Helping your church grow (1)
Fundamentally, when you join an organization, your utmost aim must be to see the organization grow. You would begin to ask yourself; what values are you bringing? What do you offer? This shows that every relationship should always seek to get the other party better. The same goes with your local church, you must want to help your church grow. The believer’s commitment to the church is his commitment to Christ.
Matthew 28:18-20
18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
The power in verse 18 is the Greek word ‘exousia’ which means ‘authority’ and the power is to get someone saved. There’s already a mandate for the believer from God (verse 19) and that’s to ‘go and teach all nations’ (to make disciples of God’s word). The believer already has a purpose. This is reiterated in Mark 16:15 as well.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
The mandate of God is to preach the gospel and make disciples of every nation. God’s word is already clear; he says ‘go and make disciples’.
Luke 24:47 – And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Every believer has been called to the ministry of the gospel.
2 Corinthians 5:18 – And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
Preaching and teaching is not just for Pastors – it is for everyone who has believed in the gospel. Jesus wants his word everywhere.
Acts 1:8 – But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Right from Genesis, we see this mandate; god wants us to keep growing – growth is part of God’s instruction for us. Just like we have instructions to pray (Colossians 4:3-4), the same way we have an instruction to grow as a church.
Genesis 1:28 – And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
This verse is not about childbearing, it’s to cover the grounds (replenish) with the preaching and teaching of the gospel. We subdue the earth by preaching the gospel – using God’s word in all the earth. So there is the question every believer must ask him or herself; how am I contributing to the church’s growth? Am I seeing to it that there is multiplicity? Again, the will of the Father is to see the church grow. Discipleship is God’s will.
1 Timothy 2:4 – Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Daily Bible Reading Plan:
Bible Reading – John 6-8
TEACHING OF THE DAY
Salvation Through Faith in Christ (Series 2) (6)