EXPANDING THE KINGDOM
1968, the Swiss made 65%
of ALL watches sold in the
world
They laid claim to as much
as 90% of ALL the
watchmaking profits.
In 1980 they laid off
thousands of watchmakers
and controlled less than
10% of the world market
WHAT HAPPENED?
BUT PETER
SAID,
“I
DO NOT
POSSESS SILVER AND GOLD, BUT
WHAT
IN
I
DO HAVE
I
GIVE TO YOU:
JESUS CHRIST
THE NAZARENE—WALK!” AND
SEIZING HIM BY THE RIGHT HAND,
HE RAISED HIM UP; AND
THE NAME OF
IMMEDIATELY HIS FEET AND HIS
ANKLES
WITH
WERE
STRENGTHENED.
A LEAP HE STOOD UPRIGHT
AND BEGAN TO WALK; AND HE
ENTERED
THE
TEMPLE
WITH
THEM, WALKING AND LEAPING
AND PRAISING GOD.
(ACTS 3:6-8)
CHURCH GROWTH IS A RESULT OF OUR BEING A
PEOPLE AND PERSON OF RIGHT MOTIVE.
ACTS 3:12
BUT WHEN PETER SAW THIS, HE REPLIED TO THE PEOPLE, “MEN OF
ISRAEL, WHY ARE YOU AMAZED AT THIS, OR WHY DO YOU GAZE AT US,
AS IF BY OUR OWN POWER OR PIETY WE HAD MADE HIM WALK?
AND
ACTS 3:16
FAITH IN HIS NAME,
ON THE BASIS OF
IT IS THE NAME OF JESUS
WHICH HAS STRENGTHENED THIS MAN WHOM YOU SEE AND KNOW;
AND THE FAITH WHICH COMES THROUGH HIM HAS GIVEN HIM THIS
PERFECT HEALTH IN THE PRESENCE OF YOU ALL.
OUR FOCUS IS TO BECOME GOD’S PEOPLE AND
PERSON BY LIVING OUT OUR FAITH DAILY.
BY LIVING FOR JESUS WITH RIGHT MOTIVE AND
LEAVE THE INCREASE TO GOD.
CHURCH GROWTH OCCURS WHEN WE
UNDERSTAND CHRISTIANITY IS MORE THAN A
SUNDAY MORNING RITUAL.
TITUS 3:4-8
BUT WHEN THE KINDNESS OF GOD OUR SAVIOR AND HIS LOVE
FOR MANKIND APPEARED, HE SAVED US, NOT ON THE BASIS OF
DEEDS WHICH WE HAVE DONE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT
ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY, BY THE WASHING OF REGENERATION
AND RENEWING BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM HE POURED OUT
UPON US RICHLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR, SO
THAT BEING JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE WE WOULD BE MADE
HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE. THIS IS A
TRUSTWORTHY STATEMENT; AND CONCERNING THESE THINGS I
WANT YOU TO SPEAK CONFIDENTLY, SO THAT THOSE WHO HAVE
BELIEVED GOD WILL BE CAREFUL TO ENGAGE IN GOOD DEEDS.
THESE THINGS ARE GOOD AND PROFITABLE FOR MEN.
CHURCH GROWTH OCCURS WHEN WE
UNDERSTAND CHRISTIANITY IS MORE THAN A
SUNDAY MORNING RITUAL.
CONGREGATIONS WE SEE GROWING TODAY ARE
THOSE INVOLVED IN SERVING JESUS IN OTHERS
WITH A ZEALOUS SPIRIT!
“ACTUALLY, OUR MOST DEBILITATING HANDICAP IS A
LACK OF ZEAL. ONCE ZEAL IS STIRRED, LOVE WILL
FIND A WAY TO OVERCOME ALL OBSTACLES.”
– SEWELL HALL
CHURCH GROWTH OCCURS WHEN WE ARE
WILLING TO BE INTERRUPTED
OF THE 60 EVANGELISTIC ENCOUNTERS RECORDED
IN THE BOOK OF ACTS
1/3 OF THEM WERE…
UNPLANNED… IMPROMPTU MOMENTS!
