What Makes a Church Effective?

Intro: I want to see Pine Grove grow. My desire is to see Pine Grove be an effective church. So over the next weeks we are going to look at “the church” how does the church work. Things like, commitment of the members, giving, that is of time and money, praying for our church etc...

My pray is that these messages will grab a hold of you, your mind, your mind, and your body and get you excited about church.

We are the church. We make up Pine Grove. But what makes the church effective?

It’s a simple question, and is not as complicated to answer as you think.

So what makes a church effective? What some may say.

a. Is it perfect biblical doctrine?

b. Is it making sure everything is done in a timely manner?

c. I having the proper church governance and by-laws?

d. it having a well landscaped yard?

e. Is it have the right colored carpet?

f. Is it having a message preached and bring some laughter and tears?

g. Is it having the right songs, the one that everyone know the words too?

h. Having a great youth and children ministry?

i. The list can go on and on.

2. We the members of Pine Grove are the church. It is up to us to make Pine Grove an effective church.

a. Today we are going to look at the words of Paul, and his encouragement to the church at Ephesus.

b. If our church is going to be effective, the members have to be effective.

I. An Effective Church, walks the Walk. VS 1-2

VS 1.

Paul reminds us that he is a prisoner of the Lord. He really was in prison, not because he was a criminal, but for the sake of the gospel.

a. Not Paul begs they to walk worthy of the vocation, (divine calling) that they had been called.

b. We as believers, (elab what a believer is) we are the body of Jesus Christ. We represent Him in the world.

c. Tell story of being in the St Louis Air port.

d. In our daily walk, we represent Jesus. The way some Christians act is the very reason some people want go the church, or at least that is the excuse they use.

f. What we do outwardly testifies what we posses inwardly.

g. Are we walking worthy of the salvation that Christ has given us? Are we walking worthy of the sacrifice Christ made for us?

h. So how do we walk worthy? Paul gives us some example.

VS 2

What does this have to do with being an effective church? We are the church, if we live (walk the walk) then the church will be effective.

“With all lowliness” Lowliness speaks if humility, being humble. Knowing it’s not about self.

a. Being humble is not having a look at me attitude.

b. In the church, it’s also not always having it my way.

“Meekness”

Gentleness: But not weakness.

Mildness: Handling people, and situations without being harsh. In the church and outside the church. (Remember we are representing Jesus)

“longsuffering” Patience:

c. Longsuffering is an act of love.

d. We can become impatient we all kinds of situations. Waiting in line, in traffic, people.

e. But we can also become impatient if things don’t go our way. This makes some people leave of church and go to another one.

f. So for a church to be effective we all have to be longsuffering.

“forbearing one another in love”

NASB “showing tolerance for one another in love”

g. In other words “putting up with one another, IN LOVE” We do it in love because we love one another.

h. Part of that is just dealing with people and all their faults. (They have to do the same with you)

i. If someone is always being that difficult person, it may be that they need to get saved.

j. It may be that just want their way so bad, they will never work with others.

An Effective church works together.

VS 3

Read VS 2 and 3

a. We love one another no matter what because it helps to keep the unity we need to be an effective church.

“Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace’

AMP: Be eager, and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of the spirit.

(Don’t bring sorrow)

Quench not the holy Spirit” The word quench in Greek is speaking of suppressing fire. The holy spirit can be moving in a church and someone can do, say something that quenches the spirit,puts out the fire.

b. This is what happens when there is no unity.

c. Unity: Working together if accomplish a mission.

P

Psalm 133:1 KJV 1900

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!

John Dickinson of the founding fathers of our nation said, United we stand, divvied we fall”

a. True for a nation, and true for our church. We may not always agree, but we can disagree without being disagreeable.

b. We may have different likes and dislikes. Like different kinds of music in the church.

c. We have different personalities. Some people are quiet, some never stop talking.

d. We can even still love each other during collage football season.

e. We can be different our ways, be still be one in Christ.

VS 4-6

Six times the word one is used:

a. A simple but yet powerful word.

is Jesus praying for us.

:

John 17:21 KJV 1900

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

b. How does it make Jesus feel when He sees division and strife in the church?

2. Now lets look at this oneness.

“one body”

First: We are one, if we believe Jesus is the only way. Elab

a. We divide ourselves into different denomination.

b. Even within our denomination we divide ourselves; Elab.

c. But lets look with a church like Pine Grove. Elab.

d. We are one body, that is one thing that makes us an effective church.

“One Spirit” That is the Holy Spirit. That is what makes us different

Romans 8:9

Romans 8:9 KJV 1900

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

b. This is how we can have unity, this how we can be an effective church, we are of one Spirit.

“One hope of your calling”

c. Hope: Not I hope so, but the hope of confidence that we have.

d. We have one hope, and we know that Jesus is coming back one day.

VS 5

“One Lord”

We are saved because of our Lord, one Lord.

a. Jesus our Lord is the only way of salvation. Through His blood.

“one faith”

One faith: That is faith in Jesus, not faith in your own works, not faith in you baptism, not faith in your church membership. But one faith in Jesus.

a. Jesus as the son of God, Jesus and God.

“One Baptism”

Baptism, after salvation.

Acts 8:36–38 KJV 1900

36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Acts 8:

b. One baptism is what separates us from the world. This when we show the world our belief in Jesus and what he has done for us.

c. Through all of this, our oneness will make us an effective church because we are doing Gods way, the only way.

VS 6

“One God and Father of all”

Because we serve the one true God, we can have an effective church.

a. The one God who has mercy on us, the one God Love, the one God who saves us.