1. Welcome

2. Church Growth In
Acts

3. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 NKJV
Testimony of him

4. Church Growth In
Acts
Number
Area
Appeal
Spirituality

5. Numerical Growth Jerusalem 120 = 1:15 3,000 = 2:41 Increase = 2:47
120 = 1:15
3,000 = 2:41
Increase = 2:47
5,000 = 4:4
Multitudes = 5:14
Multiplied = 6:1,7
Samaria
Multitudes responded = 8:16
Ethiopian Eunuch …. = 8
Palestine
Scattered ……… = 9:31
multiplied ……… = 12:24
many thousands = 21:20
Gentiles
Cornelius ………..… = 10
Antioch in Syria ……= 11:21
Missionary journeys of Paul

6. Numbers represent Souls
Numerical Growth
Numbers represent Souls
Matt. 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

7. Geographic Growth in Area How the gospel went to all the world
Acts 1:8 = Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and uttermost part of the earth
Key Cities
Jerusalem
Antioch in Syria
Antioch in Pisidia
Ephesus
Rome - Acts 28:30-31

8. Growth in Area
Geographic

10. Acts 19:10 “And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.”
Romans 10:18 “But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.”
Colossians 1:23 “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”

11. “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature
“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

12. Growth in Area Mission work -- take the gospel to all parts of world
Christ died for them just like he died for us!
If we are not interested in taking the gospel to all the world then we are not really interested in taking the gospel to any of the world.

13. Growth in Appeal The Gospel is for “every creature” Mark 16:15
“all flesh” Acts 2:17-18
All human beings - whole of humanity
Persons of all nationalities
Acts – Gospel taken to all flesh
2:14 “all ye that dwell at Jerusalem”
2:36 “all the house of Israel”
5:15 “multitudes of men and women”
8:12 “they were baptized both men and women”

14. Different kinds of jobs and backgrounds
Priests, Sorcerer, Treasurer, Seamstress, Tanner
Centurion, Proconsul, Merchant, Jailer
Tent maker, Ruler
The Church must grow in appeal
Rich and Poor
Must not limit our prospects
Gal. 3:28 “all one in Christ Jesus”
Col. 3:11 “but Christ is all, and in all”

15. Gospel is Appealing Growth in Appeal
We must take the gospel to all creatures
Farmer and Factory worker
Black and white
Rich and poor
Soldier and retired
School teacher and Truck driver
Merchant and Carpenter
Young and Old
Mechanic and Computer programmer
Gospel is Appealing

16. Growth in Spirituality
Church grew to be more like Jesus
“of all that Jesus began both to do and teach” 1:1
“the Holy One” and “the just” 3:14
“went about doing good” 10:38
Therefore the church grew in spirituality
“edified” 9:31
“established in the faith” 16:5
“cleave unto the Lord” 11:23

17. God Desires that we Grow Spiritually
2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”
1 Peter 2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”
Signs
Obedience…..
Faithfulness …
Increase ……..
to all God’s commands
in worshipping God
of love to fellow man

18. How did they accomplish this ?
What they did not do:
Establish world-wide organizations
Storm Rome for change in laws
Develop armies to take by force
Take on social agendas
Develop parachurch organizations
Did not set out to change the world

19. How did they accomplish this ?
What they did do:
Did not set out to change the world but they set out to change individuals
They changed individuals by teaching
Acts 2:40 - multitude
Acts 8:5 - Samaritans
Acts 8:35 – Eunuch
Acts 9:6 - Saul
Acts 11:14 - Cornelius
“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17

20. How did they accomplish this ?
What they did do:
Did not set out to change the world but they set out to change individuals
They changed individuals by teaching
They realized they weren’t the ones doing the changing
1 Cor. 3:5-7 Paul – his job = Teach and God would bring the increase
Phil. 4:13 – could do all things through God
Eph. 3:20-21 – God would work through them
Acts 11:21 – Hand of the Lord was with them

21. How did they accomplish this ?
If we are going to Change people ….
We must lean on God to do the changing
Our job is just to do the teaching
If we do God will be with us
He will accomplish great things for His Kingdom

22. History of the Actions
Of the early church

23. Church Growth In Acts
Number
Area
Appeal
Spirituality

24. The reason they grew was…
“But the word of God grew and multiplied” 12:24
“So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed” 19:20
When we let the word of God grow it will increase:
Isa. 55:11 “it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent.”

25. Acts Church Growth In What will we do with it ? 120 Thousands
We have the same Gospel.
What will we do with it ?

27. Nelson Chapel Church of Christ
5039 Six Mile Road
Maryville, Tn
April 9, 2017
Sermon by Arthur Pigman
2705 Druid Hill Dr.
Maryville, Tn