Holy Spirit church growth

Acts 9: 31

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

Churches today, spend lots of money to find someone to show them how to grow their church.

Some of the national church growth experts say, you should do the following in your congregation;

·         Teach the people the importance of the church…

·         Provide opportunities for people to serve…

·         Motivate the membership to give financially…

·         Expose membership to church business…

·         Develop inter-generational relationships…

The church grows according to God’s Word, when they are encouraged by the Holy Spirit, and while they lived in the fear of the Lord.

I happen to think we listen to way too many outside influences, relative to doing church.

We should listen more to the Holy Spirit, for that’s how the church grows stronger.

Because the people of the church, listen to the ways of the world so much, loyalty in the church often comes into question.

Folks leave churches for all the wrong reasons, and rarely tell anyone they’ve even left.

Then they take that attitude to another church. That can’t be a good thing!

The early church enjoyed a time of peace, according to this verse, but that peace didn’t last very long.

They learned, and sometimes the hard way, to depend on the Holy Spirit for their very sustenance.

Can you imagine, what might happen to our/your church, if we truly listened for God’s prompting, sent by the means of the Holy Spirit?

Maybe it would actually grow in strength and numbers if we did that……….

Is Jesus your Sabbath?

Matthew 12: 8

“For the Son of man is the Lord of the Sabbath.”

Back in the days of Jesus, it was necessary to observe many traditional and trivial regulations on the Sabbath.

You couldn’t even feed your chickens, more grain than they were able to eat. The fear was, that if the left over grain actually sprouted, you would be guilty of sowing on the Sabbath.

Sounds pretty bogus if you ask me. It was even unlawful to swat a fly on the Sabbath.

Jesus was trying to correct the thinking of the religious Jews of His day, because they had made the Sabbath something it was never intended to be.

Don’t we do that today? I wonder how many people truly make Jesus the Lord of the Sabbath?

Most of us, as soon as church is out, we use the Sabbath as a catch up day to do laundry—prepare meals for the week—pay bills, and this list could go on and on.

That is if we even go to church! Maybe we’ve made the Sabbath, something it was never intended to be?

The Sabbath was set aside as a day of worshipping God, and a day of rest for us. DO people rest anymore on the Sabbath? We’re going 80 miles an hour, in 10 different directions!

The Son of Man is our mediator, who sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf—no wonder He’s the Lord of the Sabbath!

Do you make Jesus Lord, on the Sabbath day? Better yet, is Jesus truly the Lord of your life?

People often say….. “I don’t have to be in church on Sunday to worship Jesus.”

Do you know how foolish that sounds?

I wonder how many people, follow that kind of irrational thinking?

I wonder how many people see that, and then also begin to follow that kind of irrational thinking?

Jesus said in Matthew 13: 41…. “The Son of man will send forth His angels to gather out of His Kingdom all stumbling blocks…”

Jesus is the One, who will one day come out of Heaven and separate the righteous from the wicked, and execute God’s plan of wrath.

He can probably do that, because He is the Lord of ALL………..

Forgiveness

Matthew 18: 34 – 35

In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

I meet people fairly often, who refuse to forgive the person who offended them.

Sometimes the offense is relatively minor, that needs to be forgiven.

In any case, it seems as though Jesus takes forgiveness, and the offering of it, pretty seriously.

“Tortured”, is a pretty strong word, don’t you think?

If the One who represents unbridled love, uses that kind of language, I guess He must mean business relative to forgiveness.

Has the Holy Spirit identified anyone you need to go to?

Forgiveness has to come from the heart, and unless it does, it could be considered a big waste of time.

Do what’s right, before our Heavenly Father does what He thinks is right………

Be a new creation

2 Corinthians 5: 17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

For the person who is in Christ, there is a brand new identity.

They are a new creation, because they have been born from above.

The old things have passed away, and the things in a person’s life are brand new.

Are you identified with new things? Is that what people would say about you?

Or are there things, that still identify you with the old? Your old life—old habits—old ways of thinking—old ways of acting.

A person in Christ, has been created to operate in the realm of the new.

It’s because they take their marching orders from a totally different Kingdom.

This Kingdom is Holy—perfect—stable—new—lovely……

So does this verse mean, that if we’re still holding on to the old life, that we might not be in Christ?

Sure seems to indicate that.

The old has to pass away. The old has to die.

Their can’t be a newly created being born, unless the old one dies and passes away……….

Want Peace?

1 Corinthians 14: 33

For God is not the author of confusion but of peace………

Do you ever feel confused? I know I do!

Confusion comes, not by spending too much time with God, but by believing the lies of the one who steals—kills and destroys.

When I meet people who have the feeling in inferiority, I recommend they read Psalm 139.

There are times I think I should practice what I preach, or take the advice I so freely give away.

God doesn’t want us to feel inferior. We need to remember, that we were created in His very own image.

What an image to uphold!

If you lack peace and are confused, you need to realize who the author of that condition is.

Our God is a God of perfect clarity. I would agree, that sometimes His Words are often times, crystal clear.

If you feel confused about anything, maybe it’s time you get on your knees, and talk to the One who brings peace.

Lasting peace!!!!!!!!!

Are you holding on to anger?

Ephesians 4: 26 - 27

"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Another very simple expression from the Word of God.

Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry—do not give the devil a foothold.

One would expect someone from the outside world, to hold on to anger, long after the sun goes down.

What amazes me though, are those in the church who operate in this fashion.

Paul’s charge was to the church at Ephesus, so he was talking to church people.

Are you holding on to anger this morning? If you are, you’ve already given the devil a foothold.

We need to remember that he doesn’t even need a foothold. Give him a sliver of space to get in, and he’s already accomplished his task.

We’re not even supposed to sin in the midst of our anger!

Do you know the kind of grudge holding person, who allows the sun to set and rise again, over and over, without dealing with their anger?

It’s sad to watch, and it makes the person look rather foolish.

Imagine….people in the church with this issue?

Hold onto the good

1 Thessalonians 5: 21 – 22

Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

God’s Word always sends a very simple message to understand.

Paul in his closing remarks to the church at Thessalonica, says to test everything and avoid evil.

Actually Paul says avoid every kind of evil.

Does that mean we should avoid a TV show that is laden with sexual innuendo? I think that’s exactly when he meant.

Does that mean that if God said we shouldn’t gossip, that should stop? Again, I think the message is pretty simple.

In a world that is filled with stuff the devil has sewn into the fabric of our culture, I believe it would be wise for us to only hold on to the good.

If you’re having a hard time identifying that which is good, filter it through God’s Word.

If it’s something we should abstain from, there’s probably an answer found in the good book.

We could be holding on to something, that we think is good, when in fact it could be something bad—according to God.

Some of the things young people are choosing to read these days, I don’t believe God would condone.

What evil are you holding on to, that you should let go of? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit help you with the testing process?

Hold on to the good—God’s good, and see if it doesn’t change the direction of your life—in a good way……..