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TITLE: HOW TO BUILD A GREAT CHURCH: Great Living (4 of 6)

TEXT: Matthew 5:14-16

PROPOSITION: Great churches are built on great lives.

QUESTION: What?

KEY WORD: Observations

READING: Same

1. We are not baptizing daily.

          A. Acts 2:47

          B. Acts 5:42

2. We tried –

A.    Community involvement, campaigns, exodus, filmstrips, mass media, VBS, fair booth, TV, dial-a-devotion, bus ministry, gospel meetings, debates, etc.

B.    All are good – TOOLS

C.    Tools do not build houses.

3. "Get-it-wholesale" idea is not the answer.

          A. Try to have many baptisms without work.

          B. Put ad in paper. Nobody comes.

4. NOT: buildings, organizations, programs

          BUT: GREAT CHRISTIANS BUILD GREAT CHURCHES!

5. Problem is not empty pews - empty people.

6. C. S. Lewis - "The Great Divorce"

          Separation of claim and life of Christians

          Matt. 15:8-9 Talk is cheap!

Conclusion:

WHEN CHRISTIANS PAY THEIR BILLS, CLEAN UP THEIR LANGUAGE, RAISE THEIR MORALS, CONTROL THEIR TEMPERS, ENRICH THEIR MARRIAGES, TRAIN THEIR CHILDREN, PUT THE KINGDOM FIRST, WORSHIP IN GENUINE PRAISE, THEN THE CHURCH WILL GROW.

A.    Gal. 2:20 Christ lives in me.

B.    The best proof of Christ's resurrection is a new life walking on earth.

C.    YOU ARE THE ONLY JESUS MANY PEOPLE WILL EVER SEE.


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