Powerful Church

Acts 4;32-34, 5;12-16 

Today I want to share with you how to make powerful church 

Some pastor told to me 

We need 3 things for church growth 

1) Big parking lot 

2) Good reputation 

3) Charisma 

That is the good point but it’s not substance 

You know, many pastors want their church to grow 

They are interested in their church growth 

One of my friend pastor in Korea 

He attend many seminar for church growth 

And he read many books about church growth 

and he applied every system in his church, what he had learn 

Navigator, cell church, CCC, discipleship…… 

He applied all the system in his church and he sees no result 

His church did not really grow 

And he said ‘what happened to my church” 

He is so discouraged 

You know, the system is not the most important in church growth 

Brother and sisters 

As we read today’s passage 

The early church was so powerful 

Bible says they heal all the sick people 

Bible says ‘all’ not ‘some’ it says all 

But modern church could not heal all the sick people 

In the early church, all the demon possessed people were free 

This time, I never see all demon possessed people being freed 

But the early church was so powerful 

Even the handkerchief of Paul 

When Paul is not there, they put his handkerchief on the sick people 

And they were healed 

How about your handkerchief? 

Even the shadow of Peter’s 

When Peter’s shadow covered sick people as he pass by, they were all healed 

How about your shadow? 

You see, even shadow is useful in the early church 

And new believers added to their number every day 

How about your church? 

Are there new believers added in your church every day? 

Not only this one 

They were highly regarded by the people 

They sold their possessions and shared it to the needy 

How about you? 

Can you sell your house or lot so you can help the poor people? 

(대답 안 하는 사람, 땅이 많은 사람, 웃는 사람, 땅이 없는 사람) 

How powerful is this 

Now, read today’s passage one more time 

And find the key why the early church is so powerful. 

The answer is “Great grace” 

It is overflowing grace 

This is the main key why the early church is so powerful 

This kind of grace we need today in our church 

Only because of grace, we can do miracle 

Only because of grace, we can love one another 

Only because of grace, we increase in number daily 

Brothers and sisters 

We need more grace 

And I believe that God will give this abundant grace to you 

Because God loves you 

God will use you more mightily 

So this is what we need; the great grace 

(We have many graces in our school, Mary grace payad, Joy grace, 

That is why our school is so powerful... Joke) 

So we have to find out this one 

The great grace 

After that you can change 

Your church will change 

Did you know that in the early church, they meet every day 

How about now? 

You say to the church member “come to prayer meeting” 

But they do not come 

You say to the church member “come for bible study” 

But they do not come 

They said” I’m very busy” but they are not busy 

They watch ‘gamekanaba’ that time in the house 

Then why they do not come 

Because they have no grace 

If your members get grace, 

Maybe they want to come to church everyday 

If you have much grace you want to attend chapel everyday 

You know Grace is like drunk 

Once you get the grace, you want more and more 

It’s like being addicted 

Brothers and sisters 

We need the grace of God 

Then how do we get the grace 

In order to receive grace we need to prepare something 

Of course this is free 

But we need to prepare something 

You know why some church gets grace, some church do not 

Yes, I believe that the grace is 100% free gift 

It is totally God’s divine supreme power 

I believe God wants to pour out grace unto us 

Bible says Jesus is full of Grace 

Say to the person next to you “Jesus is full of grace” 

I’ll give you an illustration 

This is the grace 

This is free 

I want to give this to you 

Although I want to give this to you 

But in order for you to receive it, you need to prepare the vessel. 

This is free but you need to prepare something 

That is vessel 

If you have no vessel 

How can I give you? 

Yes, grace is free 

And God wants give grace all of you 

But if you do not prepare it 

How do you will get this? 

You need the vessel 

Then, what is vessel? 

