THE CLOSER YOU GET THE MORE YOU GROW!

INTRODUCTION:

A. The growth of the church is directly proportional to the closeness her members enjoy with Christ.
B. Spiritual stagnation is common place in today’s church.

I. THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO CHURCH GROWTH.

A. God is the cause of church growth (1 Cor. 3:6; Jas. 1:17; Ps. 147:8; 127:1).
B. God brings about church growth through His word (Rm. 1:16; Lk. 8:11; 1 Cor. 1:21; Acts 12:24; 19:20).
C. God uses His people as instruments to deliver His message to the world (Mt. 28:19-20; 2 Cor. 4:7; Eph. 4:15-16; Lk. 19:10).

II. WHERE DO YOU STAND IN RELATION TO CHRIST?

A. There are hardcore members in the body of Christ.
1. These seek to live as close to Jesus as possible (Mt. 6:33; 22:37-39; Jn. 15:4).
2. These express their love for God by their actions (Jn. 14:15; Gal. 5:6).
3. These store up God’s word in their hearts (Col. 3:16; 2 Tim. 2:15).
4. These are developing the mind of Christ (Ph. 2:5).
B. There are inner fringe members in the body of Christ.
1. These are looking for a “comfortable” place to work and worship.
2. These do not bother to reach out or get involved in the work of the Lord.
3. These can express love for God, but do not demonstrate such in daily service to Him (Mt. 7:21; Lk. 6:46).
4. These are straddling the fence between true devotion and outright unfaithfulness (Mt. 12:30; Rev. 3:15-16).
C. There are outer fringe members in the body of Christ.
1. These would have been better off never having known the way of God (2 Pet. 2:21; Mt. 24:12).
2. These have forsaken their spiritual responsibilities (Heb. 10:25-27; 1 Pet. 2:2; Heb. 4:2).
3. These are more vulnerable to the world’s temptations (1 Jn. 2:15-17; 1 Pet. 2:12; Ph. 2:14-16).

III. HOW DOES ALL THIS RELATE TO THE GROWTH OF THE CHURCH?

A. The closer you get to Jesus, the more you grow!
B. Where do I begin?
1. Begin with God.
2. Get into His word (2 Pet. 3:18).
3. Accept your responsibility in the kingdom of the Lord.
C. On the Day of Judgment, all that will matter is our relationship to Jesus
(2 Th. 1:7-9).