What Makes A Church Great? Part 2 Series

What Makes a Church Great? Part 2

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.

1.THEY HAD A GREAT PURPOSE

2.THEY HAD GREAT PREACHING

3.THEY HAD GREAT POWER

One common theme that goes through the whole Church is Attitude!

Attitudes are contagious, the question is : Is yours worth catching.

I have managed to change the attitude and atmosphere as well in less than 3 hours in the past weeks. We have gone from happy to solemn, How you might ask by showing an attitude of solemnest and you caught it. We can make a difference in the life of others and the life of the Church by how we act (our attitudes).

Wee need to look at our attitude and see if it needs improvement!

Ephesians 4:23-24

23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Philippians 2:4-5

4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

IV. THEY HAD GREAT PERSECUTION

It is sad that those who do the work of God upon the earth

are persecuted, but this is history. Christians have always been

persecuted. Jesus said to His disciples,

(33“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”John 16:33).

The Apostle Paul promised,

12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; (II Tim. 2:12).

These early Christians went through deep waters, and eleven of the twelve apostles were killed in a violent way. When people really go all out to please God, there will be criticism and threatening, as there was in the early New Testament church.

And the blood of millions of Christian martyr’s was shed, and continues to be today…this concept may soon come to a country near you!

And today, tho’ Christ doesn’t ask us to die for Him, He does ask us to live for Him, which still involves paying a price of persecution.

2 Tim. 3:12

12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

If you aren’t being booed at all…you’re not in the game!

V. THEY HAD GREAT PEOPLE

The people in this early Christian group were those willing

to give up their very life’s work. Peter left his nets and

followed Jesus. James and John were willing to forsake their

fishing business and become fishers of men. These folk were

willing to give up their wealth. Barnabas sold his house and

laid his money at the offering table to be used for the work of

God. They were willing to give up their very life. Stephen was

willing to lay down his life in the street and give up his soul

unto the Lord.

What a blessing to look out over the congregation of people

at our church and see those who have been willing to do these

very same things to further the cause of Christ. It takes great

people to make a great church. So many sacrifice every week, day after day, to see God’s church here succeed! We’re blessed w/ a faithful people that make every effort to come out to every service…thank you! We have a great message, a great mission, and great members.

A church is people, not a building. We have a great people, and that makes up a great church!

VI. THEY HAD GREAT PRAISE

46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46,47).

As miracles took place, such as the healing of the blind man at the gate of the beautiful Temple, all of the people joined him in praising God. David must have caught the spirit of this when he wrote Psalm 107. Five times he cried out in that Psalm, "Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"

There ought to be great praise for God, for the Gospel, and forHis goodness. How good God is! But the world is bad. So there ought to be great praise for His grace to get us thru this world.

One shabby little old lady with gray hair listened to the testimonies of people in the church about the goodness of God.