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!
III. THEY HAD GREAT POWER
The power at Pentecost was the same used at creation, to
divide the Red Sea, to keep Daniel safe in the lions’ den, and to
rescue the three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace. This
was also the same power that turned the water to wine, healed multitudes, fed the five thousand, gave sight to the blind man and raised Lazarus from the dead.
This great power is available to every Christian who will seek God
and pay the price. Notice this power depends on certain things.
It is dependent upon…
a clean life. God will not fill a dirty
vessel with His Holy Spirit power. We must be clean. It depends
on consistent walking. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and
forever. The fly-by-night, blow-hot-blow-cold, in-and-out kind
of Christianity does not know the power of God.
Then, great power depends on continual asking. Great power comes thru great prayer. Will you pray for me, for your church, and for it’s members every day?
Jesus said, 11“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?"
12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13).
Consider David…God used him greatly for good reasons:
14But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’S command.” (I Sam. 13:14).
His motives were pure, his life was clean, and he was ready to go
where the Lord led.
David also was wise. He was wise enough to wait
until the proper time to claim the throne. His experience of
victory over the bear and the lion, as well as over Goliath,
expresses a note of wisdom.
David had working hands. Notice that out of eight boys, he was the one working. This is an indication that he was more suited to be king. When the Lord recruits His workers, surely
these areas of the heart, the head and the hands are of major importance. Do this: allow preaching to speak to your head, your heart, and your hands! God is looking for a clean heart, a clear head and calloused hands. Let the Word of God put you into the Work of God by prompting you to action!
The story is told of a rich farmer in Greece who was about to die. He told both of his sons that he had buried his treasures in the fields. Before he could tell which field, he passed away.
The boys began to dig and turn the soil. For weeks they worked, seeking treasures. At last and near exhaustion, they realized that planting time was upon them. Since they had literally plowed the fields with their digging, they agreed to plant and wait until after the harvest to dig again.
The fruit yield came forth, in great abundance, because of the deep turning of the soil. It was then that they awoke to the wisdom of their father. He had inspired them to work and labor in the fields, and they had found a great treasure of wealth.
John 4:35
35Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
The story is told of a huge barge loaded with brick and rock
that sank in a New York harbor. Over a long period of years, it
had mired deep in the mud, sinking a little more each year from
weight. The engineers, attempting to build a large bridge across
the body of water, were hindered by this barge because it was
necessary to plant a foundation in that very spot. All their
efforts and machinery could not do the job.
Finally, a young engineer came up with an idea, and they
gave it a try. Several big barges were chained together and
floated into the area at low tide. Several chains were hooked to
the sunken barge, and then they backed off to wait. As the tide
began to rise, there was a creaking, groaning and stretching of
chains. Soon the barge broke loose and was lifted out of its
place and floated away. The power of the Atlantic Ocean had been
used to raise the barge.
Surely there is an example here for us. When all efforts of
human wisdom fail, God’s mighty power can do the job!
Great power comes thru prayer, but not prayer only. We must put “feet” to our prayers!
Ill.—I used to pray “God, use me.” Now I pray, “God, make me usable!”
And He only puts His mighty hand into a clean glove…He uses willing hearts, wise heads, and clean, consistent, working hands!
