How Does God Build His Church

Preaching – Sr Pastor Chris Reutepohler – A message on the Mission of the Church

Passage: A Summary of the Book of Acts

Outline:

I. How does God build His church?

A. 3 Major Phases

1. The church grows in its knowledge and love of God (Ch. 1-3)    a. Jesus gives the Great Commission (1:7-8)  b. The disciples receive the Holy Spirit (2:1-13)  c. Peter’s preaches on the Day of Pentecost (2:14-41) d. The beginning of the fellowship of believers (2:42-47)

2. The church learns to care for and love one another (Ch. 4-12) a. They pray together (4:23-31)  b. They cared for one another’s physical and financial needs (4:32-37) c. They taught in the face of opposition (5:40-42)  d. The choosing of the first deacons (6:1-7)  e. The inclusion of the Gentiles (10:9-48)  f. They provide relief during a great famine (11:27-30)

3. The church learns to go and serve outside itself (Ch. 13-28)  a. They send out the first missionaries (13:1-3)  b. Paul was making disciples (14:21) c. They encouraged other believers (15:30-35) d. They followed God’s direction (16:6-10, 18:9-11) e. They trained future leaders (18:24-28) f. They met the needs of the people they encountered  g. They preached the Gospel wherever they went