FIVE SURE FIRE WAYS TO GROW A CHURCH
ACTS: 1-4; 1 COR 2 DR. MICHAEL POPE
BLUF: first and foremost about growing a church is, you have to want to grow. If you don’t want to grow you won’t make plans to grow….if you don’t make plans to grow, you won’t. YOU MUST BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT GROWING BOTH SPIRITUALLY AND NUMERICALLY.
I. CHURCH MUST GROW SPIRITUALLY
1. 1 COR 2:1-5; A WORSHIP SERVICE THAT IS CHRIST CENTERED
A. WORSHIP THAT IS LIFE CHANGING (You don’t come to church to worship, you bring your worship to church)
B. 2 TIM 4:1-4 BIBLICALLY SPEAKING
C. EPH 5:18: SPIRIT LED -
2. 1 COR 1:10-11; A UNIFIED SPIRIT AMONG THE BRETHREN THAT IS COOPERATIVE IN NATURE – PERFECTLY JOINED TOGETHER.
JN 13:34-35 (Love One Another (CMD) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35- By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one toward another.”
TWO DESTRUCTIVE ACTIONS WERE CAUSING DISHARMONY IN CORINTH
A. vs 11 PETTY DIFFERENCES
B. vs 20 PRIDEFUL DISAGREEMENTS
Paul Wanted Them to Have - Harmony:
ACTS 1:14; 2:1; 2:46; 4:24; 5:12; PHIL 2:2 (ONE ACCORD; this phrase used 17 times throughout the bible)
Acts: 1:14 “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication…”
2:1 “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”
2:46 “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as were being saved.”
Phil 2:2 “fulfill ye my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
3. ACTS 4:32-35 ESTABLISH MINISTRIES IN THE COMMUNITY
A common complaint today from non-believers concerning churches is hypocrisy. You’ve heard them also. Not hypo necessarily about what lifestyle someone lives, but mostly concerning a lack of ministries.
IS THE CHURCH THERE FOR THOSE HURTING, THE HOPELESS, THE DOWNCAST?
A. TAKE CARE OF THE CHURCH FAMILY (you build up here, in order to go out there)
B. TAKE CARE OF THE COMMUNITY FAMILY
4. GIVING TO CHRIST AND HIS WORK
A. TIME – JN 12:25-26 “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for life eternal.” If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” (serving the Lord should be a part of your weekly planning)
B. TALENTS(Gifts of the Spirit) – MT 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
C. TITHE - MAL 3:10 “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in My house…”
Adrian Rogers SAID: “THE MOST SENSITIVE NERVE IN THE HUMAN BODY IS THE ONE THAT RUNS FROM THE HEART TO THE WALLET.”
Haggai 1:4-9 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your paneled houses, and this house lie waste? 5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. 6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. 7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord. 9 Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
II. MUST GROW NUMERICALLY:
5. ACTS 4:23-31 A SOUL WINNING CONGREGATION (they asked for boldness)
NEED THREE BASIC DISCIPLINES TO BE A SOUL WINNER:
A. 24 - PRAYER: LUKE 10:2 “…The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
B. 31 - HOLY SPIRIT POWER
C. 31 - PERSISTENCE: PV 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who winneth souls is wise”.
