Category: Church Growth
Subject: Church Growth
Sermon: Desperately Seeking Relevance
The lesson seeks to establish the proper response of God’s people to a world that is indifferent to Christ and His church.
“Having then gifts…let us use them”
Lesson 2 of 9, Fall 2016 Gospel Meeting. Speaker: Jeremiah Cox.
God does not accept idleness in His people. Each of us has the ability and opportunity to do work for the Lord.
Sermon: Can Conservative Churches of Christ Grow Today?
Spring 2014 Meeting: Kyle Campbell
Eight essentials for church growth, based upon New Testament principles, are contrasted with invalid modern day theories. With these 8 essentials present, the church can flourish today.
What Constitutes a STRONG Church
A look at the New Testament reveals that even early in the history of the Lord’s church, some congregations were not as strong as the Lord desired. While Paul’s epistle to the church in Philippi indicated that congregation to be strong and faithful, his first letter to the Corinthians revealed a congregation inundated with spiritual problems, division and worldliness. A quick reading of our Lord’s letters to the seven churches of Asia (in Revelation 2 and 3) shows criticism and a call to repent for all of them, save Smyrna (2:8-11) and Philadelphia (3:7-13). Note the Lord’s praise for the church in Philadelphia. “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (10-11).
Sermon: Attitudes Toward Our Work as a Congregation
As Christians we have duties and obligations with regard to membership in a local congregation. Our attitude in carrying out those duties is important. We should be enthusiastic, industrious, positive and persistent.
Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .
The Benefits of a Small Church
When I moved to Fort Worth from Odessa in 1989, I remember one of the members here asking me if I was used to preaching for such a small church. I assured them that “small” is relative. I grew up in a congregation that numbered about 30-40 for Sunday morning worship. I cut my teeth preaching for a group in Monahans that would have 15 present on a good day. So, West Side seemed to me to be a big church!
Regardless, there is a big difference between a congregation of 100 and a congregation of 200-300 or more. While many would advocate that bigger is better, I would assert that there are actually some benefits to being a member of a small congregation.
The Measure of a Strong Church
I recently came across an interesting sermon outline by Mark Copeland with the above title. There were five major points in the sermon that I thought were very good, and wanted to share with you in article form.
In Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, the Lord wrote letters to seven different churches, some of which could be categorized as weak, and some as strong. One church in particular serves to make an important point. The church at Sardis, (cf. Revelation 3:1), was admonished by our Lord, “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” A congregation can have a nice building, have many members, can have a lot of “program”, and can run smoothly and still be dead.
The better way of gauging the relative strength of a church is by determining whether the congregation has the characteristics of the church as revealed in the New Testament. There are terms such as “body”, “family”, “temple”, “kingdom”, “bride”, that establish principles which are the foundation of strength among God’s people.
Sermon: Getting Ready to Grow
It is important that a local church grow spiritually and numerically, but it is equally important that such growth be the byproduct of submitting to God’s will. Collectively and individually we have responsibilities we must fulfill as a precursor to growth.
Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .
