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1、ChurchGrowthLesson153BoundtoGrow“ButthewordofGodgrewandmultiplied”(Acts12:24).JoyfulWayInc.isayouthministrywithemphasisonmusicandmissions.TheyrecentlyhostedaconcertcelebratingthirtyyearsofministryinGhana,WestAfrica.Closetotheendoftheperformance,ayoun
2、gmangaveaten-minutepresentation.Throughouthisnarrationoftheministry’shistory,herepeatedlysaid,“Aseedsowningoodsoilisboundtogrow!”ActsrecordstheexplosivegrowthofthechurchfromJerusalemtotheuttermostpartsoftheworld.Thisaccountofthechurch’sfirstthirtyyea
3、rsdetailnotonlyitsgrowth,butalsoitssetbacks,victories,andprogress.Theseedlingchurchwasdestinedtobeapowerfulforceinitsworld.Why?“Aseedsowningoodsoilisboundtogrow!”C.PeterWagnerinYourChurchCanGrowconductedastudyonchurchgrowthintheBookofActs.Whathappene
4、dwhentheseedwassowningoodsoil?PeterspreadtheseedthroughpreachingtheWord.Heconcludedhismessagebyinstructinghislisteners,“Repent,andbebaptizedeveryoneofyouinthenameofJesusChristfortheremissionofsins,andyeshallreceivethegiftoftheHolyGhost”(Acts2:38).“Th
5、entheythatgladlyreceivedhiswordwerebaptized:andthesamedaytherewereaddeduntothemaboutthreethousandsouls”(Acts2:41).ItwasevidentthattheLordwasworkingwiththem,confirmingHisWord.(SeeMark16:20.)TheearlychurchdeterminedtopleasetheirLord,winsoulsforHiskingd
6、om,andtoreachheaven.Thoseconvertedcontinuedin:·Apostle’sdoctrine·Fellowship(membership,participation)·Prayer·Unity·Praisesandworship·Giving·Evangelism(Acts2:42-47).Allofthesecomponentsareessentialandevidentingrowing,localchurches.Achurch(oranindividu
7、al)cannotgetbywithemphasizingonlytwoorthreeoftheseandremainhealthyandprogressive.“AndtheLordaddedtothechurchdailysuchasshouldbesaved”(Acts2:47).AmiracleattheGateBeautifulcausedjealousyamongtheJewishleaders.Theythrewthetwopreachersintoprison,butthesee
8、dplantedingoodsoilwasboundtogrow.“Butmanyofthepeoplewhoheardtheirmessagebelievedit,sothatthenumberofbelieverstotaledaboutfivethousandmen,notcountingwomenandchildren”(Acts4:4,NLT).C.PeterWagnerconcludesthattherewereatleastfivethousandwomenthatalsobeli