Necessities For Building A Church

Temple Baptist Church - 3-14-2010

Acts 2:42-47

Introduction:

A. The Lord wants to build His church according to Matthew 16:18. “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” It is the Lord’s desire to see the churches grow.

B. As we approach the end of time, we are seeing the “falling away” increase. Knocking on doors becomes less fruitful. I understand what time it is, but God’s people need to be busy about the Father’s business.

C. It always has been and still it the Lord who builds the church but He has chosen to use people to get the work done. We need not sit back and do nothing and expect the church to flourish. Our job is to “be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”

D. In order for a church to grow both physically and spiritually, some things have to be evident in the church.

IN ORDER TO BUILD A CHURCH THAT HONORS GOD WE MUST HAVE:

1. A Word Of God That Has Free Course And Is Glorified - 2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have [free] course, and be glorified, even as [it is] with you: (Satan hates the church that makes much of the Word of God! The religionist says that we are majoring on a minor while we are actually majoring on THE MAJOR!) Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.

a. We Must Make Much Of The Word Of God - Psalms 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

b. We Must Hear The Word Of God - Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

c. We Must Heed The Word Of God - Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

2. A Willingness To Work - Nehemiah 4:6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

3. A Burden For Souls - Matthew 9:13 But go ye and learn what [that] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Matthew 9:37-38 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly [is] plenteous, but the labourers [are] few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Luke 14:21-23 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous [is] a tree of life; and he that winneth souls [is] wise.

4. A Heart For Missions – 2 Corinthians 8:5 And [this they did], not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

Galatians 4:15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if [it had been] possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

5. An Uncompromising Stand On Both Doctrine And Separation - 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

6. A Holy Membership - Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

2 Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, [and] prepared unto every good work.

7. A Fervency In Prayer And Supplication - Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Isaiah 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices [shall be] accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8. A Fervent Love For Each Other - 1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently:

John 13:35 By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye.

9. A Sacrificial Stewardship - Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

2 Corinthians 9:6 But this [I say], He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.