A Biblical Contemporary Ministry, Part 1 (Acts 17:16-34)

One struggle of every generation of God’s people is to reach the people around them with the truth about God’s love. Throughout time, accepting that love has meant living in ways contradictory to the present worldly generation. Thus, resistance mounts and discouragement abounds. Thankfully, God has preserved the words and actions aimed at sinful generations as an example for times to come.

In the 21st century, we need to follow these examples as we continue to reach our contemporaries with the life-changing truth about Jesus Christ. Paul serves as one such powerful example when he speaks the truth at the Athenian Areopagus before the “brightest” philosophers of that time (Acts 17:16-34). As we notice this passage for the next several weeks, we need to keep the ending in our minds.

Acts 17:34 says, “But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.”

Paul’s sermon was successful! He caused some to believe! The text says that many scoffed at the resurrection, but some believed! What Paul did, we must do, for his actions brought fruit for the Lord.

First, Paul had a distressed heart. Notice how this account begins, “Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols(Acts 17:16; emphasis added). Paul’s spirit was touched as he witnessed the sinful practices of the Athenians. Paul did not go around robotically preaching and condemning people. His message resulted from a sorrowful and outraged disposition over the idolatry that surrounded him.

Many of God’s messengers were touched by their audiences’ spiritual plight. When David wrote the 119th Psalm about God’s word, he included his grief over man’s wickedness:

“Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law” (119:53).

“My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law” (119:136).

“I look at the faithless with disgust, because they do not keep your commands” (119:158).

Jeremiah—known as the “Weeping Prophet”—was continually troubled over his people’s sinfulness:

“But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down
with tears, because the
Lord’s flock has been taken captive” (Jer. 13:17).

“Let my eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease, for the virgin daughter of my
people is shattered with a great wound, with a very grievous blow”
(Jer. 14:17).

Jesus wept over the shameful condition of Jerusalem:

“And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!’” (Lk. 19:41-42).

Paul emotionally warned of false teachers:

“For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on
earthly things”
(Phil. 3:18).

If we are to reach the generation around us, we—like David, Jeremiah, Jesus, and Paul—must be touched by its sinful state. Not only must our mind understand the sin around us, but our emotions must be pricked over sin’s consequences.

If we callously preach down at the lost around us, there will be few brought to the Lord. If we begin with a spirit that is troubled over the spiritual state of the lost, and then proclaim the uncompromised truth, souls can (and will) be won for Christ. May we sincerely and prayerfully consider the unfortunate immorality of our current generation.

Have a great week…for Him!

Matthew 28.18-20: The Great Consolation

This is the final week of our six-part series from some of Jesus’ final words before leaving the earth. His words were meant to teach, motivate, and encourage His disciples as He turned the work of saving the world over to them. As His followers today, we are responsible to these words of our Savior.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The final phrase of this familiar passage is the one we need to carry with us most closely. As we are doing His work, Jesus gives us the ultimate security: His presence.

We all understand the helplessness associated with feeling alone. Jesus no doubt had experienced that loneliness himself while on earth. Many people followed Him around because of His powers. Yet few followed to the end. Jesus was faced with the loneliness that came from knowing the salvation of the world depended on Him alone. Jesus felt humiliation and loneliness on the cross of Calvary when He bore our sins on His shoulders (Matt. 27:46). Because Jesus knew the heartache of loneliness, He also knows the comfort of presence and intimacy. That’s exactly why He offers it so freely to His followers: we need it!

When Joshua was leading the Israelites into the Promised Land after the death of Moses—a parallel situation to the disciples in Matthew 28—the Lord spoke the following words: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9). God knew taking the Promised Land would be a difficult and daunting task. God knew it would take great courage on the part of the Israelites. He told them that He was the source of their strength and courage. The Lord’s message centuries later to fearful followers of the new covenant was the same: do your mission and stay strong because I am with you.

