Acts 2:41-47

What shall we do? Shall we focus our energies on building the Kingdom of God or building the church? So often whenever there are seminars, conferences, classes, lectures, or sermons addressing the topic of church the growth the emphasis ends up being on growing the individual church versus growing the Kingdom of God. “Growth can be viewed in two ways: growing in numbers in the congregation, or growing in spiritual attributes, character, and understanding.” Make so mistake about it, we want to see this church grow, but more than that we want to see the Kingdom of God grow. We want to see individuals grow in spiritual attributes, character, and understanding, but more than that we want to see the lost saved. Which should it be: the church or the Kingdom? The two are neither in conflict or competition. It is not a question of to which one we should commit our energies and resources, but it is a question of motive.

Our motive for seeking to grow is misplaced and our strategy is just plain wrong. The church, the ekklesia, the assembly of the called out ones is not primarily evangelistic. Believe it or not, it is not the place to invite guests to hear a sermon in the hopes that the preacher will get them saved. Every believer is to be winning the lost on their jobs, in the marketplace, at their schools, in their neighborhoods, in the homes and then bringing to church to join with other believers in the assembly of the called out ones. The church then becomes the place where believers come with the ones they have won to receive instruction, encouragement, inspiration, correction, even rebuke so they can go out and win more.

Over the last several weeks I have been teaching about getting into the proper alignment. If we want to receive everything the Lord has for us, we must be in the right position. If we want to be healed or delivered, we must be in the right position. If we want to prosper and receive the manifold blessings of God, we must be in the right position. If we to be great in the Kingdom, we must be in the right position; and, it we want to see the Kingdom and this church grow, we must be in the right position. We get into the right position by committing ourselves to the doing the following four things:

1.  Change our attitudes and perspectives and see things from God’s point of view.

a. See opportunities for growth.
b. Believe in multiplication growth.
c. Believe this is the best time in history for growth.
d. Make room for the vision to be enlarged.

2. Lift up Jesus.

3. Seek God’s Kingdom first.

4. Perform the three main functions of the Church.

a. Develop the community.
b. Equip the saints to do the work of ministry.
c. Reach out to those in the kingdom of darkness.

We have made excuses for our lack of numerical growth and conversion growth long enough. The Apostle Peter preached his initial sermon and three thousand gave their lives to the Lord. In the aftermath of that great harvest these new disciples devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching, the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. They also met together in the temple as well as in their homes. They praised God and were well spoken of by the people. As a consequence their ranks swelled with people coming out of the darkness into the marvelous light. Their formula for growth was not evangelism explosion. It was not workshops on how to effectively share your faith. It was not in stadium crusades or neighborhood revivals. Those are all good things and they do produce fruit, but the greatest harvest we will ever have rests in the lost we will reach. We don’t have to look far for them. They are all around us. They are in the cubicle next to us, in the desk beside us, in the houses around us. They are living lives characterized by licentious behavior glorified by most every major media outlet, but they are ripe for the harvest.

It is time for us to take seriously our calling to reach the lost. Thank God for evangelism ministries, but they cannot do it alone. Thank God for a teaching pulpit and a passion to teach and preach the gospel, but preaching alone will not expand the kingdom. Do you want to see the Kingdom of God expanded? Then check your alignment. Are you in the right position? If not, now is the time.

© Dr. James H. Logan, Jr. – 2013