PREACHED: OL,
"GETTING
SERIOUS ABOUT CHURCH GROWTH"
INTRODUCTION:
j EPH 2:19-22. “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens
with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of
the apostles and the prophets, Christ Jesus, himself, being the cornerstone, in
whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in
the Lord. In him you are being built together into a dwelling place for God by
the Spirit.”
A. GREEK: “Grow” – auxei - More lit. “…is
growing…”
1.
"…ongoing or continuing
to increase..."
k Though Paul’s picture of the church is
that of a building or temple, THE CHURCH IS NOT A STRUCTURE OF BRICK AND
MORTAR…
A. An organism, not an organization:
1.
B. As
an organism, we understand that growth is the natural process of a health body.
1. Eph 4:15. "…we are to grow up in every way into Him who is head, into
Christ..."
C. But we also recognize that when we cease
to grow, we
begin to die!
1. Rev 3:2. “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and
strengthen what remains and is about to die.”
l CHURCHES
LIKE INDIVIDUALS DON’T DIE OVERNIGHT:
A. "From all outward indications, he was
doing fine and all of a sudden, he dropped dead!"
1. Fact
of the matter is, that except for some unusual situations, he was probably
"dropping" a long time, but no one could see it.
a. Something was happening on the inside!
m OFTEN, PARTIAL OR COMPLETE PARALYSIS
WILL
PRECEDE
DEATH:
A. A Short-circuit—a disconnection from the
head!
1.
B. Proper
function dictated by the head!
1. In
other words, God causes the church to grow and function as it obediently
responds to what Jesus, the head of the church, directs!
C.
The result of paralysis is a
loss of muscle power.
1. But the paralysis is the symptom not the
disease.
2.
Doctors realize that sometimes
you treat the symptoms, but eventually, you have to deal with the disease
itself!
n BUT WHAT MAKES A CHURCH GROW?
A. MANY
IDEAS:
1. Leadership...
Pulpit...
Bible school...
Outreach...
Giving...
Attitude...
a. Leadership
cannot lead where people will not follow!
b. The
Pulpit can and should reprove, rebuke and exhort, but it can’t force!
c. Even
the best Bible school cannot function without a hunger for the Word that
motivates folks to attend!
d.
Giving money
won’t last long or consistently without first giving self!
e. Attitude
cannot be artificially produced. It is a
by-product of commitment!
1) Proper
attitude is more than just a word. It begins with the individual.
a) Eph 4:16. "…builds itself up in
love…”
o BUT LET'S GET BACK TO THE
QUESTION! "WHEN DOES THE
CHURCH
GROW?!"
DISCUSSION:
u
THE CHURCH GROWS ONLY WHERE THERE
IS GENUINE SERVANT LEADERSHIP!!
A. Listen to Jesus describing the genuine
shepherd:
1. John 10:3-5. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the
door but
climbs in by
another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is
the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The Sheep hear his
voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has
brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for
they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from
him, for they do not know the voice of strangers…” V 11. “…The good
shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…”
a. Lead
out! Speak up! Go before!
Know
the sheep! Know the Father! Pay the price!
B. It's just like a physical family:
1. Prov 22:6; Eph 6:4
a.
Children are
largely what their parents make
them, and a congregation is often the
reflection of the strengths/weaknesses of
her
leaders!
C. If the church is to grow, leaders must be
thermostats
not
thermometers!
1. Thermostats set the climate; thermometers
merely
reflect it!!
2. Prov 26:4. “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him
yourself.”
a. The
application? "Don't give in to the griping of unspiritual people or
your
compromise will make
you just like them!"
3. Prov 26:5. "Answer
a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes..."
a. The
application? "Don't let your
silence
or passive approval of foolish ideas cause
the author of them to
appear to have the
right
answers!"
v THE
CHURCH GROWS ONLY WHERE THERE IS GENUINE SERVANT FOLLOWSHIP!!
A. Begins
with following Jesus not men! Men will
disappoint you, but Jesus never will!!
B. DR. BILL HUMBLE: "We
need more spontaneous work.
An attitude that says, 'It needed
done---and I did it.'"
C. DICK MARCEAR wrote an article entitled,
"What Does
It Take To Baptize 1001 In One
Year?"
1. He
told the story of a large denominational church in
a. The
preacher there, was asked what the secret to their
phenomenal growth was and here's what he said:
1) "Followship, not fellowship,
but follow-
ship! Never in my life have I known a
church more willing to follow than this
one. If the people are asked to fill the
choir, the choir is filled. If they are
asked to bring the lost to services, they
bring the lost to services. If they are
asked to give $100,000, they give $103,000.
If they are asked to serve, there will be more volunteers than can be
used. If a committee is asked to help support an
emphasis, they support it whether they are caught up in the vision or not. Our church is largely what it is because of FOLLOWship."
D. Leadership
must make sure the membership is trained and prepared for service!
1. Eph 4:11-12. “he (Jesus) gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists,
the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints to the work of ministry.”
a. BUT
members must have the spirit to servant followers
before they are trainable!
F. But let's get really practical:
1. Each member must follow the Master in
concern
for
people—their hurts, joys and salvation!
a. You can't form a "concern
ministry."
2. When
we assemble each person comes mentally prepared to worship and participate,
with a heart filled with genuine anticipation and enthusiasm!
a. Ps 33:1. "Shout for joy in the Lord, O you
righteous; Praise befits the upright."
1.
Each member
must possess an appetite for
righteousness and spiritual growth!
a. Matt 5:6; Ps 119:131. “I will open my mouth and pant, because I
long for you commandments…” 1Pet 2:2. "Like
newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up
to salvation,"
1) You don't force a man dying of thirst
to drink!
You don't
force a hungry man to eat from
a full table!
You don’t
force a hungry
baby
to take a bottle...they crave that milk!
4. Each member must exercise his talents and
abilities!
a. 1Cor
1) Do
you consider your Christianity to be like a race or a fight?
What
kind of regimen do you have for spiritual training?
What
kind of spiritual condition are you in?
Do
you have it together...are you self-controlled?
Are you committed to go through
the pain that
you
might know the exhilaration of the gain?
Do
you really believe that heaven is worth any sacrifice?
CONCLUSION:
BETHREN, LET'S....Do
more than just move...IMPROVE!
A.
Let's forget
about what we get and concentrate on what we can GIVE!
Let's do more than regret...REPENT!
Let's do more than just look...SEE!
Let's do more than just sympathize...HELP!
1. Maybe we need to do more than just add a can of "Gum Out!"—OVERHAUL!