14
“Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes.” Isaiah 54:2 NKJV
“Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the
curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.” Isaiah 54:2 NKJV
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
Matthew 28:19
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8
The Early Church grew and multiplied
Acts 5:14 “And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,”
Acts 6:1 “And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied,”
Acts 6:7 “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”
Every member is needed
Eph. 4:16 “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
Human body used to illustrate the church
Every member working in his place
Matt. 25:14-30 - parable of the Talents
Be Optimistic
Expect Growth
Think positively
Desire to grow
Planted
Watered
Prepared
Expect the church to Grow and work to help it grow
Church started with 3,000
Set Goals - then work to achieve those goals.
Think Souls
Each member must be strong
Endure persecutionActs 5:41-42 - counted worthy to suffer shameMatt. 5:10-12 - blessed are the persecuted
Love for one another holds us togetherHeb. 10:24 “to provoke unto love and to good works”Phil. 1:9-10 “that your love may abound yet more and
more in knowledge”
Strengthen self first
Do more to grow stronger - read your Bible, attend, pray, work
Jude 20 “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,”
Eph. 6:11 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
“Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes.” Isaiah 54:2 NKJV
Stretch out the curtains
Lengthen your ropes
Strengthen your pegs
Preach the word
Plan to grow
Everyone be strong
Sermon by Arthur Pigman
Evans Church of Christ
515 Gibbs Road
Evans, Ga. 30809
706-855-1249
[email protected]@bellsouth.net
www.evansgachurchofchrist.orgwww.evansgachurchofchrist.org
Sunday Morning July 10, 2011
