HOW TO HOLD GROWTH AND CONTINUE TO GROW

When your organization or ministry begins to grow, you can begin to feel a sense of accomplishment. But how do you ensure that growth isn't just temporary but sustainable?

Fasting should become a regular practice in our Christian lives.

When we fast, we should do so with the right heart.

God knows our hearts. We shouldn't fast so that we can appear holy and righteous.We fast for the sole purpose of drawing closer to God and hearing him clearer.

Truth: Growth brings challenges, and if those challenges aren’t handled well, they can quickly lead to decline.

If problems are not addressed immediately the organization will start bleeding, losing people, and go back to pre growth numbers. It will shrink back in size.

If the organization, its systems, and its leadership doesn’t grow when the crowd grows, it will not be able to hold the growth.

When we address the growth problems immediately, we stop the bleeding and the cancer from spreading.

Acts 6:1-7 (NLT) 1 But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent.The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program.

A. WE ADDRESS THE PROBLEM WITH EVERYONE THAT IS AFFECTED BY IT.

Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room.
As long as they know you as a leader are aware they will give you mercy and time to fix it.
They called a meeting with all the believers, this was a church wide problem so it needed to be addressed that way. (publically)
The faster we address: problems, issues, differences, offenses, complaints, the healthier the relationship, the organization, and ministry will be.

B. IN OUR PRESENT PROBLEM - THERE IS A GROWTH OPPORTUNITY.

Growing leaders and growing organizations know that every problem has a solution.
Solving the problem creates more growth in us and in our organization.
Our problem is our PROMOTION.

Being a leader is being a problem solver.

James 1:2-5 (NLT) 2 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. 5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

C. GROWTH PROBLEMS WILL NOT GO AWAY UNLESS THEY ARE DEFINED, ADDRESSED, AND SOLVED.

The people didn’t know what the problem was -all they knew was that their widows were not getting food.
They came up with what they thought it was but they were way off.
Without addressing it - a false narrative would have continued to spread and the church would have begun to divide and decrease.
The real problem was not prejudice, the real problem was that the Apostles were trying to do EVERYTHING which caused them to not do anything well.
Everything rises and falls on leadership.
Let’s not justify the problem and get people used to it. Let’s take personal responsibility and solve it.

D. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GROWTH PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE FACING TODAY AS A CHURCH?

1. More people to take care of and more needs to be met. And not enough people to take care of them and disciple them.
2. Greater ministry expenses.
3. Parking, systems, organizational, and facilities overload.

Unless we solve the problems the people will leave because they are not being taken care of. They don’t see improvements or they feel the problems are being ignored.

They come to the conclusion that if they can’t solve these problems, how can they help me solve mine?

Acts 6:2 (NLT) So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program.

It takes work to solve problems, they are not going to solve themselves.

Churches that are not willing to sacrifice work to solve problems will not hold growth and will not see any growth in their future.

Instead of being a growing church or organization they will become a church in decline.

A. THE SOLUTION WAS NOT TO TRY TO STOP THE COMPLAINERS FROM COMPLAINING BUT TO FIX THE REAL PROBLEM.

Addressing the wrong problem only creates greater problems.

If they would have told them to stop complaining, stop being a baby, be grateful for what you do have that would have only fed their false narrative that they were being overlooked and treated unfairly.

The real problem was that their widows were not getting the food.

B. THE APOSTLES SAID THE PROBLEM IS “US” - WE ARE MAJORING IN THE MINORS.

If the devil couldn’t stop them from preaching the Gospel and praying through threats, arrests and persecution - He would stop them by keeping them so busy doing a good thing that they didn’t have time to do the God thing that they were called to do and that was to pray and preach about Jesus.

Truth: We will never hold growth and keep growing if we don’t develop the skill of identifying and developing the called and gifted people that God has surrounded us with - to help carry the load.

Acts 6:3-6 (NLT) 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. 4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”5 Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). 6 These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.

A. 5 THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WE DEVELOP AND EMPOWER A LEADER TO LEAD.

1. The new leader is now walking in his God given purpose. When someone is walking in their God given purpose they will stay. Nothing more motivating than having a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

2. The new people will be taken care of. If we don’t meet their needs they will have to leave and go somewhere where their needs are met.

3. The new leader will recruit others to serve alongside him in ministry. Unless we help people grow spiritually through discipling them and helping find their place of service in the church we will lose them. Jesus did not save anyone to sit, he saved and equipped them to serve/work and build the local church.

4. The new people will be discipled.

5. You as a leader are now free to do everything that God has called you to do. So many leaders/Pastors are busy doing what they should be developing and delegating. The greatest thing we can do as leaders is preach and teach about Jesus/the Word and develop disciple making leaders.

Acts 6:7 (NLT) So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.

A. WHAT CAUSED THE GROWTH IN THE EARLY CHURCH?

It is the same that causes the church to grow today:
1. Prayer and daily personal devotions. Growth starts with our personal time with God. As we grow in intimacy with God we can help others grow in love with God and His Word.

2. Teaching and Preaching of the Word/Gospel. Without the preaching of the Gospel and teaching the Word no one will be converted/saved or become disciples of Jesus Christ. No harvest without the seed of the Word being planted in the hearts of people.

3. Powerful, excellent, and consistent Church worship services. Daily/weekly fellowship meetings.

4. Making disciples in Home D.G meetings and Holy Warriors growth classes. Follow up and sign people for the next step in the growth process.

5. Build ministries and leaders that we can help believers find their purpose through serving. Unless we help believers to engage to serve in a ministry we will eventually lose them.

6. Intentionally develop, train and empower new leaders to lead a D.G and ministry.

HOW TO HOLD GROWTH AND CONTINUE TO GROW

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