We need the presence of our Lord because of several reasons. (1) There are plenty of people around us that don’t live godly lives. If we depend on them for companionship, we’re doomed to fall into sin ourselves. (2) We need to continually remember His example each day as we serve Him. We need to see with His compassionate eyes, touch with His understanding hands, and speak with His confident words. (3) We need to constantly remember the price He paid for us to have a relationship with Him. As we hold to His nail-scarred hand, we remember our work was first His work. Knowing He gave so much should motivate us to give Him our whole lives in obedience.

Not only do we long to feel His presence as we do His will, we literally cannot do His will without Him. As the Hebrew writer was closing his letter to first century Christians, he had many things of which to remind them. He had spent the majority of his previous words convincing them to not give up on their new-found faith in Christ. Here’s the author’s words to those struggling Christians many centuries ago:

“For He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Heb. 13:5-6).

Have a good week…alongside Him.

Matthew 28.18-20: The Great Instruction

This week, we focus on the fifth portion of our six-part series from some of Jesus’ final words before leaving the earth. His words were meant to teach, motivate, and encourage His disciples as He turned the work of saving the world over to them. As His followers today, we are responsible to these words of our Savior.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Now we’ll notice Jesus’ clause, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” After bringing people to Christ and baptizing them for the remission of their sins, we have the responsibility (and opportunity) to teach them more about the love of God and how to please Him. The disciples had been trained and taught about the new covenant God was issuing through Christ; it’s those things Christ had relayed to them that they were to relay to new disciples. Today, we are to teach what Christ taught; we are also to teach what those apostles and disciples relayed to first century Christians.

When we view this command to continually teach about Jesus and His commands, we must ask ourselves “how are we doing in our teaching?” As we pose that question together this morning, let’s ask and answer that question in two specific areas:

How is the teaching in our homes? The context of our passage shows that whoever “makes a disciple” is generally responsible for “teaching them.” This makes pretty common sense from the church perspective. However, do we ever read this portion of the passage and think about our homes? If parents have been responsible for bringing their children to Christ (or are preparing for and praying for that decision), wouldn’t it be in keeping with Christ’s command that they should be teaching them as well? That’s the idea that is emphasized continually in scripture. Back in Deuteronomy, Moses said, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house…” (6:6-9). Paul echoes those words in Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers…bring [your children] up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” The main source for teaching children the ways of the Lord is the home. If we were to compare the amount of time spent in the home on schoolwork and studying the Bible, which would have greater emphasis? Are grades important? Absolutely. But so is learning the Bible throughout one’s childhood. May our homes not skirt that responsibility.

How is the teaching in our Bible classes? Many elders throughout the church have set aside periods of time for their congregations to meet for the specific purpose of studying the Bible. We should take this seriously as it is a response to our elders’ authority and because we are studying the holy words of God. Paul told Titus in Titus 2 that the older men and older women of the church were responsible for teaching and encouraging the younger men and younger women of the church. Doesn’t that sound a lot like the purpose of our Bible classes today? How seriously do we take our Bible classes, though?

We show how much we value Bible class by our simple attendance. We show how much we value Bible class by our timeliness. What does it say about our devotion if we’re consistently late? Adults, we show how much we value Bible class by our examples. It’s no wonder that some young people don’t respect their Bible class teachers and classmates (and God) when their parents either (1) don’t come to Bible class at all, or (2) are at the building but don’t actually attend a class. As adults, we are helping to form the current generation of young people’s perceptions of the Bible and Bible class. How are we doing?

Nothing is more important to the lives of those who come to know Christ than to continue to know and learn more about Him. May we never wilt under the pressure to teach them the Truth.

Matthew 28.18-20: The Great Remission

This week, we continue observing the words of our Savior as found in Matthew 28:18-20. Shortly before ascending back into heaven, Jesus gives His followers a mission statement of sorts.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Over the past several weeks, we’ve noticed the importance of Jesus’ authority over heaven and earth and that we should carry the gospel into the world and offer the invitation to follow Him in response to that authority.

