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Church Growth: A Test Do We Really Want This Church to Grow? Presented by Chris Reeves * Eastside church of Christ * Gospel Meeting * October 06, 2011

Church Growth: Then and Now The early church grew (Acts 2:47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:1; 9:31; 12:24) Sixty years ago the Lord’s church was the fastest growing religious body in America What about today? Are we committed to growth like the early Christians or our brethren of the 1940 – 50’s?

Is This Church Growing? We may not be growing because of immorality in the membership (Acts 5:1-11) We may not be growing because of deaths in the membership (Acts 7:60; 9:37; 12:1-2) We may not be growing because of apostasy in the membership (20:30) We may not be growing because of lethargy in the membership (Rev. 2:5; 3:3)

Church Growth: Three Areas First, we must grow numerically through conversions (Mt. 28:19-20; Jn. 4:35) Second, we must grow spiritually through knowledge (2 Pet. 1:5; 3:18) Third, we must grow organically through cooperation (Eph. 2:21; 4:16)

Church Growth: A Test The Lord wants individual Christians to grow (2 Thess. 1:3) The Lord wants local churches to grow (Acts 16:5) Do you want what the Lord wants? Let’s take a test with 5 questions!

Are We Earnestly Desiring Growth? Are we satisfied with the current level of spiritual and physical size of this church? Are we stagnant (Heb. 5:12 – 6:2)? We must desire the lost to be saved (Rom. 10:1) We must desire growth (1 Pet. 2:2)

Are We Fervently Praying for Growth? We pray for important things … is growth important to us? Are we praying for the wrong things (Jas. 4:3)? We must pray for growth (Col. 1:9-10; 4:3; 2 Thess. 3:1-2)

Are We Wisely Planning for Growth? Do we desire growth but have no specific plan to achieve it? Are we all out of ideas? We must plan for growth (Acts 5:19-21; 6:3-4; 8:14; 11:22-26; 13:2-3)

Are We Diligently Working for Growth? Are we actually doing something to cause growth? Do we plan the work and then work the plan? Are we hoping that some one else will do the work necessary for growth (Mt. 25:25)? We must go out and work to grow (Acts 5:42; 8:4; 1 Cor. 15:58; Gal. 6:9)

Are We Seriously Expecting Growth? Are we expecting growth as the Lord promised? Are we no longer expecting the power of the gospel to work (Rom. 1:14-16)? We must expect growth and patiently wait for it to come (Psa. 37:3-7; Mk. 4:8,26-29; Lk. 13:6-9)

Church Growth: A Test How did you answer these five questions? God will certainly do his part (1 Cor. 3:6-7) Will we do our part? Desire, Plan, Pray, Work, and Expect