Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
10/12/97 pm
Formula For Successful Churches
Reading — Genesis 11.1-9
Church and individual growth seem to come in spurts. There appears to be times when additions are made and or plateaus of spiritual maturity are reached almost weekly. Then a certain plateau is reached and things go along on a status quo basis for a while. Then something or someone happens and movement is seen again. I believe, such is the case for this church. We appear, as a church and individually, to have reached a plateau. Now there is nothing wrong with this, except we must not ever be satisfied to stay on this plateau, or any other for EVER. Someone or something needs to happen in Bella Vista to get us moving again.
I believe it is God’s will that we grow... Both numerically and spiritually. Truth is we must either be growing or dying. There can be no middle ground.. No holding our own. The church at Laodicea was holding their own and such a state of luke-warmness was not tolerated by God. Jesus said, as a result of your holding your own, your like-warmness, I will spew you out... I will eject you from the church universal. Isn’t that what Revelation 3.16 says? I believe it is!
Now with this in mind go with me to our reading in Genesis chapter eleven. The descendants of Noah had traveled east to the plain of Shinar and settled there. This was in direct defiance of God’s command to:
- Be fruitful,
- Multiply,
- And fill the earth.
The people of the Shinar plains wanted four things... Do you see them in verse four? They wanted:
1. To build a city.
2. To build a tower that would reach heaven.
3. To make a great name for themselves.
4. They wanted to stay together... Not be scattered as God had commanded.
Now who would dare to even think that these people could pull off such a feat... Build such a tower. These folks were four or five generations removed from the flood, they were without modern technology or management skills. But when we read the text closely, we come to understand that... Yes, perhaps they could... And would! Look at verse six, The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. The King James says, nothing could restrain them. God knew that these people could be, would be successful in their efforts unless something was done to stop them.
Now church, what I want to do tonight is to take verse 6 and apply it
to the church... THIS CHURCH and to us INDIVIDUALLY.
What formula do we see here that would allow us to be successful in our endeavors as the church of Christ in Bella Vista?
FIRST, IF WE ARE TO GROW AS A CHURCH, WE MUST BE ONE... UNITED IN PURPOSE.
The first observation by God was... These people are ONE. The growth of the first church in Jerusalem was, no doubt, made possible because of their unity... Their being of one accord.
Listen to these unity statements from the early chapters of Acts:
Acts 1.14, These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Acts 2.1, And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Acts 2.46, And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.
Acts 4.24, And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord.
Acts 5.12, And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
Is there any doubt about the unity of the first church?... NO! Paul instructs the Philippian congregation and us at Bella Vista, from Philippians 2.2, Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Are we willing?
You see, Satan knows that the best way to kill the church of Christ in Bella Vista is to divide it. And let me tell you something tonight, Satan never sleeps in his resolve to divide this fellowship. He is working every moment to find a place to drive a wedge of division. And if you think that he is not working to divide us, you have your head in the sand.
Church, the best defense against division is an awareness of the possibility of it.
If I am aware, and you are aware that Satan is always working to divide; that he is always working toward disunity, then we can stop him at every turn. Now, don’t be paranoid, but be aware... And if you see or hear something that Satan could use... that would result in division... STOP IT THEN AND THERE.
Now I am not so naive to think that all of us will always agree on everything that comes along. Paul and Barnabas were not united on John Mark accompanying them on the second missionary journey, but they were united. They were brethren and they certainly didn’t split the church at Antioch with their differences.
OK, what is our purpose that we should be united on? If Jesus is the head of the body, then the body’s purpose must be the same as the head’s... Right? I mean, can a body have a different purpose than the head?... Not and it function properly. What was Jesus’ purpose?
- I came to do the will of my Father.
- I came not to be served, but to serve.
- I came to call sinners to repentance.
- I came to seek and save the lost.
Question!
- What is the purpose of this church?
- What is my purpose and yours?
Folk, our purpose had better be that of Jesus. We, as a church, have no claim to be the church of Christ in Bella Vista unless His purpose has become our purpose. Church unity in this church is not JUST in our agreeing on all points of doctrine. Church unity will occur when His purpose becomes our purpose. Then nothing... NO THING can stop us from being successful as a church.
SECONDLY, THE PEOPLE OF BABEL WERE OF ONE LANGUAGE.
They talked the same talk. Churches today that are successful are talking about the same things. I believe one of the greatest deterrents to church growth today is our own PRIVATE AGENDAS within the congregation.
- One man wants the church at Bella Vista to be known as being doctrinally sound. That’s good, we ought to be.
- Another wants us to be known as an evangelistic group. That’s great too... We can’t be the church Jesus built unless we are soul winners.
- Still another believes we ought to be known for our community benevolence. This is Biblical also.
