developing a great church

DEVELOPING A GREAT

Matthew 13:31-33 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which

indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its

branches." 33 Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in

three measures of meal till it was all leavened.“

A GREAT CHURCHA. A great church must be great in the eyes of the

Lord not man.1. Isaiah 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your

thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

2.Luke 16:14-15 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

A GREAT CHURCHA. A great church must be great in the eyes of the

Lord not man.3. Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to

Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

A GREAT CHURCHB. A great church is not necessarily great in

numbers.1. Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter by the narrow gate;

for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

2. Luke 13:23-24 23 Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, 24 "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

3. Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.“

I. DEVELOP A “JESUS IS LORD” ATTITUDE

A. Jesus is the foundation

1. Mat 16:18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

2. 1 Cor 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.


B. Jesus is the head1. Ephesians 1:22 And He put all things under His

feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

2. Colossians 2:8-10 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.


C. Jesus is our example

1. 2 Timothy 1:13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

2. Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

II. DEVELOP A “SERVING” ATTITUDE

A. Serve the Lord - Josh 24:15 “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

B. Serve as Jesus did - Mat 20:28 “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

II. DEVELOP A “SERVING” ATTITUDE

C. Serve by doing good - Acts 10:38 “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

D. Serve everyone - Mark 9:35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

III. DEVELOP A “KINGDOM FIRST” ATTITUDE

A. Ahead of personal needs - Haggai 1:4-11 "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?" 5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways! 6 "You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes." 7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified," says the LORD. >>>


9 "You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the LORD of hosts. "Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.“


B. Ahead of physical needs - John 6:27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

C. Ahead of material needs - Mat 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

D. Ahead of feelings - Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

E. Ahead of other relationships - Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.“

IV. DEVELOP A “STUDIOUS” ATTITUDE

A. To keep sin out of your life - Psa 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!

B. To keep from destruction - Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.


C. To be approved by God - 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

D. To grow spiritually - 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?


E. To defeat Satan - Eph 6:10-18 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. {11} Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. {12} For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. {13} Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. >>>


{14} Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, {15} and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; {16} above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. {17} And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; {18} praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints;

V. DEVELOP AN “EVERYONE IS WATCHING” ATTITUDE

A. Stay in the light - Ephesians 5:8-11 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10

finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

B. Share the light - 2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

V. DEVELOP AN “EVERYONE IS WATCHING” ATTITUDE

C. Show the light - Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

D. Light the world - Philippians 2:14-15 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

V. DEVELOP A “SOUL WINNING” ATTITUDE

A. It is wise - Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.

B. It is commanded - Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

V. DEVELOP A “SOUL WINNING” ATTITUDE

C. It is continual - Acts 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

D. It is privately and publicly - Acts 20:20 “how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,

E. It is passed on to others - 2 Tim 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

DO YOU HAVE THE ATTITUDES WHICH WILL DEVELOP A GREAT CHURCH?A. A Jesus is my Lord attitude?

B. A serving attitude?

C. A kingdom first attitude?D. A studious attitude?

E. An everyone is watching attitude?

F. A soul winning attitude?

HAVE A BRIGHT, SHINING WEEK

Spiritual

developing a great church