“How To Grow A Church”

Chris McGowan, Pastor • Sunday, July 28, 2002

I. The incredible ______________________ of the first church.

      A. In the first 25 years of the first church in Jerusalem it grew from 120 people to over _____________________ people.

II. Where did they __________________ with all those people?

“Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”                     - Acts 5:42

      A. The first church had _______________ types of meetings:

            1. Large group meetings in the _____________________ courts.

            2. Small group meetings from _____________________ to house.

III. Four _____________________ of meeting in homes.

      A. It's infinitely _____________________.

      B. It's _____________________ geographically.

      C. It's good _____________________.

      D. It promotes ______________________________.

IV. What did they ________ in those groups?

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”  - Acts 2:42-47

      A.  They had _____________________. 

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching”

      B.  They committed themselves to _____________________.

“and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread”

      C. They gave themselves to _____________________.

“and to prayer.”

      D. They cared for and met people’s _____________________.

“they gave to anyone as he had need.”

      E. They had ___________________________ events.

“and ate together with glad and sincere hearts”

      F. They were focused on reaching the __________________.

“And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

"... you are members of God's very own family ... and you belong in God's household with every other Christian."    - Ephesians 2:19

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.”                              - Hebrews 10:25