How a Church Grows

How a Church Grows
Ephesians 4 December 30, 2018
Introduction:
A. I remember a number of years ago when I driving into church to pick up my
paycheck when one of my daughters said “This is pretty cool – you just work one
day a week and you get paid for that”
B. There are so many misconceptions about a church, for example who are the
ministers at MVC? How does a church growing? Is every person important?
Where is the church? When is the church working?
C. This morning I want to look at a passage that help us think more clearly about
some of these issues.
• Turn in your Bibles to
I. Ephesians 4
A. Paul wrote this letter to the church in Ephesus to remind them of the riches they
have in Christ, that in Christ they are now one community of both Jews and
Gentiles and then to instruct them how to walk in light of this!
1. Here is chapter four he focuses upon our unity in Christ, especially our walk
together as a church community carrying out the mission that Jesus gave to
us.
B. Let’s start by looking at the roles as seen in v11-12
1. Read
2. Note in v11 he talks about the fact that Jesus gave different ministers of His
Word to the church –
a) the apostles and prophets build the church with God’s Word,
b) the evangelists minster God’s Word to the lost
c) the pastors and teachers minister God’s Word to the believers
3. In v12 tells us the purpose of these ministers of God’s Word – It is to equip –
prepare and train the saints. Read v12
4. For what are they preparing the saints, believers, and lay people?
a) Read 12b
b) The work of service or literally the work of ministry.
5. My job or role in God’s program for his church is that I would prepare and
train you to do the ministry! When you do look what happens –
a) Read 12c
b) Equipped saints doing the ministry build up and strengthen the church.
C. Then in v13-15 he tells us what the church is being built up to, what we are
growing up into.
1. Listen as I read v13 “Until we all….” our job will not be done until we all
achieve what follows:
a) Unity of the faith – we all understand this book
b) Knowledge of the Son of God – We all have a living and real experience
of Jesus in our daily lives
c) Mature man – we all are established, developed and mature
d) The measure of the stature … fullness of Christ – we all become more
and more like Christ.
2. When we move in this direction listen to what it results in –
a) Read
b) That simply means we are able to stand strong and not be knocked
around by false teaching, men’s gimmicks and Satan’s schemes!
3. He summarizes it all in v15 – We are all becoming more and more like Jesus
in more and more areas of our life
D. Sounds like there is still a ways to go at MVC – our job is not done until we all
reach this place. How is that going to happen?
1. Listen to v16 “… every …. Each individual….”
2. Simply this verse teaches us that what causes the growth of the church is
when every person is fully engaged doing the part that Jesus has designed for
him or her to do.
II. Application
A. This passage answers many of our opening questions
1. Who are the ministers at MVC? According to this verse, every believer in
Christ is a minister not just the pastors or staff people!
2. How does a church grow? - The church grows when the believers take the
things they have learned in God’s Word, live it out and take it to others!
3. Is every person important? The church will not grow the way God intends
unless every person is fully engaged; doing the part that Jesus has designed
for them to do.
4. Where is the church? - Since the church is people and not a building - right
now the church is gathered at 6300 w 127th Street but this afternoon it will be
scattered through the southwest portion of Chicago. During the week we will
be scattered throughout Chicago and the country as we go to work, school,
play, travel with vacation and work, etc.
5. When is the Church working? No, it is not just one day a week on Sunday
morning and during not only official programs of the church but also
whenever a member of MVC church does anything in the name of Jesus at
any time of the day or day of the week any place they go. Then in essence,
MVC is always working wherever its people go!
B. Simply you are MVC, you are the ministers of MVC, and you are very important
to MVC, you are the key to MVC growing. Whenever and wherever you are
living for Jesus, MVC is at work!
C. Because of you MVC is working: (Start Slide show of Ministries)
1. On Monday night, 45 junior high students come to our House ministry and an
average of 65 high school students come to our Revolution ministry within a
week. They ministered to by 32 people who serve in these ministries with
approximately 35% of those kids who do not know Jesus.
2. On Tuesday morning, at Coffee Break, an average of 80 women of all ages,
from various churches, meet to hear God’s Word taught and to connect with
one another for support. There are 35 women involved in ministering there
3. On Wednesday night we have about 40 kids coming to Kidz club where 16
people minister to these children and about 60% of them do not know Jesus
and are from the local community
4. Thursday morning at Precepts about 55 women from various churches, of
varying ethnic and economic groups and various stages of spiritual growth
gather together to learn how to study God’s Word in depth.
5. Thursday afternoon there are teams of people who go to Roseland to the
Agape Center to prepare a meal for the students and staff. Here the exciting
part – this ministry is an outreach ministry of our Widows’ Connection group
at MVC. They have cooked for as few as 30 and as many as 90. Fourteen
people from here make that ministry possible
6. On Thursday night
a) Around 30 college age kids meet together and are ministered to by four
people as they seek to navigate this stage of life
b) We average about 25 addicts and codependents who are ministered to by
four people regarding their habits, hurts and hang-ups. About 20% of
them do not know the Lord
c) We also average about 23 men from surrounding communities, primarily
the hood, who come to play basketball and hear God’s Word presented
to them in a way that connects with them. One man runs this ministry
by himself and about 98% of them are lost
7. Friday night is
a) Grief Share where three people minster to an average of 4-7 people who
are grieving the loss of loved ones in their lives. Close to 80% of those
who come through do not know the Lord
b) Five people from MVC go to IIT to minister to about 55 Chinese
scholars studying at universities here in Chicago. The purpose of this
time is to examine the claims of Christ. 100% of those who have come
are lost with about 20% of them getting saved. We have been so blessed
to witness some of their baptisms here and having some of them
attending here every week!
8. Every other Saturday morning and throughout the week there are studies for
men with about 50 men ministered to by five men helping them connect with
God, His Word and other men.
9. On Sunday morning during the second hour Pastor Clem and about 12
volunteers minister to about 30 seniors as they drink deeply from the Word of
God.
10. And that only scratches the surface of what so many of you are doing every
day as you walk with Jesus ministering to those around you both saved and
lost, young and old, rich, poor and in between, family, friends, classmates,
coworkers, neighbors, etc.
D. Bottom line, MVC is alive and at work constantly because wherever you go and
whenever you are doing something in Jesus’ name MVC is at work!
• I want to close by acknowledging two of the people who have helped MVC make a
big impact.
III. Appreciation
A. I would like to ask Keith Buell and Diana Fernandez to come up here for just a
few minutes.
B. Gratitude from me
C. Gift from Mike Kubo
D. Diana or Keith like to say anything.
E. Reception afterwards.