group, using different terms for these two tasks helps to keep them clear in our minds.
• Thousands of people groups remain unreached, leaving hundreds of millions of people cut off from the Gospel. Reaching them demands intentionality.
• We need to seek to use the limited resources with which God has entrusted us in line with His goals. Clearly defining our God-given task allows us to be strategic with how we allocate these resources.

So, does NCAC care about both?

Absolutely! We believe that every individual and every church should be deeply committed both to local evangelism and to global missions—both for the glory of our great God and for the lasting joy of all peoples.

Jesus’ last command:

"Go and make disciples of all nations." (Matt. 28:19)

As J. Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission (now OMF International) once pointed out, “The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed."

There are numerous ways each of us can participate in God’s plan to take the Gospel to all people groups. Here are some ideas for how you might get involved:

Praying

• Pray for God to send out workers into the harvest.
• Attend our monthly Prayer for the Nations meeting.
• Buy “Operation World” (for adults) or “Windows on the World” (for kids) and pray faithfully each day.
• Sign-up to receive a missionary’s prayer letters or email updates and then pray for their needs.
• Pray through the international section of a newspaper or news website.

Sending

• Support a missionary with a monthly pledge.
• Write a missionary and ask if they have any special needs. Then give.
• When a missionary is home, help stock their home with supplies.
• Write an encouraging letter to a missionary.
• Be intentional about sending birthday and holiday cards to missionaries.
• When missionaries are home, set aside time to listen to their stories.

Going

• Talk with a member of the Global Outreach Team about getting started in GO PREPARED to prepare yourself for long-term missionary service.
• Become a “tentmaker,” using your professional skills to gain access to another country.
• Go on one of the short-term “vision trips” that our church offers.
• RetiredBecome a missionary nanny, a dorm parent for missionary kids, or run a mission home.

Welcoming

• Go often to an ethnic restaurant. Try to get to know and befriend those who work there.
• Volunteer to help with our English Language Outreach Program for Hispanics in our area.
• Learn all you can about some of the local ethnic groups like the Mien or the Sikhs.

Learning

• Read a biography of a missionary.
• Subscribe to a free magazine like “Voice of the Martyrs” or “Mission Frontiers.”
• Take the Perspectives Course when it’s offered.
• Study a foreign language.

Mobilizing

• Keep updated with missionaries and bring their prayer needs before your home group.
• Become an advocate for a missionary you know, talking about his or her ministry with others you know to help them gain new partners.
• Encourage your children or grandchildren to consider becoming a missionary in the future.

How God Saves

One of the endless cascading joys God intends for His redeemed people is to gaze with ever increasing clarity at God's amazing work of saving them and others out of a sin-corrupted, death-infested, hell-bound existence so that they might enjoy Him forever.

When did God get involved in saving us?

God tells us that He chose the ones He was intent on saving before they were ever born or did anything good or bad to warrant His favor (Rom 9:11). In fact He chose them before the created universe was even born! (Eph 1:4-6). Why? So that the Mt. Everest of God's saving grace founded upon His sovereign decree might be their unsurpassed treasure and delight (Eph 1:6).

What does God really do to save us?

• All of God's saving work is anchored in His pleasure to send the eternal Son into the world to absorb the full fury of God's punishment of sin on the cross in the place of sinners who put their faith (trust) in God (Rom 3:25; 4:5).
• With Christ's atoning work in view, even while we were dead in sin and entrenched in rebellion against Him, in mercy God caused us to be born again by His Spirit (1 Pet 1:3) and made us alive in Christ (Eph 2:6).
• In this rebirth, God gives a new heart with a repentant disposition (2 Tim 2:25) and a receptivity to the good news about Christ (Acts 16:14).
• God removes blindness and enables us to see "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor 4:4), so that we are fully persuaded to trust in Jesus as the one true Savior and Lord (Eph 2:8).
• Amazingly, on the basis of that trust, God justifies us (declares us righteous) on the merits of Jesus' righteous life and atoning death (Rom 3:24-26).
• Ultimately God will bring about our total transformation (glorification) at the return of Christ when our whole being will be freed from the corruption of sin and death as we receive new bodies fit for an eternity in God's presence (1 Cor 15:52).

If God performs all that is needed for us to be saved, is there anything we must do?

Yes! The Bible says that God grants repentance, but also requires that people repent (Acts 2:28). God enables people to believe the message of salvation through faith in Christ alone, but also requires they remain steadfast in faith in order to be saved (Col 1:22-23). So, repent and believe that you may be saved, and rejoice in God who enables you to do so!

The Conception of Jesus Foretold
Mary was living in Nazareth and was engaged to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter. An angel visited her and explained that she would conceive a son by a miracle of the Holy Spirit, she would give birth to this child, and she would name Him Jesus.

At first Mary was afraid and troubled by the angel’s words. Being a virgin, Mary questioned the angel, “How will this be?” The angel explained that the child would be God’s own Son and that “nothing is impossible with God.” Humbled and in awe, Mary believed the angel of the Lord and rejoiced in God her Savior.

Surely, Mary reflected with wonder on the words found in Isaiah 7:14 foretelling this event, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel —which means, ‘God with us.’”

The Birth of Jesus:
While Mary was still engaged to Joseph, she miraculously became pregnant through the Holy Spirit, as foretold to her by the angel. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he felt disgraced. He knew the child was not his own. Joseph not only had the right to divorce Mary, but under Jewish law she could be put to death by stoning.

