Can we grow again?
Introduction
A. Statistics about churches from Christian Chronicle.
http://www.christianchronicle.org/article/church-in-decline-u-s-culture-to-blame
2015
Churches: 12,300 -874
Attendants:
1,519,695 -165,177
1990
Churches: 13,174 13,174
Attendants:
1,684,872 1,684,872
1926
Churches: 6,226
Attendants:
563,828
1906
Churches: 2,649
Attendants:
207,555
B. Match with most other religious groups - decline
C. There is no doubt that numbers are important. They are important to God (Acts 2:41,47), and so they should be important to us, on the other hand however, numbers are not everything.
Discussion
I. Remove the following:
A. The thought of “I remember when we had x numbers back when.
a. those were the good old days”—we don’t go to heaven on what has happened in the past, the past can keep us from doing what we know we ought to be doing if we let it
b. Haggai 2:1-4—read—some in the days of the prophet Haggai refused to continue in the work of rebuilding the temple after return from captivity, the problem they had was they were lamenting that it was nothing compared to the grandeur of Solomon’s. The work had stopped due to their lamenting, yet God encouraged them to be strong for He was with them—yes we can be discouraged when dwelling on the past.
B. The thought that “few is insignificant”
1. Remember the principle of Matthew 18:20—regarding fellowship: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”—whether we are 2 in number or 2000 we are not insignificant because we enjoy fellowship as brethren and with Christ
2. Remember also that God has always used relatively ‘few’ to accomplish great tasks
a. God used Moses—ONE man
b. God used Noah—ONE man
c. God sifted Gideon’s army from thousands all the way down to 300 to bring about the defeat of Israel’s enemies (Judges 7 and 8)
d. God used Jesus—ONE and ONLY BEGOTTEN Son—to bring about our salvation through His death on the cross (Jn. 3:16)
e. Jesus chose 12 apostles to preach the good news of salvation initially in the 1st century
f. God can use you and I to accomplish good things for Him by our service to Him.
C. The thought that ‘few is the result of failure”
a. If this is the case then Noah was the biggest failure to ever live since he and his family were the ONLY ones saved on the ark—8 souls.
D. The thought that ‘bigger is always better”—
a. Gideon’s army—it was huge, but in God’s sight it was too big
b. Bigger doesn’t mean better or more faithful
II. Remember
A. Those sick OF the congregation==those who leave unhappy—yet remember they are brethren—as Christians we think of them, pray for them, encourage them.
B. Those sick IN the congregation==think of all who are unable to be in attendance due to illness who would love to be in attendance
C. Those who are sick AMONG the congregation—be encouraged by their presence—remember as we come together we are exhorting and provoking one another unto love and good works (Heb. 10:24,25)
D. Those who are AWAY from the congregation traveling / visit family / vacation
III. Recognize
A. The gospel is God’s drawing power (Jn. 12:31—“And I, if I, be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me”; Jn. 6:44,45—drawn by teaching; Rom. 1:16—the gospel of Christ—God’s power to save men)
B. That God gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:6; Acts 2:47)
C. That it takes time, effort, persistence, patience and prayer in bringing the lost to Christ
D. That the message cannot be changed
E. That true growth does not occur through appeasing the fleshly desires
F. That growth begins with personal, spiritual growth (1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18; 2 Cor. 10:15
G. That to solely look at ‘numbers’ from a physical perspective is to fail to consider the ‘soul’
H.
That the salvation of one soul makes all our efforts worth it.
(Lk. 15:10).