Necessities For Building a Church

 Temple Baptist Church - 6-7-2026

Acts 2:41-47

 

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.  I understand what time it is, but God’s people need to be busy about the Father’s business.

 

B.  The Lord is the one Who will build the church.  Psalms 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

 

C. But the Lord uses people to get the job done.  We need not sit back, 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.  Many today think that what I am and will be preaching on the subject of the local church is “Hard Preaching,” but it will be subjects that should come naturally with a spiritual people.  The key is found in verse 41.  A saved membership that became obedient to the Lord!

 

E.  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 what the first church in Jerusalem had.

 

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. 

 

Every piece of the “body” has a function, and if all do not work for the betterment of all, then part of the work of the church will not get done.

 

3.  A Burden For Souls - 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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

a.  Though God does not need our money, He chooses to use it to care for the church, the pastor, and missions.

 

b.  You do not tithe and give; the church bills go unpaid; the pastor must work a secular job; and the missions board would be blank! 

 

c.  And, if you are saved, God will not bless you!

 

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.