What Makes a Church Great? Part 2
Acts 4:33
Acts 4:33.
33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.
1.THEY HAD A GREAT PURPOSE
2.THEY HAD GREAT PREACHING
3.THEY HAD GREAT POWER
One common theme that goes through the whole Church is Attitude!
Attitudes are contagious, the question is : Is yours worth catching.
I have managed to change the attitude and atmosphere as well in less than 3 hours in the past weeks. We have gone from happy to solemn, How you might ask by showing an attitude of solemnest and you caught it. We can make a difference in the life of others and the life of the Church by how we act (our attitudes).
Wee need to look at our attitude and see if it needs improvement!
Ephesians 4:23-24
23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Philippians 2:4-5
4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
IV. THEY HAD GREAT PERSECUTION
It is sad that those who do the work of God upon the earth
are persecuted, but this is history. Christians have always been
persecuted. Jesus said to His disciples,
(33“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”John 16:33).
The Apostle Paul promised,
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; (II Tim. 2:12).
These early Christians went through deep waters, and eleven of the twelve apostles were killed in a violent way. When people really go all out to please God, there will be criticism and threatening, as there was in the early New Testament church.
And the blood of millions of Christian martyr’s was shed, and continues to be today…this concept may soon come to a country near you!
And today, tho’ Christ doesn’t ask us to die for Him, He does ask us to live for Him, which still involves paying a price of persecution.
2 Tim. 3:12
12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
If you aren’t being booed at all…you’re not in the game!
V. THEY HAD GREAT PEOPLE
The people in this early Christian group were those willing
to give up their very life’s work. Peter left his nets and
followed Jesus. James and John were willing to forsake their
fishing business and become fishers of men. These folk were
willing to give up their wealth. Barnabas sold his house and
laid his money at the offering table to be used for the work of
God. They were willing to give up their very life. Stephen was
willing to lay down his life in the street and give up his soul
unto the Lord.
What a blessing to look out over the congregation of people
at our church and see those who have been willing to do these
very same things to further the cause of Christ. It takes great
people to make a great church. So many sacrifice every week, day after day, to see God’s church here succeed! We’re blessed w/ a faithful people that make every effort to come out to every service…thank you! We have a great message, a great mission, and great members.
A church is people, not a building. We have a great people, and that makes up a great church!
VI. THEY HAD GREAT PRAISE
46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46,47).
As miracles took place, such as the healing of the blind man at the gate of the beautiful Temple, all of the people joined him in praising God. David must have caught the spirit of this when he wrote Psalm 107. Five times he cried out in that Psalm, "Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"
There ought to be great praise for God, for the Gospel, and forHis goodness. How good God is! But the world is bad. So there ought to be great praise for His grace to get us thru this world.
One shabby little old lady with gray hair listened to the testimonies of people in the church about the goodness of God.
She stood to her feet and said, "I don’t have much of this world’s goods. My health is not so good. I only have two teeth, one up and one down; but, praise God, they meet together!" This certainly
ought to be the attitude of all true Christians.
There is always
something to be thankful for. A good, positive attitude of gratitude will keep this a great church!
VII. THEY HAD GREAT PROMISES
These people had a promise of Heaven, and so do we. These
people had a promise of the Holy Spirit, and so do we. They had
a promise of genuine happiness, and so do we.
25And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. (I John 2:25).
Thousands of promises in the Bible are for your benefit and mine.
Surely the need of this day is to analyze carefully these seven great things that this great early church had, and apply them to our situation, that we, too, might always have a great church for our great God
I. THEY HAD A GREAT PURPOSE
II. THEY HAD GREAT PREACHING
III. THEY HAD GREAT POWER
IV. THEY HAD GREAT PERSECUTION
V. THEY HAD GREAT PEOPLE
VI. THEY HAD GREAT PRAISE
VII. THEY HAD GREAT PROMISES
