A Growing Church (Part 9)
I hope the Lord has spoken to you about having a growing church, as we have read through the book of Acts. I know there are many other points that could have been made, but as we close out this book and our insights into a growing church, I want to share one more important characteristic. A growing church does not get discouraged when people reject the gospel message, they keep going and keep sharing with all who will listen, leaving the results to the Lord.(Acts 28:28,29) Let's think about what Paul told the Jews here.
It was God's plan to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the Jews first, then the Gentiles.(Romans 1:16) The Jews were God's chosen people, whom God had blessed and worked through for all of the Old Covenant times. Paul was a Jew. However, when the Jews rejected the gospel for the most part, Paul declared plainly that the salvation of God had been sent to the Gentiles, and they would hear it. Paul was not upset. He did not give up on witnessing and preaching to Jewish people. He was only making it clear that there were many others for whom Christ died, and since the Jews had heard the saving gospel, Paul was going to others who had not heard. He did this in every city, not just in Rome.
The implications for us today are easy to see. Yes, we begin by sharing the gospel with people like us, people with a background of church and the Bible. However, we do not stop there. We do not let the lack of fruit from unconcerned people keep us from bearing fruit from others, who are not like us, and may never have even heard of the gospel before. In all of this, we know that the Lord can and will save anyone who humbly repents of their sins and trust Christ as their Lord and Savior. We do not know who will listen and respond. Therefore, we have to keep sharing and not get bogged down, when one group of people does not respond. That is how to grow a church, abundant sowing of the seeds of the gospel to all who will listen. Then, God gives the increase.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Romans 2-4.
It was God's plan to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the Jews first, then the Gentiles.(Romans 1:16) The Jews were God's chosen people, whom God had blessed and worked through for all of the Old Covenant times. Paul was a Jew. However, when the Jews rejected the gospel for the most part, Paul declared plainly that the salvation of God had been sent to the Gentiles, and they would hear it. Paul was not upset. He did not give up on witnessing and preaching to Jewish people. He was only making it clear that there were many others for whom Christ died, and since the Jews had heard the saving gospel, Paul was going to others who had not heard. He did this in every city, not just in Rome.
The implications for us today are easy to see. Yes, we begin by sharing the gospel with people like us, people with a background of church and the Bible. However, we do not stop there. We do not let the lack of fruit from unconcerned people keep us from bearing fruit from others, who are not like us, and may never have even heard of the gospel before. In all of this, we know that the Lord can and will save anyone who humbly repents of their sins and trust Christ as their Lord and Savior. We do not know who will listen and respond. Therefore, we have to keep sharing and not get bogged down, when one group of people does not respond. That is how to grow a church, abundant sowing of the seeds of the gospel to all who will listen. Then, God gives the increase.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Romans 2-4.