"Growing the Church"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article # 28 -- "Growing the Church"

The church today, needs to follow the example of the first century church.  Besides the four characteristics pointed out last week, there were even more.  “And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.  Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:44-47)

            Notice what that first century church had; togetherness, sharing with others, like-minded, eating together, praising God together, and having favor with all the people.  The Lord was, also, “adding to their numbers day by day those who were being saved.”  Does that look like the church today?  In our small community of 2000 population, we have eight churches all having some significantly differences in doctrinal beliefs.  Does that sound like the picture of the church just written about in Acts 2?  Look at the church around your neighborhood.   Are they demonstrating one-minded, single-minded, of the same mind; having all things in common?  Why is that, we all have the same inspired word of God?

            They were no different than us.  The church could and should be that way today.  We have the same bonding agent as they, which is Christ.  The church was brought together as brothers and sisters, as children of God.  They were living, loving, and sharing as family.  This does not suggest communal living, as it speaks of them gathering from house to house.  They were simply going from place to place sharing a common bond between them.

            We must remember that these people were in constant danger as they were under heavy persecution from the unbelieving Jews.  The persecution of the church was so severe after the death of Stephen (Acts 7), that many of them fled from Jerusalem.  That was not the case of God splitting up the church.  It was Satan who was causing the persecution.  Instead, it was God using the scattering of the church to spread the gospel message of Jesus Christ to other parts of the world.  “Therefore, those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” (Acts 8:4)

            Why can’t the church today be as it was then; single-minded, together, sharing with others, praising God together?  The church should be more powerful today with all of the technology available.  According to polling, the church is not growing day by day, rather it is in decline.  Why?  Probably because we are allowing some big named preacher on television, radio, or even from our churches pulpit tell us how it is rather than getting into the inspired word of God, the Bible, and discovering for ourselves who God really is and what He has done for us and how we are to respond to Him.  If everyone read from the same script, we would all belong to the same church, the one where Christ is the head and we the body.

            You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish