A Growing Church (Part 4)
God shows no partiality toward people. In other words, He judges people only by the condition of their heart, not by anything else.(Acts 10:34,35) Peter found that out when God gave him the vision of the sheet lowered with all types of animals on it. Some of them were considered unclean by the Jews, but since God told Peter to eat them three times, He was showing Peter a new truth in time to go preach the gospel to the Gentiles of Cornelius's house. No person is beyond the reach of the gospel. Whoever fears God by trusting Christ as Lord by grace through faith and works righteousness that follows salvation is accepted by God. We need to hear this truth if we want God to grow our churches.
God grows churches that are obedient to Him by praying and sharing the gospel with all nations. The word nation means a people group or a population segment. Christ is the one who builds His church. He will not bless churches that are not willing to reach out to any person anywhere with the saving message of the gospel. Yes, I know it is possible to grow a "church" by human means, but that is not the growth that changes lives and transforms people. The church of Jesus Christ is for all people, no one is to be excluded who comes to believe in Him and worship the Lord.
I believe that is why many churches are not growing today. They are only willing to reach out to include people like themselves. Once the community changes, they are not willing to accept people of other races or people who have come from totally secular and pagan backgrounds. If you haven't noticed, those people are the vast majority today in our urban and suburban areas. We must love them with the love of Christ, share with them the gospel of Christ, and welcome them into full fellowship in our churches, if we want Christ to build our churches. He is waiting to see what we will do, like He waited to see if Peter would learn from the vision He sent him. What will He find in us? Will we show partiality, or will we be like God?
Tomorrow, I intend to read Acts 13-15.
God grows churches that are obedient to Him by praying and sharing the gospel with all nations. The word nation means a people group or a population segment. Christ is the one who builds His church. He will not bless churches that are not willing to reach out to any person anywhere with the saving message of the gospel. Yes, I know it is possible to grow a "church" by human means, but that is not the growth that changes lives and transforms people. The church of Jesus Christ is for all people, no one is to be excluded who comes to believe in Him and worship the Lord.
I believe that is why many churches are not growing today. They are only willing to reach out to include people like themselves. Once the community changes, they are not willing to accept people of other races or people who have come from totally secular and pagan backgrounds. If you haven't noticed, those people are the vast majority today in our urban and suburban areas. We must love them with the love of Christ, share with them the gospel of Christ, and welcome them into full fellowship in our churches, if we want Christ to build our churches. He is waiting to see what we will do, like He waited to see if Peter would learn from the vision He sent him. What will He find in us? Will we show partiality, or will we be like God?
Tomorrow, I intend to read Acts 13-15.