What we must not do, Church, is focus all our attention on one of these areas to the exclusion of the other.
Question!... What was the secret in Genesis chapter 11? Communication was the secret of success on the plains of Shinar. And communication is the secret to successful church efforts in Bella Vista.
Amos asked, How can two walk together unless they agree? Church, How can we agree unless we talk. The New Testament word for this is KOINONIA...
- Fellowship,
- Togetherness,
- One anotherness,
- Having all things common.
Too many of us see fellowship as getting together to eat. Fellowship is much much more. Fellowship is speaking the same language... Talking the same talk... Walking the same walk.... Working toward the same purpose. Read the first few chapters of Acts... The church multiplied:
- 120 on Pentecost
- 3000 in chapter two.
- 5000 in chapter 4.
- That number multiplied in chapter 6.
WHY?.. Because they talked the same talk... Because they communicated with one another. Read the text... They were constantly.... Daily... In fellowship with one another. ARE WE WILLING? I know brethren today who believe themselves to be IN FELLOWSHIP with one another, but will not talk to each other... I doubt by Bible terms that they are in fellowship.
THIRDLY, THEY BEGIN TO DO.
Do you see this in verse six of our reading? Some of us in the church have:
made elaborate plans, attended seminars, gone to workshops, participated in lectureships until we have the know how to accomplish about anything we want to. But we never seem to get started.
One of the most successful efforts in the Bible was the rebuilding of the wall around the Holy City... Around Jerusalem. It was not going to be easy. There was opposition. Sanballet and his people were making it difficult for the returning remanent. But they were determined. Listen as Nehemiah gives the reason for their phenomenal success... Nehemiah 4.6, So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
I love to teach. I love preaching. I love to hear good preaching. But church, somewhere along the line, we must turn what we hear, what we have been taught into actions. Church doctrine is great. Doctrine in the Greek is didactic... That which has been taught. Church doctrine is great. But some where along the way... DOCTRINE MUST BE TURNED INTO PRACTICE.
James tells us, We must not be hearers only of the word, but doers. It seem to me, he is echoing the words of Jesus who said, If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
- It is great to hear a rousing sermon on the great commission... Into all the world. It is something else to have a mind to work... To go... To do.
- It’s great to hear sermons on serving others, but somewhere we are going to have to have a mind to work... To visit the hospitals, care for the needy, orphans and widows.
- It’s great to hear sermons about the distinctiveness of the church and the fact that we are to be peculiar people, a holy nation, a royal priesthood. But, sometime we are going to have to start to live lives of such moral purity and piety that we have distinguished ourselves as a peculiar people in today’s culture.
THEN, NUMBER FOUR, SOME GOALS NEED TO BE SET.
These people on the plain of Shinar had plans drawn. They were goal setting people. Question!... Does this church have any plans for growth in 1998?
Elders... Give this some thought. Deacons in your area of service do you have any goals set? Perhaps more to the point, do we individually, have any spiritual goals set? We do in other areas of our lives... like retirement... buying a house... establishing a career. But when it comes to the church and our spiritual lives it’s “Ce Sera... Sera. Whatever will be will be.” This was a great hit song in the 50’s: • But it is a sorry philosophy for life, and it is certainly no way to run a church.
THEN, NUMBER FIVE, I BELIEVE THESE PEOPLE HAD FAITH.
They believed they could do it... That they could build a tower to heaven. God said, they can do whatever they imagined to do, if we don’t stop them. This church started a few years ago with 30 members. Before you knew it there were 100. Now we are over 200. Do we believe we can be 500?
Our budget used to be less than $30,000. Then it was $50,000 Then almost $100,000. The last two years over $200,000. We spend a $100,000 a year in missions, preaching outside this building. Do we believe we can do more next year?
This church was built on faith. And if we grow... We will grow because of faith.
Construction on the tower of Babel was stopped because God intervened. This project was against His will. But God is not against this church. He is not against us individually... HE IS FOR US. And Paul asked in rhetoric, if God be for us who can be against us?
This church and God can accomplish anything we put our mind to that is within His will.
HERE IT IS, THE ONLY LIMITS TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS CHURCH ARE THE LIMITS SET BY OUR OWN PERSONAL FAITH OR LACK OF IT!!
I don’t know where the lesson has touched you... but if you are here tonight and want to be:
- United with a group of God’s children working in unity.
- Those talking the same talk and walking the same walk.
- Willing to work, to put God’s word into practice.
- Those with some specific goals for themselves, and as a church.
- Those who operate out of a faith in God,
Then you can, by: Faith, Repentance, and New Testament Baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins.
If we can assist you in becoming a child of God, come now, as we stand and sing.
