Ask the question and pastors everywhere will flock to hear the answer. I thank God for the books, studies and seminars that have been devoted to this burning issue. But I also fear, lest many of my colleagues imagine that they can improve on the finality of what God has already said, and the reality of what God has done in the past and He can do again.

To start with from Scriptural text, Paul the Apostle remind us that when in Corinth, he “planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” (1 Corinthians 3:6).  Genuine growth is a divine work. We can manipulate numbers in the church, but only God can multiply members in the body.

I have been impressed and excited all over again with Luke’s account of the early days of the church. Take a concordance and look up such words as “thousands”, “increase”, “multiplied”, “numbers” and “multitudes” and see what the Bible means by church growth. A careful examination of these opening chapters reveals that there were at lest seven Spirit-controlled activities that characterized those Pentecostal days.

One, there was Spirit-controlled PRAISE:

“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (Acts 2:46-47)

All church life and service should flow from worship. Even their fellowship meals were marked by “gladness” (exurbent joy) and by simplicity (or transparency) of heart.

Worship times were not a stage performance by leaders or singer for a “spectator crowd.” It was rather a time of corporate sharing. (1 Corinthians 14:26; Ephesians 5:18-21; Colossians 3:16-17

Notice the verbs are plural. In our singing and our speaking we are to teach and admonish “one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” (Colossians 3:16-17)

Two, there was Spirit-controlled PRAYER:

The word “prayer” and its cognates occur a dozen times in the first few pages of Acts. The church virtually marched on its knees. Those Christians believed that “God chooses only to work through .prayer.” (Study the prayer meeting recorded in chapter 4:23-31.)

In many prayer meetings today the very spirit, substance and subsequent signs of that gathering exposes the shallowness and meaningless of our present prayer meetings and often an emphasis on man. We need to recapture what it means to be involved in Spirit-controlled prayer.

Three, there was Spirit-controlled PROFESSION:

These followers of the Lamb were known by such titles as: Disciples – over 30 times, Christians (11:16), The Way (19:9, 23, etc.). All of these are descriptive of men and women who “had been with Jesus.” (4:13) and the quality of their lives demanded a supernatural explanation.

Four, there was Spirit-controlled PROVOCATION:

We read that the disciples “went everywhere preaching the Word.” (8:4). It was a case of “every member evangelism.” No church growth method will ever substitute for this. “Each one reach one” is God’s way, and really the only good way of getting the job done.

Five, there was Spirit-controlled PROCLAMATION:

Peter preached (2:14-36); Stephen preached (7:1-54); Philip preached (8:12, 35); Paul preached (20:9, 25. 28:31).  The list could continue on; however we find Paul exhorting Timothy to “Preach the Word, be ready in season, out of season.” (2 Timothy 4:2)

Six, there was Spirit-controlled PERSECUTION:

Stephen was murdered (4:54-60), James was beheaded (12:102), amidst persecution those dear Christians rejoiced: “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they wee counted worth to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” (Acts 5:41-42)

Counterparts in our society – Surely this explains why the church has grown so phenomenally in China and why souls are being saved six times faster in persecuted countries than in all of free Europe

Many times our kind of Christianity in the west is too comfortable to count for God or encounter acts of hostility.

Seven, there was Spirit-controlled PURIFICATION:

When sin reared its ugly head in the church at Jerusalem, judgment fell. (Read carefully Acts 5:1-4). No wonder the death of Ananias and Sspphira created “great fear.” (vs.11). It also created great power and blessing. (See verses 12 -39).

Peter must have remembered this solemn incident when he wrote “for the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. (1 Peter 4:17). God can never us an unholy church.

Here then are seven Spirit-controlled activities that promote church growth. Spirit-controlled praise, prayer, profession, provocation, proclamation, persecution and purification. How many of the seven are you involved in? No, no, not others YOU.

MONDAY MORNING MESSAGE / FRED G. CHILTON