In this passage, Paul speaks about growing the church. We have looked to verses 11 and 12, where he tells us the essentials of church growth - gifted leadership (v. 11) and committed membership (v. 12).
Then in verse 13, we noted the essence of church growth - unity.
Specifically, a growing church will be unified in belief - they will have their priorities arranged in Biblical order. They will be unified in experience - as they move forward in response to the call of God, they will learn together how to discern God’s voice and follow his
leadership. And they will be unified in attitude and action - they will be like Christ in their attitude and actions - seeing to reach out to people by meeting them where they are.
Now today, we will conclude our consideration of this passage by
looking to verses 14-16, where Paul tells us about the evidences of church growth. Paul mentions three evidences that a church is growing as God would have it to grow. Each of these evidences is a result of the three-fold unity described by Paul in verse 13. A growing church is
evidenced by:
1. God’s people living stable lives - v. 14
As a congregation progresses toward unity in belief, members’ lives will become more and more steadfast and stable. Founded on God’s Word and built by prayer, the people will grow in their understanding of God’s truth and will develop convictions which will keep them from trouble.
Here is where gifted leadership is so important.
A growing church must have a pastor who proclaims, as Paul put it, “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). But not only must the pastor declare God’s Word, the people must do God’s Word (James 1:22).
However, it seems that too many churches today are filled with those who are “always learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). Consequently, too many pastors have taken the approach of the experienced tennis coach.
A tennis professional was giving a lesson to a new student of the game. After watching the student take several swings at the tennis ball, he began to suggest ways in which the strokes might be improved.
But each time a suggestion was made, the student would interrupt with his own version of what was wrong and how to correct it.
After several such interruptions, the "Pro" began to nod his head in agreement. When the lesson ended, a woman who had been watching said to the Pro: “Why did you go along with that arrogant man’s stupid suggestions?” The old “Pro” smilingly replied, “I learned a long time ago that it is a waste of time to try to sell answers to a person who just wants to buy echoes.”
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” - 2 Timothy 4:1-4 (NASB)
Some pastors, to their shame, have made the same decision as the
Tennis Pro. They are preaching echoes to people who just want their ears “tickled” with what they want to hear, rather than offering the
answers people need to hear by preaching God’s truth.
To keep the people from being tossed to and fro by every wind of
doctrine, the pastor must declare the whole counsel of God and the people must do the whole counsel of God! As we do, we will progress toward a unity of belief and our church will be one characterized by God’s people living stable lives.
2. God’s people bearing a loving witness - v. 15
We have said that a growing church will not only be progressing
toward a unity of belief but a unity in experience - becoming more and more familiar with the ways of God - How He leads and how He speaks - so that we might effectively cooperate with God in His redemptive mission.
As we learn to do this, we will, as a congregation, “speak the truth in love” and bear a loving witness to a lost world. This is our primary purpose as a people.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” - 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
Mark it down! If God’s people are truly growing in their appreciation of the ways of God, they will also be growing in the activity of witnessing for God!
Note also that Paul points out that God’s people bearing as loving witness to a lost world is evidence of their living under the Lordship of Christ.
Real Evangelism by Bailey Smith
Shallow Living From The Deeper Life
Surrender Instead of Victory
Some years back, I found myself at a church as one of the speakers for a Spiritual Life Conference. The experience was most educational. It confirmed in my mind all over again the priority of evangelism in making the church well-pleasing to the Lord.
Several of the deacons and the pastor and I were talking after one of the evening services as we stood under a big oak tree. The discussion began to focus on the past ministry of the church. "The church used to really win a lot of people to Christ." "It used to really have a successful Sunday School." "It used to have a large at tendance in the worship services." "It used to really have some exciting and joyful services." "God’s power used to really fall on the services in mighty displays of his presence through a sense of confession, conviction, and urgency about his work." On and on such statements could be heard that night. There was evidence of a genuine longing for things as they use to be.
When the pastor and I got in the car, he said to me, "You know, it’s true that when I first came here the church was much larger in Sunday School attendance. I suppose we are less than half now of what we once were. And it did concern me for awhile, but I thank the Lord he has given me the victory. It doesn’t bother me any more. I have led the church to see the Spirit-filled life and that’s why we just have conferences like this instead of revivals where you have to plan, promote, and go all out. It’s great to have the victory."
In all honesty, when I got back to my motel room, I was sickened to my heart. I got down on my knees beside my bed and prayed something like this, "Lord, if I’m wrong about the place of evangelism, please reveal it to me. I don’t want to be off base. I don’t want to be lopsided, but Lord, I can’t feel right about what I see here this week. Please make me what you want me to be."
Yes, when we learn the ways of the Lord, we will be led to witness for the Lord. And we will do so by “sharing the truth in love.”
“Christians get better results when they approach a lost world
with tears in their eyes rather than with arguments on their lips.”
3. God’s people rendering responsible service - v. 16
We have said that a growing church will not only be progressing
toward a unity of belief and a unity in experience; also in unity in
attitude & action - individually and collectively we come to reflect more and more the servant attitude and actions of Jesus.
Consequently, a growing church will be made up of people who are ready and willing to do their part to see their church grow to the glory of God by helping others connect to Christ. Notice that the church “grows and builds itself up in love” only as “each part does its work.”
Bro. Truman Maxie, who for many years was head of the child care department in Oklahoma, tells the story of how a ditch was dug on one occasion at the Boy’s Ranch Town.
Clifford Plummer, then the assistant superintendent of Boy’s Ranch Town, got all the boys to help in the digging of the ditch that was needed from the new water tower to the main building. To make sure that each boy was asked only to dig what would be fair, he had them all lay down on the line where the ditch was to be dug and marked off the length of each boy. They were then asked to dig a portion of the ditch that was as long as they were tall.
In the same way, God doesn’t call us to do more than we can, just to do what we can; and as we each do our part, the work God wants us as a church to do, will be done.
Conclusion: Am I doing my part to help my church grow to the glory of God? We must not be content with only identifying problems; we commit ourselves to being part of the solution!
A boy who had lost an arm in a terrible accident came to VBS one day. At the end of the day, in order to fill in the time, the teacher absently mindedly decided to lead the kids through the “here’s the church, here’s the steeple, open the doors and see all the people” game. To her relief, however, a little girls approach the one armed boy and said, Here, let’s you and me build the church together.”
Folks, let’s build our church together!