I call this the substance of the church 

And this the most important factor in the church 

In another way 

You can explain like this 

This is the thing that can release your grace 

This is the most important in the church 

I call it the substance of the church 

I will explain one more time 

For example, what is the substance of the watch 

What is the most important thing of the watch 

Somebody says, all the parts of the machine are all important 

Yes, the machine is important but not the most important thing 

Somebody says, power, the battery is the most important 

Yes, the battery is important but not the most important thing 

Then what is the most important thing of the watch 

The most important thing is showing time correctly 

This is the substance of the watch 

Other things is optional 

Some watch are made by leathers 

Some watch are made by metal 

But these are only accessories, not substance 

The most important thing is showing the correct time 

We have many methods 

We have many systems 

We have many accessories 

But we have lost the substance 

That is why no grace we can expect 

Then what is this? 

what is the element to release grace? 

Now, let us comeback to the Bible today passage 

And read one more time 

and let us find 2 factors of grace 

What are the two factors? 

Chapter 4;32 “all the believers were one in heart and mind” 

Chapter 5;12 “all the believers used to meet together” NIV 

“They were all with one accord” KJV 

1st, Unity 

Meaning; build relationship 

This is the hardiest thing 

I don’t know in the Philippines but in Korea 

These days, we don’t really have relationship with each other in the church especially in the city churches 

Before, we have very good relationship with church members 

But now, they are very busy 

“Mahirap magka-isa” 

You know only unity can let the grace flow 

God said “If we brothers and sisters dwell in harmony 

What will God do? 

He will command the blessing (X2) 

We don’t have to seek 

Our job is to build relationship 

When we build relationship 

God will begin to bless. Amen? 

So let’s open to one another and make a harmony in God’s love 

Then God will pour out his grace unto you 

Bible says Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs 

(Pro. 10;12) 

Brothers and sisters 

When we have Jesus festival we play the unity 

Not only play also practice 

Unite with God’s love and care each other 

Then great grace will upon you 

Now let’s go to the second element 

How we can release grace 

today’s passage in chapter 4:33 

“the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus 

“the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus” 

So what is the second element? 

The bible says “the apostles Paul give witness.” 

What is the meaning of giving witnesses? 

Somebody only can give witness, if they experience God. amen? 

So what is apostle Paul experienced? 

He experienced power of the cross and resurrection of the Lord 

We do not experience Jesus, we cannot testify Jesus 

Brothers and sisters 

We know about God but we do not experience God 

Do you know the difference with knowing and experiencing God? 

I will give one illustration 

In Korea, there is one people, he knows about woman very well 

He’s thesis was about woman 

If there is discussion program he always invited 

And he said. Lady is like this like this …. 

He knows woman more then the woman 

But you know the problem is 

Everyday, he quarrels with his wife 

You see knowing and relationship is different 

We can know about God without having relationship with him 

So we must not only know about God 

But also we have to experience God 

You know many times, we worship together 

Having bible study, many activities 

But no more experience God 

And what happened, no grace 

Because the bible says 

“Grace only flow when we experience Jesus Christ.”  

Bible says in the book of John chapter 1 

Moses gave law 

But Jesus gave grace upon grace. Amen? 

So when you experience Jesus, the grace will come to you 

You know we sing to praise to god 

We worship God 

But we do not experience God 

When we sing to praise maybe we cry 

But when we repeat the song 

Maybe we sing with the yawn 

We have bible study. Study, study, study 

But our life is not change 

You know, what is the sign that we encounter Jesus 

Our lives will be changed from glory to glory 

Paul prophesied in the last days (2 timothy 3;5) 

The church will have a form of godliness, 

form of worship, form of activity 

But they denied the power 

What kind? 

The power of Godliness 

What is the power of Godliness? 

The power that change our lives as we encounter Jesus 

So God wants you to encounter Jesus 

Which activities do not lead us to encounter Jesus 

We will close it in the name of Jesus 

God is so real 

God is so alive 

God change my life when we experience Jesus Christ. 

So I want all of you have grace of God through unity and experience 

Then you will change 

Your church will change 

Your church will become powerful 

This is the key of substance about powerful church. 

Amen.