How Does The Lord’s Body Grow?

 The Body Grows Naturally  Many church growth plans are unnatural. Focus on programs or facilities.  The Lord’s Body is organic – made up of people. Growth plans must also be organic.

 Matthew 13:3-9  Sower sows seeds  Road infertile  Rocks too shallow  Soil untended  Good, deep, fertile, tended soil.  Crop hundred, sixty, thirty times what was sown.

 Growth happens automatically  Mark 4:26-28 – “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows – how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness…

 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth..”

 Empowered Leadership  Eph. 4: And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

 Matt. 25: “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.

 Mark 12:30 -- and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

 Acts 6:1 – Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.

 Psalm 29: Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in holy array.

 Acts 2: Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

 Matthew 9:12 – “But when Jesus heard this, He said, ‘It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.’”

 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.

 1 Peter 1:22 -- Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart…