The Growth and Health of a Living Church
Study Text: Revelation 3:1-6
Introduction:
- The situation with the Church at Sardis, is the true picture of what can happen to a Church when they forget where they have come from, where they are going, and what their purpose as a Church is.
- The church at Sardis had a reputation for being alive, but they were as good as dead. While some members were walking with the Lord, many others had ceased to function properly.
- A living Church is the one that is healthy and that is growing. People receive the word of God and live by it, they are united in love and manifesting the love of Christ to the dying world, they are committed to the service of the Kingdom without personal gains and are preparing for the return of the Lord.
- Growing a healthy Church requires a vision. Successful Churches are those that follow a God-given vision and mission, define the steps to get there and implement their strategic plan in order to fulfill God's purpose as His Church.
- Church growth is not about competing with other ministry or local Church, but more about developing the people God has planted in the local Church to be used by God with their unique gifts.
- People are called to Churches for a specific purpose. We are all on a journey and the Church helps us develop as Christians and supports our unique calling.
- We shall be discussing the topic under three subheadings:
1. The Principles for a Growing and Living Church
2. The Participation in a Growing and Living Church
3. The Pointers to a Growing and Living Church
1. The Principles for a Growing and Living Church
- The following principles and practices will greatly enhance the growth and the health of a living Church, although the list is not exhaustive:
1. Having a Prayerfully Developed Vision and Mission for the Church.
- Having a well-defined vision, mission and values statement sets the direction for the Church.
- The Church in addition, should prayerfully develop strategic plan to map out the steps to get there mission accomplished and the vision to be achieved.
- People are drawn to a compelling mission and vision and get fulfilled in a Church that is progressively making a difference.
2. Making Provisions for a Comfortable Environment
- People are naturally drawn to an environment that is conducive and comfortable. Not in terms of being extravagant, but providing an environment that is peaceful, clean and orderly is important.
- Paying attention to things like clean restrooms, clean glass surfaces, walls and floor can go a long way in creating a comfortable atmosphere for members and guests.
3. Demonstrating a Welcoming Attitude and Culture
- People must be made to feel that they are welcome and appreciated at each appearance in Church.
- Encouraging people to improve on their performance is a better approach than complaining about their performance.
- It is a good idea for all Church visitors to be recognized and specially welcome, but they must not to be overwhelmed with embarrassing attention.
4. Having Provisions for Welfare and Passionate Care for Church Members
- Church members must be cared for. Understanding their unique needs and ensuring their needs are met within the scope of the vision, and within the capacity of the Church is critical to Church growth.
- Sometimes, there are people who make unreasonable demands for things that are beyond the capability of the Church at a particular time. This can be a difficult situation to deal with.
- Some people are unreasonable and the Church must not struggle to keep them by all means if they are unwilling to continue in fellowship, but to just let them move on.
5. Providing Opportunities for Participation and Service
- This will encourage the members to feel belong and wanted in the local Church, and will also assist in the spiritual development and maturity of the members.
- Opportunities to serve offer members the chance to develop and use their gifts in the service of God and for the blessings of the people.
- A well defined strategic plan can help identify the kinds of service opportunities that support the vision of the church, and how the members can be involved.
6. Demonstrating Accountability and Proper Management of Church Resources
- There need to be good oversight and management of the money coming in into the Church. God provides financial resources to churches and there is responsibility that comes with managing those resources.
- Churches that are good stewards of ministry funds, and are diligent with their budgeting processes, are better prepared financially for the needs of expanding facilities, updating equipment, and other necessities to operate a church.
- Being a good steward of ministry funds with integrity and accountability is an important responsibility of the call, and one of the attributes of a faithful Church worker.
7. Serving the Lord and Discharging all responsibilities with gladness.
- Whatever the responsibility you have either as a member, worker or minister, do it with gladness. The service to the Lord should be enjoyable, fulfilling and balanced, without ulterior motives or personal gains.
2. The Participation in a Growing and Living Church
- The goal of any Christian should never be to find a church you like and sit in the back row. The goal should be to fully engage the mission and participate in the service of God.
- Engaged people are passionate people. They know what the mission is, they serve in it, and they live it out. They are passionate enough about it to invite their friends and other people to be part of the Church.
- It is true that only God can bring growth in the Church, but He uses people who are engaged to do it. Some of the practices that can enhance engagement and active participation in the Church are:
1. Encouraging People to Serve
- People who serve in the mission are people who are engaged in the mission. Every member must encourage the other to serve faithfully in one area or the other.
- Sitting in the back row and not engaging the mission makes you a permanent visitor in the Church, and should be seen as a bit of a selfish approach to Church for a long term member.
2. Providing a Clear Path for Involvement
- The challenge for many people who participate in a congregation is that they do not know what to do to get involved.
- The clearer and simpler the path toward engagement and participation is, the more the people that will be involved in it. There has to be a regular call on the available responsibilities, units and subgroups and request for service.
3. Focusing on Programs that will Accomplish the Church Mission.
- It is what people are involved in that will become the mission. So if there are lots of programs not related to the mission of the Church, there will be problem in focusing people on what they actually should do.
- If the people are to be passionate about the central mission of the church, then, programs that directly advances the central mission should be focused upon.
4. Discouraging Long term Disengagement by Members
- When people are not expected to do more than attending the Church, then, all they will do is to attend the Church.
- Disengagement can be discouraged through words, calls to action on a regular basis and in all communications where people are expected to serve, join a group, bring a friend and give generously.
- It should be made clear that the goal of the Christian faith is not to know something, but to do something with what you know.
- If there is continuous talk about how to get involved and join the mission, providing clear action steps and opportunities to do so, eventually more people will engage for active participation.
5. Reporting and Celebrating the Progress
- Increased engagement and participation should be reported and celebrated whenever it is recorded. This will encourage sustainability and more participation.
- Sometimes Church leaders are great at asking but not at reporting back afterward.
3. The Pointers to a Growing and Living Church
- The experience of the early Church is to serve as a model for the growth and the health of a living Church. Acts 2: 41-47.
- These verses reveal certain marks that can identify whether a Church is a living church or a dying church. Some of the qualities that indicate that a Church is living are:
1. Their Faithfulness in Works
- These early Christians were a people after God, living a life well pleasing unto God, and their reality is plainly seen in the things that marked their Christian life. They were faithfully committed to the following:
a. The Truth
- These people were doctrinally sound. They upheld the truths they had been taught and they did not waiver from them.
- One trait of the godly, growing congregation is their strict adherence to the truths of the Scriptures. God's Word is forever settled in Heaven, Psalms 119:89, and therefore it should be forever settled in our hearts and practice.
- The Bible is to be the sole standard for everything the Church does. Anything less is heresy and is an abomination to the Lord. John 17:17.
b. The Fellowship
- The Bible says they continued "in fellowship." These were people from many varying backgrounds. Yet in Christ, they are made one.
- This is one trademark of God's Church. When He is in control, there will be love and acceptance of everyone who comes to the Church.
- This is not to say that the Church should condone everything everyone does, but we should love the individual simply because Jesus loves him.
- While there is love for the sinner, there will also be love for the saint, too. The true Church is marked by a close, loving fellowship - 1 John 3:14.
c. The Breaking of Bread
- These early Christians also found common ground in the breaking of bread. They were quick to remember and to commemorate God's great blessings on their lives.
- When these people gathered for communion service, they did so in a way and manner directed by the word of God and for the purpose with which it was commanded.
2. Their Faithfulness in Prayers
- Another trait that marked these early believers was prayer. They possessed an active prayer life. James 5:13-16
- To them, prayer was more than just a ritual or some habit they were supposed to indulge one in a while. Prayer was their lifeline.
- It was their link with the Heavenly Father and the means whereby He communicated with them.
- In the modern church, prayer has, too often, become neglected. People don't place as high a priority on prayer as they place on other things.
- Churches are better organized, more prosperous and better educated than they have ever been. Yet, at the same time, the modern church is weaker than she has ever been, just because Christians simply do not pray as they should.
1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 12:12; Colossians 4:2
3. Their Faithfulness in Giving
- They freely gave to meet the needs of others in their Christian family. The true church does this not out of compulsion, nor of Law. The church does this because it is what God wants us to do.
- The hand cares for the foot, the eye for the ear and the entire body profits from the love displayed among the various members.
- The world will forget our messages, our revival service, even our names and faces, but they will never forget the genuine display of the love of Christ when it dwells in our lives. John 13:35
4. Their Faithfulness in Witnessing
- They were faithful and committed to reaching the lost and the dying world with the gospel of life, as commanded by the Lord. Matthew 28: 18-20.
- The people outside this congregation sat up and took notice of this group of saints. This is because the Church was still pure and they were on fire for the Lord.
- God was working in their midst and the community could not deny that Jesus was there in power. When the community sees God doing in us that which can only be done by God, then they will take notice of the Church.
5. Their Faithfulness in Praising God
- Another trait that marked these early believers was a heartfelt praises unto God continually. They possessed an active praise life.
- We are encouraged by the word of God to render sacrifice of praise continually to God. Hebrews 13:15
- This, we should be committed to, not only as the congregation, but as individual believer and family, and this is not subject to the situations in our lives. 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
