Church Growth Strategy

Have you ever had a time with the Lord in His word where you're like, "I know I've read this book before, but THIS verse, I don't ever remember reading this! This is GOLD!" 

I had that very thing happen to me today while reading and underlining through the book of Acts. I got to Acts 9, which is the conversion of Saul and about 3/4 of the way through is verse 31:

"So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up.  And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied." 

This is how I've learned the Lord works! He gives you nuggets of gold here and there, as if to specifically encourage or challenge you in response to your concern or prayers of late.  Lately, I've been troubling myself and worrying about how or what we can do as a church to grow and not get stale or stagnant.  I feel often like we have planted in a desert and soon our water is going to run dry.  How foolish was I to think that the end result of growth of our church was all of my or our leadership's doing? I knew that at a surface level, sure, but deep down, I've been convicted of trying to be in control of our growth, to "keep the momentum" going, to do everything I can to make sure people are walking through the doors.  

So I have my time with the Lord this morning and read Acts 9:31 and realize in the most loving way that the Lord is saying, "doofus, chill. Rest in me and grow your fear and find comfort in the Holy Spirit." Is there a role that I can play in the growth of our church? Yes, but it's in cultivating my fear of the Lord and comfort in the Holy Spirit and relying on the Lord to multiply; not fancy lighting, not catchy logos or series titles, and yes, not even billboards.  All of those things are ways we ultimately respond to our growing fear of the Lord and comfort in the Holy Spirit who challenges us in our MISSION. Those things in themselves, when not motivated by a fear of the Lord and the gospel mission, are just that: things.  

The early church was growing and "multiplying" greatly because of their walking in the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 1:7  "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." 

Psalm 111:10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!"

So, I have been challenged. I have been convicted. I have been empowered now to find my comfort in the Holy Spirit and see our church grow and seek to cultivate in our people to "walk in the fear of the Lord."

So... How's that going for you? I'm a work in progress. 

Psalms for the Simple (8 of 150): Praise

Hey all,
If there were a Psalm that I wish I could have branded on the frontside of my brain to be the first thing I think about when I wake up, I think it would be this one.  Psalm 8 is a GREAT way to wake up and commit your day to the Lord.  If you will, let me convince you of this.
Themes by verse:
Verse 1: The name of the Lord is majestic and greater than any other name in history, PERIOD. In Philippians 2:9-11 says "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus ever knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  Interesting point: The name of the Lord brings God glory, "you have set your glory above the heavens." No thing, and no one can take God's glory from him, it is out of our reach, yet so overwhelming that it drops us to our knees when we think of how it was displayed through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in our place on account of OUR sin! God is glorified and his name is made great because of his grace.
Ok that was verse 1.  This post could get VERY long if I'm not careful.  I want to challenge you to read this Psalm and think through them in this way: theme it out verse or section by section.  Even write in your margin if you want to remember your time with the Lord and what he was teaching you.
Verse 2 is interesting. What do babies and infants have to do with strength against foes? According to my ESV study bible, this could be a reference to the people of Israel being compared to the majesty of the Lord and how it doesn't matter the size or strength of the actual person/people, but more so what they are praising.  I say praising here because it says that God has established strength out of the "mouths" of infants.  I looked into this a little more and saw that the Septuagint uses a greek word for "strength" that means "strength attributed to God in song."  In other words, the people of Israel are, out of their mouths, though small and infantile they are compared to God, proclaiming the strength of God. It's praise. And when your strength rests in the Lord, your enemies are nothing, and thus are "stilled."  Interesting eh?!
How are you proclaiming the Lord as your strength today, this week? Do you trust the Lord with your concerns? Do you recognize yourself as infantile and minuscule compared to our amazingly great God? And do you know that your size or inferiority doesn't prohibit you from a relationship with him? God opened that door to us through Jesus Christ who paid the price of our sin on the cross.  He is the reason we can, though inferior, proclaim HIS strength in our lives.  Do you know Jesus?! That's paramount to this whole discussion.
Verse 3-8 is a great description and declaration of the coming (now come) Messiah Jesus.  Read that and see how he is ruler over all things and the only one in scripture who is worthy of Glory and Honor. He is the only one who is given dominion over the works of God's hands. Jesus is ALL over this section.
The Psalm finishes just like it started, (we call this bookending, there's a bigger name for it, but I can't recall it off hand.) Verse 9: The name of the Lord is the greatest and most majestic name in all of history and even before time, period.

I guarantee you start your day off with this in mind, you will have a proper perspective to your day. If you're ambitious, commit this whole Psalm to memory and have it playing through your mind on repeat all day. You cannot be shaken when you are pursuing the Lord, and when you are "bumped" with the stress and trials of this life, you spill what you are full of.  Make your life full of praise to God for the sending of his Son Jesus who saves you.

Have a blessed day!