How are you!
What is the state of your health of your church?
Chraractistic of a healthy church:-
1) God-centered worship- Biblically based, inspiring,dynamic,particiaptory & transforming.
2) Focused prayer: which facilitates dynamic relationship with God.
3) God-focused vision- shared by the congregation and Pastor.
4) Bible based discipleship- which focuses on life application.
5) Participatory Decision making- which includes consensus building and the ability to solve problems and deal with conflict.
6) Enabllng servant leadership that focuses the laity on missons.
7) Need based ministries- which meet the physical,emotional and spiritual need of individuals and communities. (Old people- a bonus everyday)
8) Joyous stewardship of talents,time, and financial resources.
9) Loving relationship (Fellowship)-based on trust, repentance, openness, honesty and respect.
10) Kingdom based missions-which reach the community abd the world for Christ.
11) Intentional evangelism-
CHURCH'S EXPECTATION OF MEMBERS.
- I will protect the unity of the church
· by acting in love toward each other.
· by refusing to gossip
· by following the leader.
- I will share the responsibility of my church.
- by praying for its growth.
- by inviting non christian to church.
- by warmly welcoming those who visit.
- I will serve in the ministry of my church.
- by discovering my gifts and talents.
- by being equipped to serve by my Pastors and leaders.
- by developing a servant's heart.
- I will support the testimony of my church.
- by attending faithfully sunday worship and home or peer group.
- by living a godly life.
- by giving regularly.
MEMBERS EXPECTATION OF PASTORS / LEADERS
1) Transparent in communicatiob & honest in action.
2) Competent.
3) Forward looking
4) Inspiring
GOD'S EXPECTATION OF PASTORS & LEADERS
- Good & faithful servants
- Equip people for service
- Goal setters
- Team recruiters.
The 1st century church was a growing church to which converts were added in ever-increasing numbers.
The 1st influx of souls- Day of Pentecost when Peter used the keys of the kingdom previously promised to him by Christ
"I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19, ASV)
It opened up the doors of the church-
à 3000 souls streamed in.
à 120 of Christ followers in the upper room and the many hundreds whom He appeared in the days following the resurrection ( on one occasion He appeared to 500 of His disciples at once - "then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep;" (1 Corinthians 15:6, ASV)
à There must have been at least 4000 of Christ’s followers in and around
"praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved." (Acts 2:47, ASV) – Souls were added to the church daily. “ he did not save them without adding them to the church and He did not add them to the church without saving them”. After the miracle at the Beautiful gate we read in our text today that the number of men grew to 5000 ( ref: to men but we can assume there was close on that number of women who were committed followers of Jesus Christ
à Still more growth were recorded
” and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of them and women;” (Acts
"And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in
Some church historian reckons that just four weeks after Pentecost there must have been around 12,000 to 15,000 converts in the early church. Now that’s church growth and there was more to follow.
WHAT PARTICULAR METHODS DID THE CHURCH EMPLOY IN ORDER TO WIN CONVERTS?
1. POWERFUL & SUPERNATURAL MANIFESTATIONS: "while thy stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus." (Acts 4:30, ASV)
The Post- Pentecost period is filled with accounts of amazing accounts of amazing events, such as outstanding healings ( some were healed when standing in Peter’s shadow-"insomuch that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that, as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some one of them." (Acts 5:15, ASV)
A building being shaken by the power of God, prison doors opening of their own accord. "Go ye, and stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this Life." (Acts 5:20, ASV)
Two people being struck down dead because of their deception and so on-"While it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? thou has not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost: and great fear came upon all that heard it. And the young men arose and wrapped him round, and they carried him out and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much. And she said, Yea, for so much." (Acts 5:4-8, ASV)
Can we expect similar manifestation today?
Personally, I believe we can. God does not have an energy crisis. His spirit still works in great power in some parts of the world today. The idea that God withdrew the supernatural and the miraculous from the church a few decades after Pentecost is scripturally untenable.
Where there is no evidence of the supernatural and the truly miraculous people try to create it by psychological means. Many (not all) of the healings seen in today’s large healing crusades are in my opinion psychologically induced. It was not the apostles or evangelist who made a fuss about healing but the people who were healed
RELEASE OF THE APOSTLES FOR THE WORK OF MINISTRY: "And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in
The seven were chosen to look after the administrative work; the apostle had the opportunity to concentrate entirely on doing what they did best i.e. preaching and teaching.
It is interesting that once this was done, we read, “A large number of priests became obedient to the faith”
The apostles were led by the spirit to differentiate between the good and the best. One of the devil’s favorite devices is to get Christ’s servant engaged in doing things that are second best thus robbing them of their real cutting edge.
How many modern Churches I wonder have fallen into the trap of expecting the spiritual leaders to be estate agents, transport managers, financial advisors and so on., rather then ministers of the word. The present day church, like the church of the 1st century must be keenly aware of the peril of the second best.
PHENOMENAL GROWTH OF THE EARLY CHURCH WAS THE WAY IN WHICH THE DISCIPLES SHARED WITH EACH OTHER IN SMALL GROUPS:
"And every day, in the temple and at home, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ." (Acts 5:42, ASV)
Although they had met together a large congregation in Solomon Colonnade, they continued that fellowship in smaller groups in their home
"And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart," (Acts 2:46, ASV)
They supplemented the large services with more informal services in their homes.
Every healthy local church will not have large untied service on Sundays but will divide the congregation into fellowship groups, which meet in each other’s homes during the week. Those who do these say unbelievers appear to be more ready to receive Christ in a home than they do in a formal church.
Just 12 apostles and at least 15,000souls to care for. I cannot believe that all the convert came into the church as a result of listening to the apostles. Many must have been impacted in people’s home as they heard them talk about Jesus saw the change in their lives and witnessed the power of faith in a domestic context.
The early church expanded in the way it did for three primary reasons
i. The presence of the supernatural, the powerful teaching of the apostles, the daily witnessing of the believers in their homes.
ii. Persecution- The reason why God allowed persecution to hit the church of Jerusalem was not because they fail to extend the church but because the message was needed to be heard ( Acts 1:8)
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