There are countless sources of discussion and controversy in the religious community. Among those who profess to follow Christ, there may not be a more sensitive—and important—issue than baptism. When we consider the evidence, we can’t help but see the seriousness of the matter as it involves the salvation of man’s soul.

We could spend hours discussing scripture that shows the necessity of baptism. We can use Biblical arguments from many different angles that show it’s essential. This morning, however, it would serve us well to remember one of the scriptural purposes of baptism: remission of sins. Understanding this purpose should help us see baptism’s necessity.

Baptism is for the remission of sins. Throughout God’s quest of allowing man to have a relationship with him (and man continuing to come up short), He has constantly pointed to the cross of Christ as the eternity-shattering climax (Gen. 3:15). The cross of Christ serves as the final and supreme sacrifice in a long line of imperfect and inferior sacrifices. Hebrews 9 makes it clear that, though important, the Old Testament sacrifices were incapable of forgiving man’s sin. Christ, while serving as the perfect High Priest, gave Himself as the perfect spotless sacrifice so that all who had obeyed and all who would obey could be forgiven of their sins. That amazing piece of scripture in Hebrews 9:11-22 closes with the following words: “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Since perfect blood has been shed, forgiveness is possible. Thankfully, the Bible shows us how to contact that blood and be forgiven of our sins.

In Acts 2, a multitude of Jews were assembled when Peter and the other apostles began teaching them the truth about the man they knew as Jesus. When they were convicted by the truth that they had literally killed their Messiah, they asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Peter’s response was “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…” They acknowledged a sin problem; Peter told them the solution: the blood of Christ that would forgive them. How great is the irony of their situation (and ours today also)! They had Jesus killed and it was that death that provided the opportunity for that very sin to be forgiven. Truly God enacted His amazing grace to save our souls. We can’t receive that grace any other way than through baptism.

When Paul stood before the Jews in Jerusalem in Acts 22, he gave the testimony of what happened that led him to Christ. At the climax of his conversion, he was told by Ananias, “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” Paul was instructed to be baptized to wash his sins away. While necessary, his new faith in Christ hadn’t saved him from sin. While essential, his repentance from his wicked deeds hadn’t secured his home in heaven. While convincing, his confession of Jesus as the Son of God on the road to Damascus didn’t cleanse his sins. His baptism washed away his sins. In order to experience that same washing and forgiveness, we must contact the blood of Christ through baptism as well.

There’s another interesting phrase in that passage as well. Romans 10:13 is often cited as proof that baptism is not essential for salvation, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” It’s interesting that Paul is citing Joel 2:32 and it uses the same wording as Ananias when he told Paul to be baptized (“calling on the name of the Lord”). From the New Testament’s perspective, being baptized for the forgiveness of sins is inseparable from “calling on the name of the Lord.”

Clearly, having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the ticket to our heavenly home (Matt. 10:32-33; John 14:6). The Bible teaches us how to have that intimate relationship with Him. Among other things, baptism is required to accept the gift of salvation offered by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. May He bless us as we teach and practice this truth to a lost world.

Matthew 28.18-20: The Great Invitation

A couple of weeks ago, we began observing the words of our Savior as found in Matthew 28:18-20. Shortly before ascending back into heaven, Jesus gives His followers a mission statement of sorts.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Thus far, we’ve noticed that Jesus makes it clear that He has all authority, both in heaven and on earth. Because of that authority, we should give Him our lives in complete submission. We’ve also noticed that we are commanded to “go” into all nations and teach them the good news of Christ and make disciples of them. We often try to skirt our responsibility to actually go into places that need the gospel, but Jesus reminds us of our task.

This morning, we are going to look at the phrase “make disciples” from a slightly different perspective. W e are only disciples ourselves because Jesus had given us the opportunity to be His followers. We should always be reminded of His love and graciousness in allowing us to be Christians through His blood. That we can be disciples and make disciples of Christ is one of the most profound blessings known to man. May we not spurn the greatest invitation; may we not keep it from other men and women that need Christ.

