In preparation for a pastor’s conference on spiritual gifts
a few weeks ago, I found myself studying the book of Acts. In the process, I
got thinking about the growth of the church as I read the narrative. Firstly, I
was reminded of the Lord’s faithfulness in keeping His promises to build the
church (Matt 16) and secondly, I was struck by the different ways and
circumstances the Lord used to build His church. Here are three ways the Lord
grew His church from Jerusalem to the outermost parts of the world (Acts 1:8).
1. Addition
The Lord’s charge to the disciples was that they would be
witnesses of Him throughout all the world (Acts 1:8). By this, he meant that
they would preoccupy themselves with proclaiming Christ to the world. And it is
through the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ that people are saved
from their sins and are added to the church (Acts 2:41-47). This invariably
means that the church should be intentional and diligent in proclaiming Christ
and Him crucified. Belief in this gospel message brings about a transformation
in one’s life that they live a holy life such that their lives back up their
message.
2. Removal
As the church grew in Acts, it began facing challenges that
come with growth and accompanied by the sinfulness of man. One way the Lord builds
His church is through purifying it by dealing with sin. We find an example of
this in Acts 5 with Ananias and Sapphira. The goal of purification is repentance
and restoration but sadly when this is absent, removal from the body. One
result of God’s purifying discipline is that holy fear falls upon the
believers. This further motivates holy living and fear among the children of
God.
3. Moving
Further, the Lord grows his church by moving people on.
Firstly he moves those who may be a source of distraction or hindrance to the
work. One could argue that the split between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15) was
sad but necessary at the given time for the continued growth of the work. But
positively, the Lord moves people on so that He can use them in other places in
the vineyard. One can think of the persecution that arose and scattered the
believers to other regions and also the setting apart of Paul and Barnabas
(Acts 13) From the church at Antioch to go into the mission field. What might
have seemed a considerable loss for the local church was the Lord building His church.
Conclusion
The church should be engaged in the proclamation of the
gospel wherever it is found and beyond. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the
word of God. If people are to be saved, the word must be preached. The church
should live out the truth of the gospel daily and trust the Lord of the harvest to grow His church both spiritually and
numerically for the sake of His name.
