I Will Build My Church

I Will Build My Church Pastor Greg Stansel Acts 9:23-31 March 6, 2022 Snap shot: The Lord builds His church and the schemes of evil will not prevail against Him. I. Schemes of evil against the church. II. Ways the Lord builds His church. III. Results of the Lord building His church. Five steps to writing your testimony: 1. Tell of what your life revolved around before Jesus. 2. Tell of your life before Jesus. 3. Explain how you came to know Jesus. 4. Tell of your life after you came to know Jesus. 5. Tell how you are obeying Jesus. Connect How have you seen the Lord build His church in miraculous ways? Study Point 1: Schemes of evil against the church READ Galatians 5:1–15 1) How can Satan use our freedoms as believers to hinder the growth of the church? What other elements does Satan use in this passage to hinder the growth of the church? What does Paul warn as the danger of “little” compromises? What is the warning of infighting in the church? 2) How have you seen the devil tempt or sway you against how the Lord is building His church? What does it look like to “not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another”? Point 2: Ways the Lord builds His church READ Ephesians 4:1–16 3) Walk through the passage slowly and discuss ways the Lord builds His church. What does love have to do with building up the body? 4) What does it look like to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called”? How are you being equipped for the work of the ministry? Do you see yourself as building up the body of Christ? Why or why not? How can your small group help one another get involved in building the kingdom of God? Point 3: Results of the Lord building His church READ Acts 9:31 5) What does it mean to walk in the fear of the Lord? What does it mean to walk in the comfort of the Holy Spirit? How have you personally experienced peace in Jesus Christ in hard times? 6) Spend time praying this verse for our church and the universal church. Practical Applications 1. 2. 3. 4. Spend time praying and then writing out your testimony (see notes for help). Practice sharing your testimony with someone you are comfortable with. Pray about with whom the Lord would have you share your testimony. Get involved in the ministry of the church (contact office for available opportunities). Pray the passage O Lord, your mercy is more than we can imagine. Even though evil schemes against us, even though our hearts have a tendency to wander, you graciously provide and direct us. Would you make us as zealous for spreading the gospel as you did Saul? Would you cause us to declare Jesus as the Son of God everywhere we go? Lord, open our eyes to those you have saved, to the unlikely, the previously wicked, and gather them in with the saints and disciple them so that they may become powerful testimonies to your glory. Give us compassionate hearts and loving hearts for one another, so that the world knows we are your disciples by how we love one another. Grant us peace and build up your church as you did in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. Help us to walk in fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit so that you may multiply your kingdom greatly! In Jesus name, Amen. Memorize & Meditate “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied” (Acts 9:31). Preparing for next week Read: Acts 9:32-43 Ask: questions of the text. Pray: through text, for pastor as he prepares, for your heart to hear, for the congregation to hear, for all of us to be obedient.