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INTRODUCTION
We are going to spend some time in the Book of Acts and learn, probably relearn about the church.
Study the doctrine of the Church as it is displayed in real life. Why talk about the church now?
Natural to start on the Sunday of the Annual Business Meeting. This is a time of transitions -
reports, elections, budget issues. Deacons are working on second staff pastor. I am working on goals
for the year. Good news - this past year we were blessed with increase in attendance and giving to
budget. There are signs of health, but I am also aware we have some symptoms of some illnesses. It
is appropriate to revisit how to grow a healthy church.
What I want to do in the following weeks is to take each line of our church purpose statement and
look at some specific churches in Acts and ask the question: What does our Purpose Statement look
like if we really do it?
Today, before we look at the specifics, we will take a big picture view of what it means to grow a
healthy church - with a summary verse Acts 9:31.
1. We are a Church
- “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria”
- Luke records the early stages of the Church. 30 AD Jesus ascended to heaven.
Luke writes Acts 30 years later 60-61 AD.
- During those 30 years - Holy Spirit empowers the disciples to spread the gospel.
By the time Luke writes this book a lot had happened to this new thing called
the “church:”
- Paul converted as recent as 5 years after Christ’s ascension
- 1:8 was being fulfilled. Peter focused on Jews, Paul on
Gentiles made 3 really 4 missionary journeys.
- At the end of Acts, Paul is under house arrest.
- By the time Luke writes, several NT books are already written, as many
of 11-15 of 27 books - 3 of 4 gospels, Luke’s own gospel was one
of them. Acts was his second work.
- In the chronology of time by chapter 9, which was only 5-10 years into the life
of the church, Luke steps back and does an evaluation: “How is this new
thing Jesus started, the church doing?”
- Quite well apparently. So far so good. The gospel had already spread through the
entire nation of Israel. The 3 diverse regions of Palestine all had churches:
Judea - center of culture (DSM), Galilee - back hills (NW Iowa), Samaria -
ethnic outsiders (none to mention)
- This thing called the church was advancing against all cultural odds.
- These churches were seen as “the church” - there was unity
in their diversity, though local groups, yet united as one body of Christ.
- Our church is one of countless in the world. We have a common bond of Christ. Do
we appreciate who we are - part of THE church?
- 1 Tim. 3:15, 1 Peter 2:9; - the most important business in town.
- “enjoyed peace”
- In 60 AD a breather from persecution, due to Roman politics against Israel and
Saul’s conversion, they knocked the wind out of persecution for a while.
But it will soon break out again. 10 of 11, disciples will die as martyrs, Paul
within 8 years of Acts written.
- This history of the church is a rollercoaster of peace and persecution.
Persecution is real today around the world, even in America Christianity is
minority culture. Every year it is stepped up.
ILLUS: Fox News Brit Hume on Tiger Woods and Christianity.
- Fact one - we at FBC are part of the great Church or Jesus Christ, living counter
cultural even here in America.
2. We can be a church that Grows
- Internal Growth “being built up” edified, strengthened, maturing
- word indicates progress, moving forward, teaching and instruction.
- Regardless of persecution or peace, or cultural events, the church is surviving
and thriving.
QUOTE: “Where are we today? The church is still being built... it is
not completed...If only we could discover the simplicities that we reach the
sublimities...Half of the things about which we quarrel today are scaffolding,
rather than the building.” (G. Campbell Morgan, 197)
- Hence for us to back to Acts to relearn how to build the church.
- When we are “being built up:” Word is loved and learned and
lived, prayer is awesome and answered, worship is wonderful and majestic, the
body has unity in diversity. A Spirit filled atmosphere of love for one another
and others who need the gospel.
- When “being built up” we are better today than last Sunday.
We practice what we preach. We are maturing. Are we Maturing?
- External Growth “it continued to increase”
- people were being saved, added to the church. It is moving like a snowball - it
gets bigger, gaining power, attracting others.
- Not self-centered, but self-extending. Are we Multiplying?
ILLUS: Our numbers are good, lives changing, plenty more to be saved. Family
last week in a Baptist church plant in Buffalo, MN, two other evangelical
churches in town, but plenty of room, for the gospel. Just like we have two
Baptist churches in Colfax - plenty of need for the gospel in our community.
3. We can be a church that is Healthy
- Reverence for the Lord “and going on in the fear of the Lord”
- “Going” is same word as Great Commission, purposeful
direction, not aimless. We are sent out to do the King’s Business, and we
do so in love for our King, reverence for His will, complete trust in leading.
Pro. 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the
knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”
- Healthy churches have a “God is alive” theology, we communicate a
living God to people. Provide the divine drink to the thirsty souls.
- We trust a trustworthy God to lead us, we want God’s will.
ILLUS: Hire a pastor: “God’s man in God’s time.”
- Reliance on the Holy Spirit “and in the comfort of the H.S.”
- H.S. is the comforter, called along side to help. No way we can be successful by
ourselves. Church is not self-made, but H.S. directed.
- In the midst of the spiritual battles we have a warrior who gives victory. In
our trials we have an encourager who calms. In our defeats of sin we have an
advocate who applies forgiveness.
- The Spirit has to lead for people to be moved, then we must move.
- The Spirit lives in all believers - He is here, do we let Him lead?
- Healthy churches have the Great Physician who makes house calls.
- We are the most important business in town, because this is God’s.
ILLUS: Missionary J. Hudson Taylor: Christians are supernatural people born
again by supernatural birth, kept by supernatural power, sustained on
supernatural food, taught by a supernatural Teacher from a supernatural Book.
(Moving Mountains, 123)
CONCLUSION
Fact one - we are part of the great Church of Jesus Christ.
Fact two - we can grow spiritually and numerically, we can mature and multiply.
Fact three - we can trust a trustworthy God and do His will, and be powerfully lead by His Holy
Spirit who resides in us.
ILLUS: Pastor Jim Cymbala of Brooklyn Tabernacle Church, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire:
“If we are courageous enough to go on the spiritual attack, to be mighty men and women of
prayer and faith, there is no limit to what God can accomplish through us. Some us will turn out
famous… the rest of us will remain obscure...That doesn’t matter. What counts is bringing
God’s power and light into a dark world, seeing local communities touched by God as churches
turn back from perilous apathy to become Holy Spirit centers of divine activity.” (p.182)
God is working. He has for 2000 years. He has worked through FBC Colfax for 125 years. We get a
front row 50 yard line seat to watch God at work here. Our part is to be a church who faithfully
fears the Lord and fully relies on the Holy Spirit. Then watch God build us up and continue to
increase us in 2010. Acts 9:31
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