What Makes A Church Great? Series

What Makes a Church Great? Part 1

Acts 4:33

Acts 4:33.

33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.

I believe this is a wonderful church! God is doing great things! But there is still greater things to come…revival is in progress, but it needs to continue and grow…mercy drops need to give way to showers of blessing!

What is a great church? Some like a big church, some a small church. [you have to wonder about the ones who want to stay small, not reaching out!] Some like a country church, some a city church…I’ve been in both. I’m glad we have all types around here and all are welcome!

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You might be in a country church if:

The Call to Worship is ,"Y’all come on in!"

The Preacher says, "I’d like to ask Bubba to pray for the

offering" - and five guys stand up.

Opening day of deer hunting season is recognized as an

official church holiday.

A member requests to be buried in his truck

because, "I ain’t never been in a hole it couldn’t get me out of".

Never in its entire 100-year history has one of its pastors had

to buy any meat or vegetables.

A singing group is known as "The O.K. Chorale."

The church directory doesn’t have last names.

The only time people lock their cars in the parking lot is during the

summer and only so no one leaves them another bag of tomatoes!

Baptism is referred to as "branding."

There is a special fund-raiser for a new septic tank.

Finding and returning lost sheep is not just a parable.

High notes on the organ set dogs in the parking lot to howling.

People wonder when Jesus fed the 5,000 whether the two

fish were bass or catfish.

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This great church at Jerusalem is our God-given example of

"how to do it." These People got in touch with Heaven, received

their orders and the power to carry them out and please God. In

this day, when hundreds of churches are like dead batteries,

giving out their sermonettes to Christianettes by preacherettes

so they can get out and smoke their cigarettes, we need some

prophets who will stand up like the Rock of Gibraltar and build a

mighty fortress for God.

Let me share with you seven things that made the early New

Testament church one of the greatest the world has ever known.

I. THEY HAD A GREAT PURPOSE

Their purpose was to obey the Savior. Jesus had asked them

to tarry in the Upper Room. He said,

29But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. " (Luke 24:49).

Obedience is always a vital link to power and blessing from God. Someone has said,

"ours is not to reason why; ours is but to do or die."

Then, their purpose was to obtain the promise. The promise,

of course, was the blessed Holy Spirit. Jesus had promised in

Acts 1:8, “8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

This promise is made to every person who desires to receive it from the Lord.

Their purpose was to offer the Gospel. They were to be witnesses . .

8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).

Peter stood before the great crowd in the streets of Jerusalem

and offered the Gospel to the Jews from many nations. The sermon

was simple, and his purpose was plain. He wanted to help people

get to Heaven.

II. THEY HAD GREAT PREACHING

Peter was an ordinary man and not really a great preacher,

but the content of his sermon was great preaching. Great preaching in the early church had a 3 fold characteristic: It exalted the Savior, it

edified the saints, and it exposed sin. These great

characteristics are present in all great sermons.

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit, when He came, He would

reprove the world of sin or expose it and reveal righteousness to

the world, which was exalting Christ and would explain the

purpose of the cross and the judging of Satan. Three thousand

people responded to the invitation and then five thousand, at a

later sermon. No one can deny that this is great preaching! And you pray for me as I strive not only to write great content for my sermons, but to be empowered to be a great preacher!