The invitation has a connection with authority. Although we could make a connection between the invitation to come to Christ and His authority in Matthew 28, there is another place where Jesus Himself connects the two ideas. Matthew 11:25-30 is one of the most comforting passages from Jesus’ life. Here we find our Savior telling all who would come to Him that He “will give [them] rest…[they] will find rest for [their] souls. For [His] yoke is easy, and [His] burden is light.” Prior to telling us these great words of encouragement, He says, “All things have been handed over to me by my Father…” Who better to “come” to than the one who has been given all things by God the Father? We have an incredible opportunity to come be a follower and disciple of Jesus Christ. One thing that makes that amazing is the authority, power, and faithfulness of our would-be Master and Lord.

Accepting the invitation comes at a cost. As lucrative as Christ’s invitation to come to Him is, we must all be reminded of the cost of being a disciple. In Luke 14, Jesus says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple…so therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” One of the things that makes Christianity unattractive to many in the world is the list of things that they would “have to give up.” From passages like Luke 14, we see that it’s not just about the things we give up, but it’s about being fully devoted to Christ and His cause. Being a disciple can’t be just in word only; it must be seen in our lives. Being a true disciple of Jesus Christ is one of the greatest opportunities we have been given on earth; may we accept it ourselves; may we convince others of the great opportunity that exists for them as well.

Have a great week in His service.

Matthew 28.18-20: The Great Commission

Last week, we began observing the words of our Savior as found in Matthew 28:18-20. As some of Jesus’ final words before leaving this earth, He told all followers to carry out His will by bringing others to Him.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Last week, we noticed Jesus’ authority over heaven and earth and our responsibility to give our lives to Him in full submission. This morning, we will turn our attention to the most familiar portion of Jesus’ statement: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”

Go with a purpose. Some have proposed in the past that the verb that is translated “Go” in this verse could just as easily mean “as you are going.” While that could be a possibility, it is unlikely that is what Jesus specifically meant to that audience. The verb used there is actually a type of participle that is predominantly used by Matthew that—for lack of an easier way to explain it—gets it’s “mood” from the following verb to which it is attached. “Make disciples” is in the imperative, therefore “go” is imperative as well. Jesus specifically commands us to go with the purpose of making disciples of His will. This idea also makes the most sense when you consider His original audience. If He told Jewish Christians to convert people “as they are going,” how long would it have taken before they branched out to reach Gentiles? He makes His mission clear from the beginning: the gospel of His resurrection is for all nations, therefore we should “go” into them to teach Jesus.

Today, we must be going—whether to places far away or down the road—with the purpose to leading souls to Christ.

Going and making disciples is a process. Although Jesus is firm regarding His mission of teaching the lost, He understands the hearts of men. He knows it is difficult to touch everyone with the good news of salvation. When He was in the beginning of His earthly ministry, He said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven” (Matt. 5:16). This statement gives us a rallying cry for our everyday actions: no matter what you’re doing, let your light shine. Notice the desired response of those around us: “that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Jesus understands you might not baptize everyone you come in contact with, but He tells us everyone should see our good works enough to know to Whom we belong. Although evangelism can be discouraging, we need to remember that relationships, trust, patience, dedication, and prayer are all important to bringing souls to Christ. These things often are built up over time. Evangelism should be urgent to us, but not to a fault of being scared and unsuccessful.

Go in the present. As Jesus was leaving the earth, He gave these hallowed words to His followers. From that moment forward, this was their mission statement. There should have been no confusion over who needed to know about Jesus’ life: all nations. There should have been no question about what to do: create disciples through baptism and teaching. There should have been no fear: Jesus would be with them. When the imperative is used, it is used to show command and force. The time during which it is to be carried out refers back to verse 18 (because of the “therefore”). Because Jesus now has all authority in heaven and earth, we must go now! They were to go then; we are to go now. Although going for the purpose of teaching others can be difficult, we will be doing His will if we do something for Him.

May God bless us all as we “go” and bring others to Him—even this week.

