What if your church gains a higher population, but saves not one soul? It would have been better to reach one lost soul than entertain an entire population just to say we have grown. Frequently I am asked "How many kids do you have in youth?" Why do people measure ministry success with numbers in attendance? Numbers mean nothing if the church is not reaching lost souls and brining them to salvation in Jesus Christ alone.
During my quiet time today I was reading the book of acts. In the book of Acts we find the birth of the church. The birth of the church only occurred after the Holy Spirit baptized Christ's disciples giving them power to preach and proclaim the word. It was not through ingenuity and creative ministry and entertainment that the church was born. It was through the power of word alone spoken by the disciples empowered by the Holy Spirit that the church was born. People were wow'd, perplexed, and amazed not because they were entertained, but awe struck by the power of God's word. Some rejected the word and proclaimed the disciples were drunk, yet others, 3,000 in fact accepted the truth and were added to those being saved.
It's one thing to lead someone to Christ for salvation, but it's another thing for them to be added to the growth of the church. The key to the spiritual growth of the church is fellowship centered around ministry, worship and discipleship. The early believers were faithful to fellowship daily by coming together and breaking bread, they ate together. They also ministered to one another by sacrificing what they had in order to meet each other's needs. During their time of fellowship, hanging out together, they were taught the word of God through discipleship and they worshiped together by praising God. Through it all the church continued to grow daily those who were being saved.
How many people attend your church? How many of those fellowship daily like the church when it was first born? How many are being added because they are being saved?
Acts 2:42-47 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
The picture is from a revival service in Nicaragua during a mission trip I was apart of. Numbers of those being saved were definitely added that day
#god #godsword #jesus #jesuschrist #christ #christian #bible #bibleverse #scripture #salvation #church #faithful #faith #hope #love #gospel #believe
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