Growing the Church

I want to take a moment and be honest about how I have been feeling lately.

This stems from what I have been reading to get this message ready for you today.

We make jokes here like, “you don’t have to be crazy to worship here, but it helps.”

Then we have our motto or message that we stand on as a church.

To reach, to teach, and to serve.

We welcome everyone with open arms, and have created an atmosphere of learning and serving.

We prioritize the community, and we have seen the changes here.

I have had to remind myself that church growth is not just about the numbers, it is about transforming lives and making a difference in the world around us.

I see the way the world is and I see the signs and prophecies coming to pass. Things that have been told 1000 upon 1000 of years before today.

And then my heart breaks.

I see in the things we are about to read, where the church grew, 1000s at a time. Whole cities were transformed.

Then I look out at the world around me, and I see a state of despair.

I see the church population shrinking, when it should be growing beyond what churches can hold.

I look and I see false teachers, and they reach those who are desperate, but they do not give them what they need, the name of Jesus and the word we have been given. So they stay desperate.

They teach them that it is all about self. When the bible states it is about humility and selflessness.

My heart breaks. I see people here at NEC, standing up, catching fire for the lost, but I also see the tiredness and the empty seats.

I think about those who have come and left. I look into the mirror and ask the Lord to use me and I look at my bible to see how I can be a better pastor.

I pray to remove me and use me at the same time. The more I do that, the more I feel lost and discouraged.

I am sorry. This seems like I am being very selfish with my feelings.

I just wanted you to know how this message affected me, and how my heart is breaking over the state of things around us.

It is my prayer today, that this message affects you the same way.

Let’s go into prayer and start this message.

Today, as we walk where Peter walked, we will see the things the church must do to grow, spiritually and physically.

So let’s start with our first point for today

The Church Must...

Understand Salvation

Let me give you a little background where we are at in Acts 8.

The apostles in Jerusalem hear that the Samaritans have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, but they have not received the power of the Holy Spirit as of yet.

These are the same Samaritans that Jesus encountered with the woman at the well.

These are the same Samaritans that hated the Jews and the Jews hated them.

These are the same Samaritans that would catapult dead pigs into the Jewish temple.

Now they are having church and they knew who Jesus was, but they did not understand the power of the Holy Spirit, so Peter and John is sent to them to help with their full understanding the Holy Spirit and salvation.

Here is a map of where Peter and John are.

The verses we need to look at today is a verse that actually scares me, because so many false prophets are manipulating the people, and this shows the reasoning behind it.

Acts 8:18–24 CSB

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God. Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven. For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.” “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

How many false teachers say, “Sow a seed of $1000 dollars and you will receive blessing upon blessings. And you will get my new book too.”

Let set a caveat here, the bible does say to test God with your tithe and see he will open the flood gate of heaven, but what these false teachers are doing is saying...you can receive the power if you give.

And people are easily deceived because they do not truly understand salvation.

Salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ and repentance.

After that, we receive a measure of the Holy Spirit.

Faith in Jesus comes when you realize it is through Him and Him alone that you get access to the kingdom of heaven.

I am sorry grandma or grandpa can not pray you into heaven or out of hell. You can not pray to a saint and get the desired results.

You can not pray to some guy here on earth and get out of purgatory...mainly because purgatory does not exist. It is no where in the bible.

It is faith in Christ alone.

Notice that second part is repentance.

Repentance is not saying sorry. It is turning away from that sin and putting your full obedience in Christ and His commands.

Will we always get it right...no. That is why we must repent daily.

We must as a church understand that we must have both faith in Christ and repentance , to receive the power of salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit.

To grow we must understand salvation.

The Church Must...

2. Understand the Power of God

Let me catch you up.

Show the map again

Peter leaves Samaria and goes to Lydda.

In Lydda, Peter heals a man named Aeneas who was paralyzed and bed ridden for 8 years.

After Peter heals him, those in Lydda and Sharon turned and gave their lives to the Lord.

Acts 9:35 CSB

So all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

Then Peter moves on to Joppa.

Show the map again.

Here Peter goes to a faithful servant named Tabitha or Dorcas depending on the Language you spoke then.

She fell ill and died. Peter comes to her and prayed and told her to get up...and she did.

And we see more come to the Lord.

Acts 9:42 CSB

This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

Miracles and wonders. The God of the impossible.

We see the issue with Iran and the conflict that is going on there.

I have spoken to quite a few Iranians that have given their lives over to Christ.

Every one of them has stated to me that Christ came to the in a dream and they knew that they must leave Islam and convert to Christianity.

Signs and wonders.

Acts 2:17 CSB

And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

The God of the impossible.

If you ask me, the greatest manifestation of God’s power is when He changes someone’s life. When their life does a 180 from hell to heaven.

This happens and you see someone who had nothing to do with God and they turn into blood bought God fearing followers of Jesus Christ.

That is the God of the impossible.

The church must desire to see this power of God on the daily.

Now for our final point for today

The Church Must...

3. Love Like Christ Loved

There is a saying...”Church would be great if it weren’t for the people.”

You see, it is easier to say you love your brother then it is to show it.

For us to see the church grow, we must love in tangible and heart felt ways.

Not just to NEC folks, but to everyone around us.

We see Peter leave Joppa and go to Caesarea to the house of Cornelius.

Show the map again.

The reason Peter goes is because the Lord shows him in a dream that all is clean in the sight of the Lord.

Why is this important?

This is where we see the early church truly embrace the gentiles, the unclean souls that did not follow the Jewish traditions.

This is where Peter shares the good news.

Acts 10:34–36 CSB

Peter began to speak: “Now I truly understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. He sent the message to the Israelites, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.

Lord of all.

So we must love all. We must accept all and agree with everything they do...right?

No! Loving someone does not mean you do not call out when they are doing wrong.

That is not love, that is tolerance.

Love is just the opposite of tolerance. Love apposes tolerance.

We love, but we also call out sin.

If someone comes in here with a bottle of liquor and a joint, we love them but we do not tolerate that.

I hear all too often, You can not judge me, only God can...Yes, but I love you enough to call you out on your stupidity.

And the Church if it wants to grow it must love in that way. The way Christ loved.

He loved everyone around him, but He also told them go and sin no more.

The church must have a backbone and learn to call a spade a spade.

In the verse above, there is no favoritism in God’s eyes for those who fear Him and do what is right and acceptable to Him.

Salvation, the Power of God and love...if we want the church to grow we must do those things.