The Church’s One Foundation

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11

In 1972, Dean Kelley wrote a book that has become a classic in the study of church growth: Why Conservative Churches Are Growing. He chronicled the decline of mainstream, liberal churches and the growth of conservative, Bible-teaching churches. There was a direct correlation between churches’ acknowledgement of the authority of the Bible and whether or not they grew.

While we can be thankful for Kelley’s historical analysis, we might have looked no further than the book of Acts for an earlier example of his thesis. The greatest numerical growth in the history of the church took place when Jesus was preached in the power of the Spirit by the apostles in Jerusalem. No gimmicks—just the message about Jesus. And people responded by the thousands (Acts 2:41, 47). Just as no building can be erected without a firm foundation, so the church cannot be raised except on the foundation of Jesus Christ her Lord.

Whatever your role is in your church, are you making sure nothing replaces Jesus Christ and His Word as the foundation?