Matt. 28.18-20: The Great Submission

One of the most familiar passages to Christians is located in Matthew 28:18-20. Most of the time we give those 3 verses the title of “The Great Commission.” As some of Jesus’ final words before leaving this earth, He commissioned all followers to carry out His will by bringing others to Him.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

There is much for us to learn from our Master’s mission. We’ll begin this week a 6-part series studying the greatness of our Lord’s mission. This week, we’ll notice Jesus’ words in verse 18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Before telling the disciples present that day what to do, He tells them why to do it. Christ is given all authority in both heaven and earth. His disciples needed to be reminded that they weren’t following a young carpenter from Galilee any longer; they were following the Son of God and the Savior of the world. He was talking to them on the other side of His death, burial, and resurrection. If there ever was a time for them to obey His teachings, it was now.

The idea of “submission” is inseparable from “authority.” Most forms of authority in some way depend on those who submit to it (i.e. legal, parental). However, with Christ’s authority, it is absolute. It is our choice to submit to it or rebel against it. Let’s notice a couple of things about submission to Christ:

Submission isn’t a dirty word. It’s not a very popular thing to preach submission today. We have been trained to think that what we think and what we do is perfectly fine as long as it’s perfectly fine with us. For those of us who know Christ as our savior, submission is a beautiful thing. We submit to Christ’s authority because it’s absolute, complete, and universal. Come Judgment Day, there will not be those who are found faithful to the cause of Christ who weren’t also found fully submissive to Him. The New Testament is clear that we are to be in full service and submission to Him as our Lord and Redeemer (e.g. John 10:27; 14:15; Eph. 2:10).

Christ is the only one truly worthy of our submission. We also submit to Christ because He is committed to us. In Ephesians 5:22-33, we find an oft-controversial passage about the relationship between husbands and wives. True, Paul tells wives to submit to their husbands. However, he also tells husbands to be the man that is submit-able. Notice Paul’s words in verses 25-29, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…in the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies…For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.” Christ sets the example as being the ultimate master: he died for us and takes care of us.

The “Great Commission” won’t happen without the “Great Submission.” Where this hits us the hardest is when we try to carry out God’s will for our lives. Many of us struggle with God’s directives for evangelism, personal purity, clean speech, and so on. Have we stopped to ask ourselves if we’re fully submitted to Christ? He wants us fully committed. However, we can’t be committed until we’re submitted. To follow Paul’s illustration from Ephesians 5, the wife who’s not fully submitted to her husband won’t be fully committed to serving him. A child who’s not in full submission to his or her parents won’t be in full obedience to them. Citizens who aren’t fully submitted to the laws of the land are the ones who chronically disobey them.

When we think about our task to go and make disciples for Him, we must first remember that we must be in full submission to Him. It may lead us to places we didn’t expect; it may carry us through burdens we don’t feel like we can bear; it may alter our personal plans forever. Nevertheless, we will have peace, comfort, and success.

May God bless us as we submit fully to His will through Christ.

Bulletin Article 01.28.07 — Equation for Church Growth: YOU!

A couple of weeks ago, we began a discussion concerning church growth. We noticed that Paul mentions the “equation” for growth in 1 Corinthians 3:6 when he says, “I planted. Apollos watered. God gave the growth.” Last week, we noted that growth occurs when our efforts (planting and watering) are multiplied by the power of the Lord. Although we have responsibilities, He makes the difference.

As a reminder, here’s how we might put Paul’s words into an equation:

([Paul]p + [Apollos]w)Lord = growth

or

(planting + watering)Lord = growth

As we finish our thoughts this month on church growth, it seems appropriate to simplify our equation as much as possible. We must realize that the Lord needs each one of us; He wants our name in parentheses; He will multiply our efforts. We could simply write it this way:

(Joey)Lord = growth

OR

(Your name)Lord = growth

Let’s notice some things together that will characterize a life that’s being used by God for growth:

Be a child of God. God’s efforts to cause growth in our lives, in the lives of those around us, and in the church depend on us depends on us being truly His. Sure, He loves everyone, but he does great things with His children. Are you a child of God? Have you obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ (Col. 2:12)? If you’ve become a Christian but aren’t living life one, don’t you want to come back home to a loving and powerful Father (Lk. 15)? We all want great things for our own lives, for our families, and for our church home. God gives us His power when we submit to His will and to His control.

