Giving
Welcome to Refinery Life Australia.
This week we are continuing our series titled Voices of the World.
The focus is on sharing the good news of Christ.
Today we are talking about Quiet Growth.
Text
Acts 6:7 AMP
7 And the message of God kept on growing and spreading, and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem; and a large number of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith [accepting Jesus as Messiah and acknowledging Him as the Source of eternal salvation].
Scripture Reading
Matthew 13:31-32 (AMP)
The Mustard Seed
31 He gave them another parable [to consider], saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;
32 and of all the seeds [planted in the region] it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air find shelter in its branches.”
Revelation 7:9-12 AMP
A Multitude from the Tribulation
9 After these things I looked, and this is what I saw: a vast multitude which no one could count, [gathered] from every nation and from all the tribes and peoples and languages [of the earth], standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Christ), dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands;
10 and in a loud voice they cried out, saying,
“Salvation [belongs] to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb [our salvation is the Trinity’s to give, and to God the Trinity we owe our deliverance].”
11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the [twenty-four] elders and the four living creatures; and they fell to their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
12 saying,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and majesty and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Prayer
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
Introduction
I have heard it so many times, a minister saying “I am preaching to a dying church.” “What should I do?”
This is best answered with questions like “Is it God’s will for this church to die? And do you believe that God can enable your church to grow?
We are living in an age when some churches are weakening and dying.
Yet God wills church growth, and He can make growth possible.
From South America to Africa and everywhere else in the world we hear reports of dramatic conversions to Christ.
The church is rapidly growing in numbers and in spiritual strength.
Todays message invites you to share in the thrill of seeing God adding to the church daily those who are being saved (Acts 2:47).
As God gave quiet growth to the first century churches, and as He continues to bless His church with growth all over the world, so He desires to give growth in our church also.
The Lord of the harvest invites you and me to actively participate with Him in the quiet growth.
- Quiet growth, God gave it in the first century..
A. Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven as a tiny seed slowly, quietly, miraculously growing. (Matthew 13:31-21).
Luke tells us that “The number of disciples multiplied greatly” in Acts 6:7.
“The Word of God grew and multiplied” in Acts 12:24.
And one, standing before the throne, we will see a great multitude that no one can number in Revelation 7:9.
B. Jesus used harvest language in His teaching.
He said, “See how the fields are already white for harvest” in John 4:35.
This harvest will produce a multinational Christian fellowship.
The people of God may be Samaritan, Greek, Roman, Jew, or Gentile, but they will be sealed in one body by the gift of the same Spirit.(Acts 11:15-17)
So Lukes recording of about three thousand souls converted at Pentecost in Acts 2:41 points to the quiet growth and grand harvest.
Listen to the continuing record of the quiet growth that God gave in the first century churches, More and more believers in the Lord, crowds of men and women, were constantly being added to their number, it says in Acts 5:14.
In Samaria, it says in Acts 8:6, The crowds gathered and were paying close attention to everything Philip said, as they heard [the message] and saw the [miraculous] signs which he was doing [validating his message].
Acts 9:35 says Then all who lived at Lydda and the plain of Sharon saw [what had happened to] him, and they turned to the Lord.
In Antioch, Acts 11:24 says, For Barnabas was a good man [privately and publicly—his godly character benefited both himself and others] and he was full of the Holy Spirit and full of faith [in Jesus the Messiah, through whom believers have everlasting life]. And a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
As we can see, there was quiet growth given by God in the first century.
2. Quiet growth, God continues it today.
- The same Saviour and the same Holy Spirit make the church grow today.
God did not die, nor does He sleep.
His power is making things happen all around the world today.
Ive heard stories from Africa where churches have grown from six churches to sixty churches in seven years.
The soundest way top bring people to Christ and toward spiritual maturity is to start many, many small churches, as rapidly as possible.
It has been said that there are five necessary steps in starting a church, especially overseas.
First prayerfully probe needy areas, get out there and visit people preaching the Word.
Second, the Holy Spirit brings the harvest, this must be taught.
Third, the setting of reachable but measurable goals.
For example, every believer seeking to win one person to Christ each month, and then every church starting a new church every 2-3 years.
Fourth, providing limited but adequate funds.
We help each church to some small degree.
Fifth, we implant the conviction that small is beautiful.
Christ shook the world with eleven faithful men.
B. Among one tribe on the coast of Africa more than four thousand people were won to Christ and over one hundred new churches were started in less than two years.
Five teams, each composed of one elder and one bible college student, began visiting the villages.
When the team entered the village, they would find a family willing to let them teach.
They would then teach adults the fundamentals of the faith for five days.
At the end of the week, an invitation would be given to accept Christ.
Those responding were baptised and formed into a congregation.
Then each team moved on to the next village.
Two more teams were added.
Finally, phase two began, each village receiving follow up work.
The next Phase was a mobile Bible school.
C. In all this we see God giving quiet growth.
Yes, churches can grow, and churches are growing as millions turn to Christ, thousands of churches expand, and other new thousands of churches are planted.
God continues silent quiet growth today.
3. Quiet growth, God invites us to participate in this growth.
- God can do some amazing things with one congregation, or even with one person.
Many churches have been planted and people saved because one person made a stand for God and was obedient.
B. God’s quiet growth includes personal growth in the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 AMP
22 But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Growth in Christian graces is a privilege and a duty of God’s children.
The Lord of the harvest also invites us to take part in growth by personally reaching out to the world.
Conclusion.
To your life and the life of our church, let us apply these principles of quiet growth.
Quiet growth requires spiritually dynamic leaders.
Quiet growth requires serious prayer by individuals and groups.
Quiet growth requires Bible study with non Christians.
Quiet growth includes one on one evangelism.
Growth is God’s alone to give.
We cannot impart life to any plant.
But you and I must be obedient to God by sowing the seed, watering the plants, and cultivating the field.
We must do this in such a careful manner that growth of the church of Jesus Christ will result.
Until next time
Stay in the Blessings
Giving
I really want to encourage you to be diligent with your Bible study time, because God has so much more for us than we can get from just going to church once or twice a week and hearing someone else talk about the Word.
When you spend time with God, your life will change in amazing ways, because God is a Redeemer.
Theres nothing thats too hard for Him, and He can make you whole, spirit, soul and body!
You’re important to God, and you’re important to us at www.refinerylife.org
When it comes to prayer, we believe that God wants to meet your needs and reveal His promises to you.
So whatever you’re concerned about and need prayer for we want to be here for you! Or even if you just want to say Hi, you can contact us
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