Growing Deeper, Reaching Wider

Theme : MISSION

Title : “GROWING DEEPER,REACHING WIDER”

Text : ACTS 2:42-47

Proposition : A growing church is both a

quality and a quantity

conscious church.

INTRODUCTION :

1. Greetings…

2. Commentary on the Title

Growing Deeper - Have you ever seen a plant that grows deeper and not taller? I believe this refer to the roots. Because a plant that grows its root deep into the soil is a plant that grows taller than we can ever imagine.

Reaching wider - Have you ever reached something that is farther than your arm could reach? The idea here is to reach more people to the Lord.

3. Stagnant Churches - As some study shows, after ten years of existence, a church will only grow biologically. And unfortunately, they have exhausted all the possibility to grow deeper and reach wider.

Transition : Today, we are about to learn from the early church. What are the things they did to grow deeper? How did they reach wider?

I GROWING DEEPER

A. Who needs to grow deeper?

· People who had just receive Christ.

They are the new soil who had just received the seed of the Word. They are the first who should desire to grow deeper or else the seed may grow but not bear fruit.

· People who are suffering from trials and

persecution.

God uses trials in order for us to grow strong. But the devil uses this to stumble us. Growing deeper roots means strength in the middle of the storm.

· People who live and work among unbelievers.

Compromise is the temptation. We can only say no to this when we are growing deeper in the Lord.

· People who are in the service.

Whatever kind of ministry you have, you need to grow deeper because the devil’s priority target is not the members but the person in the leadership.

*** In other words, all Christians need to grow deeper. Regardless of the number of years being a Christian and the length of their service in the ministry. No one is exempted here. If you claim you are a Christian, then aim to grow deeper in your Christian life.

B. What should we do to grow deeper?

1. Devote yourself to the Apostles’ Teachings

The Apostles’ Teaching is synonymous to the Teaching of the Word. Of course, during their time, it was the Old Testament and their testimony of the Life of our Lord Jesus.

Included the 3000 converts. We should take note that the people who devoted themselves to the Apostles’ Teachings included the 3000 that were added to the church that same day. The Apostles put importance to the growth of these people by having them to sit and listen to the teaching of the Word. And it is this event that made the new believers grow mature.

There are verses in the Bible that also give a great deal when it comes to devoting oneself to the teaching of the Bible. Read : Joshua 1:8; Psalms 119

2. Fellowship with Fellow Believers.

"No man is an island." If this is the case to all men, I firmly believe that every Christian can not stand alone by himself. Yes, its true that God is there to help us. But it is also true that God uses other people to minister to us in order for Him to accomplish His will.

Fellowshipping means to gather together as one. The focus is on the members of the group. It is a gathering where in ones need is of utmost importance. Edification, encouragement and fanning ones gift is the activity. Everything is done in love.

The broomstick … the bamboo stick … the bon fire.

Today, fellowship is just an activity. It is an end itself. Fellowshipping with fellow believers should result to a stronger Christian. The simple truth is this, tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are!

3. Remember the Message of the Last Supper

They gather and broke bread together. The breaking of bread is an ordinance of the Lord that each of us should do. And doing it means remembering the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus our Lord.

Read 1 Corinthians 11

To break bread means :

· Remembering Jesus’ death on the cross.

- To acknowledge that Jesus had paid the ransom for our sin…His Life.

- To identify oneself to the death of Jesus. That our sin had been crucified with Jesus and that we are now dead when it comes to sinning.

· Remembering Jesus’ resurrection and Second Coming.

- To break bread is a declaration of our faith. We profess that Jesus did resurrected after three days in the tomb even without us seeing it.

- Also, it is promised to us that one day our Lord will come back to bring us where He is now (John 14). We haven’t seen it, yet we believe.