Bible Study Blog for Wednesday, August 3, 2011
2 Chronicles 23-24; John 15
Why is our church so interested in GROWING?
Because, contrary to some Christian thought –
GOD wants us to GROW!
Jesus says:
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit.”
Bearing “Much Fruit” refers to GROWTH in numbers of people.
Jesus didn’t say:
“Follow Me and I will make you fishers of doctrine,
or fishers of spirituality.”
He said:
“Follow Me and I will make you fishers of MEN.”
Churches that don’t grow sometimes fall into the idea that their smallness is
evidence of spirituality.
Jesus says just the opposite is true.
Jesus says GROWTH happens – only when we are ABIDING in God and DEPENDING on Him:
“If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. apart from me you can do nothing.”
In fact, Jesus says a growing church is the strongest proof that people are truly
following Him:
”This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be
my disciples.”
Why is our church so interested in GROWING?
Because GOD wants us to GROW!
Have a GREAT Tuesday!
Tags: 2 Chronicles, Bayside Church Woodland, Bayside Woodland, Bible Study, John
You’re right that God wants us to grow.
Church growth takes place when each of us in the congregation is convinced that God is and that we owe Him our full attention and all our assets and time.
It seems to me like a conflict of purpose to say focus our attention on getting the Gospel to the lost around us when lack of growth is usually driven by our apathy toward the things of God in our individual lives.
If I’m not submitted to God in the daily events of my life it’s not likely that I’m going to care much about the people around me getting to a place where they are submitted to Him.
To bear fruit we’ve got to become a collective of the submitted. If I don’t let that happen in my own life (to the place where I’m spending a goodly chunk of every day in prayer and study of the Word, giving a sacrificial amount of my assets to the BW ministry where I’m dependent on Him for my short-term economic security and looking for opportunities to share the Gospel and/or invite my friends and neighbors to BW) then we’re not going to see the fruit of many souls saved.
The Holy Spirit does all the hard work, but we have an assignment to take the Gospel outside our close circle so that the Holy Spirit can do His work. Growth only happens when the Holy Spirit works through the Word of God and changes hearts. I need to have Him double in my heart, and I doubt that I’m alone.