Memorise:
Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved-Acts 2:47
Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved-Acts 2:47
Read:
Acts 4:32-33
Acts 4:32-33
32 And the multitude
of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said
any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but
they had all things common.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
Message:
God is interested in
the growth of His church, be it local, national or global; whatever the
denominational label. Growth comes as a result of the mercy of God
connected with the pastors and ministers developing the mind of Christ.
Growth comes to those who allow themselves to be filled more and more
with the love of God and who are not willing to let anybody perish. The
church of Christ is not a place, a building or an organisation. The
church is a living organism. God’s plan for His church is growth -
biblical growth. God is not interested in fishing without catching (Luke
5:4-11), lost sheep that are not brought back into the fold (Matthew
18:11-14), a lost coin not sought for (Luke 15:8-10) or of ripe harvest
not reaped (Matthew 9:36-38).
Ministers of the
gospel sometimes lament that their churches do not grow. They present
inabilities, weaknesses and shortcomings as reasons for lack of growth
in their local churches. For example, many complain of lack of
education. This is not tenable. God can use the unlearned for His work
as seen in Acts 4:13:
“Now when they saw the
boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and
ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they
had been with Jesus.”
What matters to God is
sweet fellowship with Him. Some complain that they lack communication
skills. This is also not acceptable because God can put His word in your
mouth (Exodus 4:10-12). Another complaint is lack of experience. The
scripture confirms that God sometimes commissions inexperienced children
(Jeremiah 1:4-10). Some complain of lack of equipment and resources as
reasons their churches are not growing. To such people I will say, “Let
God get hold of you”. When God gets hold of you, materials and money are
not problems to Him. God can do much with little. He can do everything
with nothing. Some complain of lack of support and encouragement. This
could be true, but God’s love and His promises are enough support for
your church to grow. God wants your church to grow. He gives growth. A
growing church should however resemble the New Testament church. It
should be one whose membership and work are opened only to those who are
saved. A growing church should be one that continues steadfastly in
fellowship, study and prayer. Each believer amongst them should grow and
become strong in the Lord. The church that will grow must be a studying
church, a sharing church and a praying church with manifestations of
signs, wonders and miracles, just like the early church.
Action Point:
Pray to God and trust Him for growth in your church.
Pray to God and trust Him for growth in your church.
Author: Pastor E.A Adeboye
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