Marks Of A Conquering Church

MARKS OF A CONQUERING CHURCH

Text: John 14:16-17; Acts 1:1-5

Introduction: *A Complacent Church

*A Complaining Church

*A Conquering Church

Which one could be the most productive for the Kingdom?

Which one the most pleasing to its founder?

Theme: The Church has a God-ordained mission to save sinners and

to develop the saints.

I. What To Conquer?

A. Destructive, Debilitating Attacks of the Enemy

B. Personal and Collective Counter-Productive Attitudes of

1. complancency

2. abnormal allegiances to past glory days

3. demanding of subscription to personal agendas

C. Tendencies to NOT diligently, earnestly, and continually

seek God’s direction & will for the local church

II. Conquering Church Should Consider:

A. She stays together in difficult times.

B. She seeks God in the lonely hours.

C. She testifies of God’s love and power during trying circumstances.

III. Stays Together In Difficult Times

A. (Acts 1:12 KJV) Then returned they unto Jerusalem...

1. Edgar A Guest, "When troubles come and come

they must--In God a man must put his trust."

2. Working through is harder than walking out.

B. A conscious choice/mindset must be made for conquering.

1. i.e., Gideon’s Army at the Well of Hyrod (Jd. 7:1) (probably

at the foot of Mt. Gilboa ) to fight the Midianites

2. i.e., Washington’s Army at Valley Forge-Schuylkill River

3. i.e., Israeli Army during the Six Day War w/Egypt in 1967

C. Cooperating w/The Lord the local church must DEVELOP A

UNIFIED VICTORIOUS ATTITUDE.

1. Superior Attitude

2. Superior Resources

a. power from God

b. position of God (He is on our side.)

c. miraculous workings of God

IV. Seeks God In The Lonely Hours

A. (Acts 1:13 KJV) And when they were come in, they went up into

an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John,

and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew,

James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas

[the brother] of James.

B. (Acts 1:14 KJV) These all continued with one accord in prayer

and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus,

and with his brethren.

C. We are no better than Jesus to endure times of loneliness

and seclusion.

1. required by most achievers/producers (i.e.,art, leadership, literature)

2. Voice and will of God can be more clearly perceived.

a. i.e., Crowd hear thunder on Sinai, but Moses heard

the voice of God.

b. i.e., On the Damascus Rd. -

light seen by the people,

but Saul heard the voice of God.

D. The Upper Room folk were as one person.

1. seeking God

2. obedient to Jesus’ command

3. focused, determined, and away from the crowd (Ps.46:10)

V. Under Trying Circumstances Testifies Of God.

A. (Acts 2:15 KJV) "For these are not drunken, as ye suppose,

seeing it is [but] the third hour of the day."

B. Positive statements of victorious reinforcement:

1. I know whom I have believed.

2. Our God will fight for us.

3. I will fear no evil for thou art with me.

4. Lord will strengthen, help, uphold.

5. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

Conclusion: We are the church and must remain

*dedicated servants of God

*as vital servants in the Kingdom of God

*servants of integrity in the Kingdom of God

*together in difficult times

*seekers of God in the lonely hours

*to testify that God is with us during trying circumstances

The conquering church, empowered by the Almighty Lord,

will send its enemies fleeing and limping in retreat!