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Our church has had many ‘big days’ over the
years. Special promotions and theme days are a fun way to boost enthusiasm
and attendance. We’ve had ‘baby day’, ‘old fashioned day’, ‘pack a pew
Sunday’, and ‘Friend Day.’ And lately I’ve been trying to work on themes
for our big month of August challenge. But you know, I don’t believe that’s
what God wants us to do this time…because we are having big days
right now! Usually churches encounter the summer slump, but this summer
we’ve had people getting saved and joining the church almost every week, and
more planned today! We’ve had revival meetings, but I’ll tell you what’s
better is to have real revival, and I believe we’re in the midst of
it right now!
This is a big day, but not like v. 41…that
was a huge day [3,000 saved!]. We’re praying and watching for that day in
the near future, but in the meanwhile, and afterward, to have days like v.
47 [the Lord adding to the church daily] is just fine!
Secrets of a Great
Church:
·A
Converted Membership
v. 41/47 The LORD did it, it was genuine!
The lost are welcome, invited, even honored
here, and…they’ll be instructed in their greatest need: how to be born
again!
If you need to be saved, this is your big
day…there’s no better day to be born again than today.
In v. 41 they got saved, then baptized [if
Steve R. could submit to baptism, so can you!]
Converted membership…
·
Constant
Ministry
Notice what happened right after they got
saved:
v. 42 That rings my bell…because the
test of a great church is not just how many decisions are there, but are
they continuing? Do they stick? Are they growing, developing? They
CONTINUED! Not only were they baptized, but they were discipled, they
became faithful, and began reaching others themselves. Fruit began growing
on these new trees, and growth is the proof that you have been born again
and that you are alive!
Adrian Rogers: “If nothing happened to you
after you walked the aisle, then nothing happened to you WHEN
you walked the aisle!”
We’re seeing big days…dozens are doing
discipleship, and many more are just about to begin. It’s really happening
here, and I want to make the case to you this morning that God is in this,
and if He is in this place, you should be too!
A healthy ministry enjoys:[avoid
being anemic!]
1.Truthful Teaching*
v. 42 doctrine [lit. “teaching”]
1 Pet 2:2
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow
thereby:
It’s exciting seeing people wanting to learn, desiring preaching, laying
aside excuses and making it a priority, setting aside the time, driving a
distance, and showing their serious by making up what they miss online!
2.Fun
Fellowship*
v. 42 comes from Greek word Koinonia =
to have in common
Fellowship is “2 fellows in the same ship!”
If a believer wants to be right w/
God and grow, they HAVE to be around other believers to encourage them…no
coal can remain hot if it’s alone, away from other coals!
Ill.—man
asked preacher: “Can you go to heaven w/out going to church?” He replied,
“Sure, [man was about to congratulate him when he continued…] but why would
you want to?”
I wouldn’t want to try to live the
Christian life by myself! Too hard! Just because it’s possible
doesn’t mean it’s probable, and it certainly wouldn’t be very
enjoyable.
Joke—2
hicks in the field saw airplane over head, had never been on one…1st
said, I’d hate to be way up yonder in that airplane/other said, yeah, but
I’d hate to be up thar w/out it!
In scripture, believers
are always pictured together as:
Sheep
in a flock: if divided, they
are an easy target for the roaming lion, Satan…he’s just looking for that
one that says, I don’t need the flock” [that’s a baaaaad attitude!]
Soldiers
in an army: cuz we’re in a
war…and the safest place to be is in your unit, w/ your C/O…don’t get
separated or you could be taken captive by the enemy!
We need fellowship! One thing I love about ours here is that the ground is
level…cliques are a thing of the past, and by God’s grace and continuing
efforts they should remain in the past…we’re open to the rich as well as the
poor / educated, uneducated / cultured, uncultured / yard-saleing,
good-willing and the Von Maur’s / blue-collar, white collar / you don’t have
to be a big shot to come here, but if you are one, come on, you need Jesus,
and you need fellowship! / you don’t have to be part of the upper crust
[besides, the upper crust is just a bunch of crumbs held together by dough!]
Thank God for a church where the ground is
level!
“Nobody is anybody but everybody is
somebody!”
Obey your thirst…how much of God is enough for you? Small, medium, or
large? AM, PM, Wed. nite, Sunday School! We need some people to step up to
the next level and say, Super-size it, baby, I can’t get enough of my God /
His Word / His people / doctrine / teaching / fellowship…
3.Persistent
Prayer*
42b We can try education, we’ll see what
education can do / science / technology / industry / programs /
promotions…but try prayer and you’ll see what God can do!
Ill.—have devotions: Now your conversation with God is a 2 way
street!
Prayer moves the hand that moves the world!
We see later in Acts: The angel
fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer fetched the angel.
Fellowship,
teaching, prayer…
4.Plentiful
Participation*
v. 43-44 They didn’t sit back and
let the apostles do it, they ALL got involved. Each one shouldered their
part of the load, each according to their ability, they had all things
common, each one was witnessing and inviting others to join them, each was
in the rotation for nursery, kids’ ministries, each was at the work day,
each one tithed and did their fair share!
Many churches are like a NFL
football game…50k spectators who desperately need exercise watching 22
people work, who desperately need rest!
v. 45 This is not a mandate for the
church, this was a temporary situation based on special circumstances.
These 3,000 who just got saved were Jewish, and when they were born again,
they would lose their jobs, be persecuted, be disowned by family members.
Still today, when an orthodox Jew converts and is born again, becoming a
Messianic Jew, the family has a ceremony like a funeral, declaring that one
to be dead!
Their circumstances demanded sacrifice, and
sometimes ours do! We all should do our part w/ the tithe! The bottom line
on bringing on a great man to our staff like Bro. Mike will be the money…and
so we’ve started a Bro. Mike fund you can specify offerings toward to help
keep him on longer than one month. These are special times and they call
for special measures!
All they had was at God’s
disposal…how about you? Your time / talents / treasure?
A successful church must
have converted membership/constant ministry…
·
Continual
multiplication
Acts 1:15
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst
of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an
hundred and twenty,)
Acts 2:41
Then they that gladly received his word were
baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand
souls.
Acts 4:4
Howbeit many of them which heard the word
believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
Acts 6:7
And the word of God increased; and the number
of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the
priests were obedient to the faith.
We’re about 120…do you wanna stay that way?
Me neither. And I don’t believe God kept these doors open 6 years ago for
no reason. I don’t believe He’s raised up this group gathered here today
for no reason. I don’t believe He’s given us the pews behind you for no
reason.
The foundation is laid, and the big days are
upon us. The Lord is adding daily to the church, and we need some really
big days to meet the challenge.
So, there are no themes for this challenge,
but there are some goals:
·10 people saved
·10 people baptized
·10 new disciplers
·10 new families
·10 more tithing units
·Everyone taking a step up
Some of those may be here today already, and
many we’ll need to go out and bring in. How many believe we can realize
these goals?
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