How to Experience Church Growth

The early church was a growing church. It is the will of God for the church to continue to grow. Acts 2:47 “The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 4:4 “Many of them which heard the word believed and the number of the men was about five thousand,” Acts 5:14 “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women” Acts 6:7 “And the word of God increased: and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”

What hinders the church being added to daily? Some say it is opposition. The early church faced opposition, too. Therefore, to answer the question we must determine what the early church did to yield results and compare if we are doing similar to yield a similar harvest.

Acts 2:42: “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” The early church was steadfast in doctrine. They realized the importance of fellowship together or assembling themselves together. They enjoyed meals together and prayed together. The early church accomplished these things together. In summary, the early church was a praying and fellowshipping ministry. Despite opposition it was steadfast. This type church will surmount every obstacle and conquer every foe.

Today people are more concerned with selfish desires. More attention is given to bodies than souls. Some are more concerned with saving a dollar than saving a soul. Entertaining services are more appealing than those with anointing. Too much emphasis is placed upon self and not enough on others.

The church is more skillful and organized than ever. These ingredients should add to the church and not hinder. They should never be ingredients taking the place of fellowship, breaking bread and prayer. Yet they should be tools to facilitate fellowship breaking bread, and prayer. Often we try to exist on skill, organization, and talent and omit the vertical experience of prayer. The Spirit of God or anointing is a necessary ingredient. Human relationships will never be stronger than our relationship with the Creator of humanity.

The harvest is greater than one can imagine. Vertical relationships must increase to allow for the swell of the horizontal relationships. In order to experience the results of the early church we must do as the early church did. We must continue steadfastly.

Steadfast: fixed in direction; steadily directed; firm in purpose, resolution, faith, attachment, etc., as a person; unwavering, as resolution, faith, adherence, etc.; firmly established, firmly fixed in place or position