CHARACTERISTICS OF A CHRIST-CENTERED CHURCH
Text- Acts 9:31
Introduction
Today is an important day for our church and Sunday School program. The reason why it is important is because we have set it aside to achieve 100% attendance of all those who are presently enrolled in our Sunday School program.
The history and development of Sunday School is a very interesting story. For those of you who perhaps are not aware of how Sunday School originated I would like to take a few minutes to share the story with you.
The idea of Sunday School originated in England about 1780 by a man named Robert Raikes. During that time there were no child labor laws and most children worked Monday through Saturday. The purpose of Sunday School was simply to teach these children basic learning skills. The reason why the schools met on Sunday was because that was the only day in the week the the children were not working. During this time Sunday School was not under church authority and was vigorously opposed by church leaders for many years. Dr. C.V. Eavey, Chairman of Education at Wheaton College says:
Many church leaders maintained that it was a desecration of the Lord's Day to hold a school on Sunday. And it was honestly thought by some that the Sunday School would hurt the influence of the church. A pastor in Connecticut said of a class held in his church on Sunday, "You imps of Satan, doing the Devil's work, I'll have you set in the street." Many churches throughout the land would not allow Sunday School to be conducted in their buildings. In the more enlightened communities, church officials rented church buildings to Sunday Schools until it came to be realized that the movement was of value to the cause of Christ.
It wasn't actually until the turn of the 19TH century that Sunday School was finally accepted as part of the educational program of the local church.
During the month of April our church is placing a great amount of emphasis on the need to come to Sunday School. This is one step toward achieving the goals for church growth that we have set before us this year. Today there are those who have a pessimistic attitude toward church growth.
The story is told about a man who fell into an open grave one night. It had been raining and he had taken a shortcut through the cemetery. In the dark he stumbled over a mound of dirt and fell headlong into a freshly dug grave. It was a deep grave and the rain had made the mud so slick that he couldn't get out. After trying and trying to get out and yelling himself hoarse, he finally gave up and decided to wait until dawn. Several hours later another man came down the same path through the graveyard and he too fell into the same grave. As he struggled frantically to get out, he woke up the first man with a mud-covered face and hoarse voice he said to the man who had just fallen in, "It's no use. You can't get out of here." But guess what? He did!!
As the pastor of Grace church I believe that not only does God want our church to grow and prosper, but that we can grow through his help, his power, his strength, and his guidance.
Last semester I taught on the book of acts at our local seminary. One thing that should be very noticeable to anyone who studies the book of Acts is the growth that the Lord's church experienced.
1. Acts 1:15- they numbered 120.
2. Acts 2:41- 3000 were added.
3. Acts 4:4- the men numbered 5000.
4. Acts 5:14- multitudes of men and women were added.
It is believed by some that the church in Jerusalem could have had as many as 500,000 members before it was dispersed by persecution.
I believe that one reason for this growth was because the Jerusalem church was a
Christ-centered church. As such they were actively involved in winning people to Jesus, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that Jesus had commanded.
Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord. (NIV)
Within our text we find a very basic principle that is found in all Christ-centered churches. First we find an inward or spiritual-growth and then we find an outward physical growth. As one of the Lord's churches we will not grow outwardly in number until we first grow inwardly spiritually. Nothing will ever happen on the outside, until something happens on the inside of our church.
So, this morning I would like to share some characteristics of a Christ-centered church and look at some things that the church in Jerusalem was doing inwardly that caused them to grow outwardly.