Do something. As Christians, we often get shy and timid about some of our Biblical responsibilities. We don’t have enough courage to talk to someone about their relationship with Jesus. We’re afraid we might offend a brother by talking to him about his lifestyle. We don’t say anything to a dear sister who needs encouragement because we don’t know what to say. These insecurities and others like them reflect a false perception of the Lord’s work: it’s not about what we do! The Lord needs us to do something for Him and He’ll make the progress. In talking about consoling others (funeral homes, etc.), one of my beloved college professors asked us, “What’s wrong with just saying, ‘I love you’?” His point was we would be saying something and it’s something we all want to hear. That’s something that will cause growth.

Be positive. Despite the threats of persecution—first from Jews, then from Romans—the first century church was excited about the opportunity to tell others about Jesus! In Acts 4, Peter and John said, “We can’t help be speak the things we have seen and heard!” What a marvelous example of a positive attitude. During Exposure last month, I talked briefly with Keith Parker, who spoke on Thursday night. He asked me the following question about Wednesday’s events: “How many baptisms did you have?” Not “did you have any baptisms?” Not “did you have a good night?” Not “who spoke last evening?” But “how many…” He didn’t know me before that evening; he likely didn’t know many of the 800ish people there in Huntsville; yet, he still expected for there to be growth among us. The Lord needs us to be positive.

Be where you are. It would be easy to look at Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 3:6 and think, “That’s just for preachers.” Paul was a preacher. Apollos was a preacher. Therefore, the Lord needs only preachers and other leaders doing His work. Go up to verse 5: “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed…” We’re all servants: preachers, teachers, elders, deacons, members, YOU! Later, in verse 9, Paul says, “For we are God’s fellow workers.” Paul intended for more than he and Apollos to be “fellow workers.” Did the Corinthians have major problems? Of course. But Paul still said he was their fellow worker. God needs us; most importantly, he needs us where we’re at. He needs us to work.

If we don’t do it, who will?

Bulletin Article 01.21.07 — Equation for Church Growth: The Lord

A couple of weeks ago, we began a discussion concerning church growth. We noticed that Paul mentions the “equation” for growth in 1 Corinthians 3:6 when he says, “I planted. Apollos watered. God gave the growth.” Last week’s point of emphasis is that we as the church need to be watering (through teaching, encouraging, etc.) those who have received and obeyed the gospel. Both planting and watering are a necessity on our end.

As a reminder, here’s how we might simplify Paul’s words into an equation:

([Paul]p + [Apollos]w)Lord = growth
or
(planting + watering)Lord = growth

The third portion of the equation is that which is most important in the process of church growth: the power of the Lord.

Paul says in our text, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” Just as God causes physical seeds (corn, cotton, etc.) to grow when conditions are right, He too causes the growth of the church from the spiritual seed of the gospel.

As we’ve noted in the past couple of weeks, we certainly should be doing our part by planting and watering. However, we should be humbly petitioning the Lord for the success of our efforts; we should give Him all glory and praise for the growth and obedience that occurs; we should continue to turn the lost to Him, not “our” church.

Elsewhere in the New Testament, Paul shows that the power of the gospel doesn’t depend solely on man, but on the efforts of God:

In Romans 1:16, Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Catch that? The gospel is the power of God for salvation for believers. It’s the good news of the death, burial, resurrection of Christ that enables us to have complete salvation from our sins. We too, like Paul shouldn’t be ashamed of the gospel; we, like Paul should acknowledge the power of God alone to save man from sin.

In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul uses an everyday item to demonstrate the power of God. There he says, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” We are jars of clay (or earthen vessels) that contain the supreme power of God.

