Is It Time To Build?

Text: Luke 5:1-7 Title: Is It Time To Build? October 27, 2002

Illustration: Church Building experts say that its time to build when you’re church has reached 80% of your max capacity. They also say that if you don’t build, you may reach 100%, but statistics prove that you will begin to lose members and the overall number will diminish. Currently, we have 14 twelve foot pews and 1 five and 1 six foot pew. At 5 people per pew we are able to seat comfortably 70 people, squeeze an extra 5 people in with the 2 pews in the back, our max seating capacity is now 75 people. Now, 80% of 75 is 60 persons. Currently we average around 70 people in a given month, but when everyone is here, we have over 80 not counting 1st time visitors. So the question I want to ask you this morning is this: Is it time to build?

I.What About Our Current Building, Isn’t It Good Enough?

A.Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

B.Notice here that Jesus said that He was going to build His Church on the principle that He was the Christ the Son of the Living God! You see, Church, I thank God for the work that was put into this Church building that we currently enjoy! I’ve preached in a lot church structures where the roof leaked all the time; the carpet had holes and tears all in them. I’ve sit in the ole pine slat pews that are nowhere near as comfortable as what we have now. However, folks, what you must understand is that Jesus didn’t say He was going to quit building His Church after this First Assembly of God church building here at Stratford was erected. He said, “I will (Future Tense) build!” Glory to God!

C.You see, its His Church, and as long as He’s the Boss, He will keep building and adding on! People will keep getting saved! People will keep getting baptized in the Holy Ghost! New Christians will get baptized in water, and the Church of Jesus Christ here at Stratford First Assembly of God will keep growing and this building will not be able to contain the harvest God is going to give us!

II.Jesus Desires For This Church To Grow! How do you know Bobby? Well lets break down Luke chapter 5, because I believe Jesus shares with us from His heart here and that He is wanting you and I to “Catch the Vision” for Church growth and letting Him build His church using you and I.

A.First of all in V. 1 the Word tells us, “the people were pressing in close to Jesus to hear the Word of God.” You see folks; we’ve got to preach the Word of God here! People are hungry for “All the Gospel.” They don’t want to hear a bunch of man-made rules and regulations, but they want to hear the GOOD NEWS! And when we preach the Word of God, people will press in and be set free from sin and God will save them! God will fill them! God will change them! God will set them free!And this Church will grow!

B.V. 2 tells us that some of the fishermen had left their boats and were washing their nets. This allowed a divine access for Jesus and Peter, James, and John. You see, I believe it was set up that way for a reason, and Jesus wanted to show us that sometimes people are going to have to get out of the way so Jesus can take control of the boat! Glory to God! I’m here to tell you that if you want Jesus to be Lord in your life, you must first let Him in your boat! Let Him have control!

i.This goes for Church growth! This goes for Building Programs! This goes for everything! He must have complete control of the process! Don’t leave Him out!

ii.You see, some people had to step out of the way so that Jesus could have their boat. They were washing their nets. They were probably tired. They had probably been fishing all day and hadn’t caught anything, so they turned the boat over to Jesus. The point is, “They didn’t object to Jesus using the boat.”

iii.You see folks, why is important that everyone be behind this building program? Why is important for everyone to catch the vision for Church growth? Why is important for everyone to let Jesus build His Church? Because there’s multitudes of families and children who are hurting and need Jesus! Multitudes of drug attics and alcoholics! Multitudes of sinners and people without God who are waiting for somebody to be obedient to the Word of God and lower their Gospel net, bringing them safe into the presence of Jesus.