Although at first Joseph wanted to break their engagement, he treated Mary with extreme kindness. He did not want to cause her further shame, so he decided to act quietly. However, God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to assure him that Mary's story was true and to reassure him that his marriage to her was God's will. The angel explained that the child within Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit, that his name would be Jesus, and that he was the Messiah—God with us.

When Joseph woke from his dream, he obeyed God and took Mary home to be his wife, in spite of the public humiliation he would face. Joseph too must have wondered in awe as he remembered the words found in Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."

At that time, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken, and every person in the entire Roman world had to go to his own town to register. Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Probably due to the census, the inn was too crowded, and Mary gave birth in a crude stable. She wrapped the baby in cloths and placed him in a manger.

The Shepherd's Worship the Savior:
Out in the fields, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were tending their flocks of sheep by night. The angel announced that the Savior had been born in the town of David. Suddenly a great host of heavenly beings appeared with the angels and began singing praises to God. As the angelic beings left, the shepherds decided to travel to Bethlehem and see the Christ-child.

There they found Mary, Joseph and the baby, in the stable. After their visit, they began to spread the word about this amazing child and everything the angel had said about him. They went on their way still praising and glorifying God. But Mary kept quiet, treasuring their words and pondering them in her heart. It must have been beyond her ability to grasp, that sleeping in her arms—the tender child she had just borne—was the Savior of the world.

The Magi Bring Gifts:
At the time Herod was king of Judea. At this time wise men (Magi) from the east saw a star. They came in search, knowing the star signified the birth of the king of the Jews. The wise men came to the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem and asked where the Christ was to be born. The rulers explained, "In Bethlehem in Judea," referring to Micah 5:2. Herod secretly met with the Magi and asked them to report back after they had found the child. Herod told the Magi that he too wanted to go and worship the babe. But secretly Herod was plotting to kill the child.

So the wise men continued to follow the star in search of the new born king and found Jesus with his mother in Bethlehem. (Most likely Jesus was already two years of age by this time.) They bowed and worshipped him, offering treasures of gold, incense and myrrh. When they left, they did not return to Herod. They had been warned in a dream of his plot to destroy the child.

Is the Bible a reliable source of historical information?
As a piece of literature the Bible is second to none in reliability. It was written within the just a few years of these actual events occurring. The men who wrote the books of the New Testament suffered great persecution and eventually most of them were crucified or murdered for what they wrote. These men could have said they made it up and gone free but instead throughout their lives they put themselves in harms way because of their knowledge of the truth of their words. The authors of the New Testament are eye witness accounts, John wrote what John saw same with Matthew and Luke and Paul. As far as historical reliability we have found more than 24,000 ancient manuscript copies of the Bible. The closest other piece of literature is Homer’s Illiad with 650 ancient manuscripts found. Of the 24,000 manuscripts found there is 99.5% similarity between them. That means other than small humans errors (which are easily noticeable as you compare the many documents to the few with error) the Bible has been preserved over 2000 years and maintain its literary integrity and intent.

Was Jesus’ birth a mythical story or a historical reality?
What about outside the Bible are there other sources that indicate this is more than just some fairy tale to make us feel warm and cozy at night? Many secular historians of the day also record the events of Jesus’ life as true. Josephus a famous historian as well as Pliny the Younger and others record Jesus’ life. The names of governors and rulers as well as places and coin denominations have all been confirmed by secular archeologists. Jesus was indeed born and walked here on earth. It may not have been on December 25th in fact it likely was in the spring time but as we remember His birth during the Christmas season remember why God sent Him as a gift to us.

Why did God send His Son?
What’s the best gift you ever received? As we celebrate Christmas, we are reminded of the amazing gift God has offered each of us—eternal life with Him. God offers this gift to us despite the fact that all of us have rebelled against Him and sought to live without Him.

God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to receive the punishment that we deserve for our rebellion. We cannot earn God’s forgiveness through doing good things, but only through trusting in Jesus for our salvation and following Him as the Leader of our lives.

What does the Bible say about how to receive this gift?
Although we might not like to think of ourselves as “rebels” against God, the high standards revealed in the Bible prove that all of us are guilty before God. For example, consider just one of Jesus’ statements in the Gospel of Matthew:
“You heard what was said to people who lived long ago. They were told, ‘Do not commit murder. Anyone who murders will be judged for it.’ But here is what I tell you. Do not be angry with your brother. Anyone who is angry with his brother will be judged.” (Matthew 5:21-22)

If we are honest, we will admit that we all do wrong and turn away from God. The Bible calls our rebellion and wrongdoing “sin.” It also says this about the consequences:
“When you sin, the pay you get is death….” (Romans 6:23a)

The Bible calls all people sinners—even those who sit in church on Sundays:
“Everyone has sinned. No one measures up to God’s glory.” (Romans 3:23)

The good news is that through trusting in Jesus as Savior and submitting to Him as Lord, we will be forgiven of our sin and can begin an incredible new life with God:
“The time has come,” Jesus said. “The kingdom of God is near. Turn away from your sins and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

We welcome you to join us this Christmas to learn more about this good news. We’ll speak of a joy in God that surpasses all other joys—and that will last forever! If you’d like to know more about our church, please take some time exploring this website.