JESUS SERVES AS OUR EXAMPLE
JACOBS WELL… LONGEST CONVERSATION WITH ANYONE RECORDED
AFTER A BUSY DAY… JESUS TOOK TIME FOR NICODEMUS
JESUS WAS WILLING TO BE INTERRUPTED BY CHILDREN
HE INTERRUPTED HIS MINISTRY TO… ATTEND A FUNERAL IN BETHANY
ARE WE TOO BUSY TO BE GOD’S
INSTRUMENTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS?
CHURCH GROWTH OCCURS WHEN WE ARE
WILLING TO BE INTERRUPTED
WE MUST BE WILLING TO SEE
WHAT OTHERS CHOOSE TO IGNORE!
JOHN 9:1-7
HE
PASSED BY,
ASKED
HE
SAW A MAN BLIND FROM BIRTH.
HIM, “RABBI,
AND HIS
DISCIPLES
WHO SINNED, THIS MAN OR HIS PARENTS, THAT HE
WOULD BE BORN BLIND?”
JESUS
ANSWERED,
“IT
WAS NEITHER THAT
THIS MAN SINNED, NOR HIS PARENTS; BUT IT WAS SO THAT THE WORKS
OF
GOD
HIM
MIGHT BE DISPLAYED IN HIM.
WE
MUST WORK THE WORKS OF
ME AS LONG AS IT IS DAY; NIGHT IS COMING WHEN NO
ONE CAN WORK. WHILE I AM IN THE WORLD, I AM THE LIGHT OF THE
WORLD.” WHEN HE HAD SAID THIS, HE SPAT ON THE GROUND, AND MADE
CLAY OF THE SPITTLE, AND APPLIED THE CLAY TO HIS EYES, AND SAID TO
HIM, “GO, WASH IN THE POOL OF SILOAM” (WHICH IS TRANSLATED,
SENT). SO HE WENT AWAY AND WASHED, AND CAME BACK SEEING.
WHO SENT
GROWING CHURCHES ARE THOSE THAT KEEP
THEIR EYES AND HEARTS FOCUSED ON JESUS.
HOW CAN WE SERVE HIM BY SERVING OTHERS?
IF… IF… IF
MOSES… AT THE BURNING BUSH “I CAN'T”
THE DISCIPLES… “WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH FOOD”
PETER… “I DO NOT POSSESS SILVER AND GOLD,
BUT WHAT I DO HAVE I GIVE TO YOU: IN THE NAME
OF JESUS CHRIST THE NAZARENE—WALK!”
WE DON’T QUALIFY OURSELVES...
GOD QUALIFIES THOSE HE CALLS!
CHURCH GROWTH OCCURS WHEN WE REALIZE
GOD WILL WORK THROUGH OUR FAITH IN HIM
EPHESIANS 3:20
NOW
TO
HIM
WHO IS ABLE TO DO FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY BEYOND ALL
THAT WE ASK OR THINK, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKS WITHIN
US...
HEBREWS 13:20-21
NOW
THE
GOD
OF PEACE, WHO BROUGHT UP FROM THE DEAD THE
SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE ETERNAL
COVENANT, EVEN JESUS OUR LORD, EQUIP YOU IN EVERY GOOD THING
TO DO HIS WILL, WORKING IN US THAT WHICH IS PLEASING IN HIS SIGHT,
THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, TO WHOM BE THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER.
AMEN.
GREAT
PHILIPPIANS 1:6
FOR I AM CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING, THAT HE WHO BEGAN A GOOD
WORK IN YOU WILL PERFECT IT UNTIL THE DAY OF CHRIST JESUS.
CHURCH GROWTH OCCURS WHEN WE REALIZE
GOD USES ORDINARY MEN AND WOMEN
ACTS 4:13
NOW AS THEY OBSERVED THE CONFIDENCE OF PETER AND JOHN
AND UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY WERE UNEDUCATED AND UNTRAINED
MEN, THEY WERE AMAZED, AND BEGAN TO RECOGNIZE THEM AS
HAVING BEEN WITH JESUS.
GOD WILL NOT FORCE YOU TO SERVE HIM!
DESIRE COMES FROM WITHIN BASED ON
WHAT WE KNOW WE MUST DO TO GLORIFY GOD!
ACTS 4:4
BUT
MANY OF THOSE WHO HAD HEARD THE MESSAGE BELIEVED;
AND THE NUMBER OF THE MEN CAME TO BE ABOUT FIVE
THOUSAND.