HOW THE CHURCH GROWS

 

Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.  (Acts 6:7)

Where there is life, there is hope—we’ve heard that.  Another truth is that where there is life, there is growth.  A healthy child with proper nourishment will grow, and so when churches are healthy, they grow as well.  That is the pattern in the early church.

The church grows by CONFRONTING PROBLEMS.  “Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.”  (Acts 6:1)  This church made progress, but wasn’t perfect.  When problems inevitably came, they confronted and corrected them.  Ignoring a minor infection can lead to a life-threatening condition—and this is also true of the Body of Christ.

Growth also requires CONSIDERING PRIORITIES.  “Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.’”  (Acts 6:2)  It wasn’t that caring for these widows was beneath the dignity of the preachers—it was just that their mission and gifts were in other areas and they dare not be diverted from their calling.  A way to meet this need was found, but the primacy of prayer and preaching could not be compromised.

The church grows then by CONSTRUCTING PLANS.  “‘Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”’  (Acts 6:3-4)  The larger the church, the greater was the need for organization. Sustaining and expanding the work demanded larger ministries and leadership development.  When a church listens to God and leans on the Holy Spirit, He guides us to strategically install personnel and implement programs for healthy growth.

Underscore this, then, that the church grows by CHOOSING PEOPLE.  “And the saying pleased the whole multitude.  And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.”  (Acts 6:5-6)  Everything rises and falls on leadership.  The “church staff” can never do it all.  A healthy church needs all the members of the Body functioning.

The church continues to grow by COUNTING PROGRESS.  “Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.”  (Acts 6:7)  We don’t choose between diet (teaching) and exercise (evangelism and ministry) since both are required for health.  What gets measured gets done.  A church must check its vital signs regularly.  Even the hard-hearted priests experienced life-change—and spiritual transformation leads to numerical multiplication.  May God make our church have such an irresistible impact!