Holy Mathmatics

Several years ago Charles Allen wrote an article he entitled “Holy Mathematics.” He invited his readers to imagine that there was only one Christian on earth and that person won one other person to the Lord the first year. Now suppose that during the following year that each of these two led one other person to Christ. After the second year there would be four Christians in the world. Now assume each of these four led one other person to faith in Jesus Christ the next year. After the third year there would be eight Christians. Now Dr. Allen asked his readers to imagine that each Christian continued to lead just one other person to Christ each year. “How long,” he asked, “would it take to win the entire world to faith in Jesus Christ?”

Dr Allen did the math and concluded, “It has now been 2000 years since our Lord was on earth. Has that been enough time? Actually, there has been enough time with just one winning one other per year to convert 65 worlds like this.” Dr. Allen pointed out at the time he was writing that it would actually take only 31 years to convert the entire globe to genuine Christianity.

Now let’s do our own supposing. If a church like Minor Memorial were to start with only twenty people who introduced someone to Jesus in the next twelve months and instilled in each one the same urgency to introduce others, we could win our community to Christ in short order. Just twenty people doubled each year would total over twenty thousand souls in only ten years.

How do we win people to Jesus Christ? One of the easiest ways is to invite them to attend church. Offer to pick them up and bring them. Offer to sit with them during worship. Introduce them to other Christians. Get to know them outside the church and let them see by your actions what God means in your life. Invite them to go with you to Sunday School. Ask them to attend Wednesday night bible study with you. Encourage them to enroll their children in Sunday School. Invite them to join a supper club with you and some of your Christian friends. Tell them how much you enjoy the fellowship at church and share with them how God has helped you through the years. This should not be done with a holier than thou attitude but like one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.

The kingdom of God grows by invitation. Every study on the subject I’ve ever seen indicates that most active church members came because someone invited them. Remember the parable Jesus told about a man who had prepared a great banquet but his expected guest did not come. Jesus said this man sent out his servants to invite “the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” He told his servants to “compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.” (Luke chapter 14).

It seems that our attendance grows almost every week at Minor Memorial. It will continue to grow, and God will continue to bless our efforts, if we get excited about what God is doing and invite others to join the party.