Not a church growth program

Acts 5:12-16

If God chose to put to death, in your local church, those who have contrived evil or misleading deeds in their hearts so as to gain attention or to draw people to themselves, who would be missing next week from the worship services?  For some strange reason my name did not pop up in my mind, what about you, and there may be the problem.  We do not live in a culture that looks inward and yet the Scriptures are crystal clear to first look inward, to take the log out of our eye so as to see the speck in your brother’s eye.  Why do we not look inward, why do we not examine ourselves as instructed in Scripture?  “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV) 

If Ananias and Sapphira had just followed the instructions, if they had taken the test, would they not have seen that their actions were evil, so it’s a good thing to look first into your heart, do you realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? 

I’ve never been part of a church growth program that the body of believers met and prayed that the Lord would kill a few posers, so that the awe of God would fall on all who heard the account.  If you are part of that local church and that prayer meeting is scheduled, please make sure you first examine yourself.  This is doctor Luke’s report on what took place in this early church after the death of Ananias and Sapphira; “Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.” (Acts 5:12-16)

 Before you adopt this church growth program, it may be wise to once more read Dr. Luke’s account; “None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.”  If your goal was to grow your local church, it may not be the best of plans, because you can read, and it did not work well for that small group of believers.  But the Church, the body of Christ, exploded and people came from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing all who needed what only Jesus Christ can do in the bodies and hearts of men, and what happened?  Some of them were healed!  Now that is just wrong, Dr. Luke reports they brought the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were “ALL” healed.

The greatest things happen to those in Christ when they examine themselves, because God is always true to Himself, the Spirit of truth will guide you into truth, and truth is found in this, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV)  Acting like who you are, will change those around you, and it frees the Holy Spirit to use your life to the glory of God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice