A GROWING
AND FRUITFUL CHURCH ARE THE RESULT OF CHRIST LIFE OF THE CHRISTIAN INSIDE THE
LOCAL CHURCH.
( Acts 6:4-7 ) 4 But we will give ourselves
continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
5 And the saying pleased the whole
multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost,
and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a
proselyte of Antioch:
6 Whom they set before the
apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
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.
* INTRODUCTION:
a. Jerusalem is our good model in dynamic growth because the follow the
step of the Lord Jesus. The life of the Lord Jesus Christ was the great
influence of the Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus Christ was with them in 3
consecutive years. All the things that the Church are doing in the ministry
were the things Christ taught. That is why we say that Jerusalem Church is a
strong and aggressive Church when come to the preaching and sharing of the
gospel of Christ.
( Acts 4:13 ) Now when they saw the boldness of
Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they
marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
b. The people in the Community can testify that the things that the
disciples are doing are all seen the life of the Lord Jesus during His earthly
Ministry.
c. Even the life of Jerusalem in their prayer life are all learn from
being prayerfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
( Acts 1:13-15 ) 13 And when they were come in,
they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John,
and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of
Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
14 These all continued with one
accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of
Jesus, and with his brethren.
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,)
* Oh what great privilege and great blessing that the Jerusalem Church
was trained under the Ministry of the Lord Jesus in His 3 years in earthly
Ministry. Amen and amen!!!!
1. A PRAYING CHURCH IS A GROWING AND A FUITFUL CHURCH.
( Acts 1:13-15
) 13 And when they were come in, they went up into an
upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip,
and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon
Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
14 These all continued with one
accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of
Jesus, and with his brethren.
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,)
a. The Lord trained His disciples to be prayerful.
Matthew 26: 36-42 : * 36 Then cometh Jesus with them
unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here,
while I go and pray yonder.
40 And he cometh unto the
disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not
watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter
not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
42 He went away again the second
time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me,
except I drink it, thy will be done.
b. Prayer is very important job of every individual Christian inside the
local for God always encourage the Christians to call to Him. And He answers
our prayer. God will answer our prayer more than we expect.
( Jeremiah 33:3 ) Call unto me, and I will answer
thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
c. God want His people to experience things that He do if we only call
upon Him. He said.
" Great and mighty things that thou knowest not. "
d. Great men of God overcome all their enemies because of prayers.
( Daniel 6: 9-11
) 9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the
decree.
10 Now when Daniel knew that the
writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his
chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and
prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
11 Then these men assembled, and
found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
e. Our enemy is not flesh and blood the bible in Ephesians. Our enemy is
a spirit the Devil the bible. The best weapon against our spiritual enemy is Prayer.
( Ephesians 6:11-18
) 11 Put on
the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil.
12 For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the
whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your
loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the
preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of
faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer
and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance
and supplication for all saints;
* A prayerful Church is a growing and fruitful Church. Amen &
amen!!!
2. A WORSHIPING CHURCH IS A GROWING AND FRUITFULL CHURCH.
( Acts 2: 46-47 ) 46 And they, continuing daily with
one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their
meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour
with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be
saved.
a. Jerusalem is a faithful Worshipper. The Worship. God daily the bible
said.
b. To be faithful in Sunday Worshipping shows to God that He is the
priority in the life the Christian. In
( Mathew 6:33) But seek ye first the kingdom of
God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
c. We Worship God upon the first day of the week .
( I Corinthians
16:1-2 ) 1 Now
concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches
of Galatia, even so do ye.
2 Upon the first day of the week
let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there
be no gatherings when I come.
* We prepare our tithes and offering before Sunday and we give our
tithes and offering the first day of the week and that is Sunday.
d. Paul always reminding the Christians not to forsakes the assembly
that we do every Sunday.
( Hebrews 10:25 ) Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so
much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
* So many Christians now in our time and in many churches like as we are
that always disregard and ignore to worship God every Sunday faithfully like
Jerusalem.
* Lastly king David is our good Model being faithful and always excited
to Worship during Lord's in God's Temple.
( Psalms 122:1-2 ) 1 I was glad when they said unto
me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
2 Our feet shall stand within thy
gates, O Jerusalem.
* Amen and Amen!!!
3. A SERVING CHURCH BOUNTIFULLY IS A
GROWING CHURCH AND A FRUITFULL CHURCH.
( I Corithians 15:58
) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast,
unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that
your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
a. God promise that the abounding service of the Christian to God is not
in vain for God will give and an abounding reward to Christian who serve the
Lord bountifully. Amen and amen.
b. God will always reward bountifully of the Christian whose affection
are on the heavenly things and not on earthly things.
( Colossians 3:1-2 )
1 If ye
then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ
sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth.
c. Paul was very thankful in serving the Lord because his ability to
serve is also come from God also.
( I Timothy 1:12 ) And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord,
who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the
ministry;
d. God gave each Christian different ability in order we can serve the
Lord inside the local Church.
( Romans 12:6-11 ) 6 Having then gifts differing
according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy
according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our
ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on
exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth,
with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without
dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to
another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11 Not slothful in business;
fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
e. We are in one body of Christ with given different talents from God so
that we can serve the Lord abounding service to Him.
( I Corinthians
12:12- 20 ) 12 For as
the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body,
being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or
free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member,
but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because
I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say,
Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the
body?
17 If the whole body were an eye,
where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the
members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one
member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members,
yet but one body.
* We can assure that Church will be a growing and fruitful Church if
every part of the body of Christ will serve the Lord bountifully and with
unity.
( I Corithians 15:58
) Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
4. A SOULWINNING CHURCH IS A GROWING AND FRUITFUL CHURCH.
( Acts 11:20-23 ) And some of them were men of
Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the
Grecians, preaching the LORD Jesus.
21 And the hand of the Lord was
with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
22 Then tidings of these things
came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth
Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.
23 Who, when he came, and had seen
the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart
they would cleave unto the Lord
a. Antioch Church is a soulwinning. They learned it from Jerusalem where
the Lord Jesus Christ first local Church stablished on earth during His earthly
ministry.
b. Soulwinning Church was the good testimony of the Jerusalem.
c. The great blessing of the Soulwinning Church they experience that the
Hand is always moving and working in the Midst of the local.
( Acts 11:21 ) And the hand of the Lord was with
them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
* We always need the Hand of God is the working and moving inside the
local Church. Christ said in ( John 15:5 ) " for without Me you can do
nothing.
(John 15:5) 5 I am the vine, ye are the
branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much
fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
d. More precious souls are expected to harvest by the soulwinning is the
great blessing and experience of the soulwinning Church.
( Acts 11:24 ) For he was a good man, and full of the Holy
Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.
* Many precious souls are the normal experience of the soulwinning
Church.
( 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 2:46-47 ) 46 And they, continuing daily with
one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their
meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour
with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be
saved.
( Acts 4:4 ) Howbeit many of them which heard
the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
( Acts 5:26-29 ) 26 Then went the captain with the
officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest
they should have been stoned.
27 And when they had brought them,
they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28 Saying, Did not we straitly
command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled
Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other
apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
* ( Acts 6:5-7 ) 5 And the saying pleased the whole
multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost,
and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a
proselyte of Antioch:
6 Whom they set before the
apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
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.
Conclusion:
* The Lord will continue to bless the Soulwinning Church to grow
dynamically and fruitfully. Let us not stop our unity inside the local church
to assure Gods continues blessing of dynamic and fruitfulness to our Church.
( Psalms 133:1-3 ) 1 Behold, how good and how
pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment
upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down
to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the
dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the
blessing, even life for evermore.
* God bless you all always *
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