[Glen VanderKloot is the pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Springfield, Illinois. Here's the second sermon in a series he's doing on growth patterns for followers of Jesus Christ. He talks about the powerthat causes both Christians and churches to grow. It's wonderful!]A number of years ago Wendys Hamburger Chain made famous the phrase…
Where's the beef?
That phrase started being used in all types of situations to ask…
Where's the substance?
A legitimate question to ask the church today…
Where's the power?
After all Jesus promised…
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Acts 1:8 NLT
Was that promise just for the disciples? Surely the early church had power. We are told in Acts 2…
The apostles performed many miraculous signs
and wonders…
And each day the Lord added to their fellowship
those who were being saved. Acts 2:43,47 NLT
That's power! But what about us? Hasn't Jesus given us the Holy Spirit? On the day of Pentecost, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter preached quoting the prophet Joel…
I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants –
men and women alike…
Acts 2:18 NLT
In the Luther's Small Catechism as explanation of the third article of the Apostles' Creed we profess…
The Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and kept me in the true faith.
We have the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has called us to faith and given us gifts.
So where's the problem? Why is there so little power in the church today? Why are 90% of all American Christian churches either stagnant or declining? Where's the power?
Last week as we began to consider the "Growth Pattern for Disciples" we saw that to grow as disciples of Christ we need to establish our faith by becoming firmly rooted through prayer and meditation, worship, Scripture, and following the example of those who are spiritually mature. The next step is to be empowered.
It is imperative that we desire power for the right reasons.
It can't be for pride.
It can't be to make us look good or better than someone else.
It can't be so that we get others to help pay the bills.
It can't be for institutional survival.
What is the purpose of being empowered? Jesus clearly said…
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes
upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people
about me everywhere. Acts 1:8 NLT
We know that life goes better with Jesus .
We know that life is better when we are part of the community of faith.
We want others to have the same experience.
The Holy Spirit empowers us for the purpose of telling others about Jesus.
Recognize that only God can grow the Church, but God does it through us.
I cannot grow the church.
You cannot grow the church.
Billy Graham cannot grow the church.
Bill Hybels cannot grow the church.
Rick Warren cannot grow the church.
Only God can grow the church. Jesus told his disciples…
I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
Matthew 16:18 NLT
God can and will grow his church through each of us.
It is important to remember that it is not our church, it is God's church.
When we understand that it is God's church not ours, we no longer see ourselves in competition with other churches.
When we understand that it is God's church not ours, we let go of our jealousy over their growth and success.
When we understand that it is God's church not ours, we celebrate with any Christian congregation that is having success.
Cherry Hills Baptist just moved into their new building. We pray that God will bless that building and let it be a vehicle for growth of the Kingdom of God. Today Southside Christian opens a second campus in the former HPR Service Center on the far Westside. Five pastors, from four different denominations, gathered together on Tuesday morning to pray that God would bless that place and their ministry efforts.
The church of Jesus Christ is one. We will celebrate with our sister ELCA churches in town – Atonement, Grace, Luther Memorial and St. John's as God works through them.
I will be honest. This is not easy for me because sometimes I am jealous of their success. But I have learned that the more I pray for them, the less envious I am of them. Too often we have the protectiveness of Joshua and Jesus' disciples that we heard in the lessons. Instead, let us join with Moses saying…
Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all! Numbers 11:29 NLT
I have learned that in my jealousy I minimize the wonders God is doing though us. Pastor John Kelley, retired Assistant to the Bishop, raved about our Community Festival.
Pastor Kelley said…
Of all the Springfield churches, Faith is the most progressive in attempting to connect with the community and to have events that transcend racial lines. I congratulate you for it.
We celebrate that God used our Community Festival to touch the lives of individuals and plant some seeds that someday will bring in a great harvest.
We celebrate our Fine Arts Camp positively touching for Jesus the lives of 100 youth!
We celebrate that Faith sent 18 members and friends on an intergeneration mission trip to Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
We celebrate that the mission trip birthed "Linens for Love".
We celebrate that it is an idea and ministry that was developed by one of our teenagers!
We celebrate the impact of Faith's partnership with Black Hawk School and the difference we are making in the lives of these children.
We will celebrate when mega churches West Side Christian or Calvary Temple continue to grow.
And we will celebrate when one of the small black churches moves forward.
Denomination, race, economics – none of it matters – for together we are the church of Jesus Christ. Together we are the body of Christ. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians…
If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy. 1 Corinthians 12:26 CEV
We can do that only as we remember that it is Christ who builds his church.
However, God is depending on us to be…
his voice of good news,
his hands of love,
his shoulders of compassion,
his feet of service.
God wants to build his church through us.
What costs are we willing to pay?
Grace is free.
Salvation is free.
However our response is not. Jesus said…
If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me. Luke 9:23 CEV
Are we willing to put others ahead of ourselves?
Are we willing to forget about what we want?
Are we willing to take up the cross and suffer for Jesus?
Are we willing to risk rejection as we invite someone to come to worship?
Are we willing to have others call us religious fanatics?
Are we willing to wait on the Lord?
Are we willing to spend our financial resources so that others can come to faith and Faith?
Are we willing to use our gifts for the sake of others?
Are we willing to fast?
Are we willing to shut off the TV and come to pray with others for an hour?
Pastor Jim Meeks of Salem Baptist Church in Roseland, one of the poorest communities in the Chicago area, says that one of the reasons churches do not grow is a lack of corporate fasting and prayer. Where are fasting and corporate prayer on our priorities?
Consider what the disciples went through because they shared the good news of Jesus. They were imprisoned, stoned, whipped and shipwrecked. That makes our costs look pretty insignificant. What costs are you willing to pay?
Our congregation will never grow until we believe that God's power is available to us. Pastor Meeks also says that if God can empower Billy Graham, Bill Hybels and Rick Warren, he can empower us. He said…
"If you and Graham, Hybels and Warren fell off the Sears Tower, all would die. There is no suspension of the rules of gravity for anyone. Each would go splat! Even Rick Warren's `purpose driven guts' would be all over the place. God shows no favoritism."
God called Peter to go the house of Cornelius, a Gentile military captain. That was way outside Peter's comfort zone, but Peter went and later he said that he learned…
I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.
Acts 10:34 NLT
If God can grow Saddleback, Willow Creek, West Side Christian, Calvary Temple, God can grow Faith. Believe it! Pray for it!
There is power for our lives.
There is power for the church and
There is power for the church to grow.
But only when we are connected to the source of the power.
Whenever you look at a power strip, remember that the Spirit's power is there waiting for us to plug into. There is never a power failure at the source. The reason that there is no power in the church is our failure to connect to the source. Let's change that beginning today. Amen.
1 comment:
Pastor Jim Meeks of Salem Baptist Church in Roseland, one of the poorest communities in the Chicago area, says that one of the reasons churches do not grow is a lack of corporate fasting and prayer. Where are fasting and corporate prayer on our priorities?
The reason churches do not grow, especially in Roseland is because there are so many of them. No buisinesses to address the needs of the community but hundreds of makeshift churches. When I lived in Roseland there were many thriving churches but we also had businesses too!
And as far as priorities go Salem Baptist Church needs to address its own issues, including all of the broken windows on its own church.
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