A little background into the 1st century culture really makes this illustration come alive. People in the 1st century would often hide their most valuable possessions in plain-looking clay pots. They did so in order to keep any intruders from stealing what was most valuable to them. That’s us, folks! We are “plain” and “unworthy” vessels that contain the treasure and riches of our God…in order to show that the power is His alone. If we were attractive and extravagant vessels, it would be more tempting to give ourselves the glory than our deserving God.

As we think about the growth we’ve experienced here at Midway over the past several years and months, I hope we understand that many faithful Christians have contributed to that growth. More importantly, I hope we all understand that God has been working among our actions and deeds to cause growth in our hearts and within the kingdom.

May we never forget the role of God in the growth of the church. May we always give Him the thanks. May we do what it takes to bring others to that all-surpassing power.

Have a great week!

Bulletin Article 01.14.07 — Equation for Church Growth: Water-ers

Last week, we began a discussion concerning church growth. We noticed that Paul mentions the “equation” for growth in 1 Corinthians 3:6 when he says, “I planted. Apollos watered. God gave the growth.” Last week’s point of emphasis is that we as the church need to be planting the seed of the gospel in the hearts of men. Planting is the first step in the growth of faithful Christians, and therefore also the church.

As a reminder here’s how we might simply Paul’s words into an equation:

([Paul]p + [Apollos]w)Lord = growth
or
(planting + watering)Lord = growth

The second part of the equation is just as important as the first. Just as a seed in the ground of the earth needs constant care and attention, so too does the seed of the gospel in the lives of people. Paul’s way of illustrating this care—represented by the work of Apollos—is the idea of watering. Whether it’s rain water or water from a man-made source of irrigation, in order to grow, crops must be watered. Likewise, in order for the church to grow, people must be watered as well.

Noticing this idea likely causes us to ask, “How do we water the church?” Let’s notice several ways in which we can actively be watering (and growing) the Lord’s body:

Teaching and preaching. Apollos’ role in first-century Corinth was to teach. Context bears out to us that the reason Paul includes Apollos in the equation is that the people at Corinth were pitting Paul and Apollos against each other over “who taught who” or “who baptized who.” Therefore, Paul says, “Apollos watered.” He made a significant contribution to the work at Corinth. Even though growth starts with teaching and preaching the word, still more teaching is necessary if true growth is to occur.

The lack of continual learning was a major criticism of the Hebrew writer when he wrote to what were likely Jewish Christians (Heb. 5:12-14). They had learned enough to become Christians; they hadn’t learned enough to remain as strong Christians. May we teach and preach the whole counsel of God that we might continue to build the body.

Encouragement. Not only is continual teaching of the truth a necessary component to growth, but encouraging the members of the body is necessary as well. We have no greater duty that relates to our relationships with fellow Christians than that of encouragement. Everyone needs (or would like to have) kind words and thoughts spoken to them. People need to know that we’re thinking about them and praying for them in tough times (or good times). When Christians make difficult decisions because of their faith, they need to be reinforced and commended. When someone obeys Christ through baptism or responds to the Lord’s invitation repenting of sin, we should be there to encourage them for making those steps of boldness and courage.

The New Testament is ripe with passages emphasizing Christian encouragement. Notice again the words of the Hebrew writer, “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” He says, “don’t put off encouragement! Your brothers and sisters need it!” What a perfect reminder: encourage today so that your brethren don’t fall victim to sin.

In the spring of 2004, Amanda and I were supposed to go to Haiti on a campaign; it was canceled because they overthrew the government a week before we left. As we were preparing for the trip months in advance, Jesse Robertson, who was heading up the trip, reminded us that we weren’t there just to plant; he said they needed watering as well. Sometimes, especially with mission trips, we get so focused on spreading the word that we forget the necessity of cultivating the word.

One of the reasons we’ve grown at Midway is because many have committed to being waterers. May we all commit to watering the church in the coming year.