"The After Party" is our series at Fusion Christian Church on the book of Acts. Follow along as we explore what happened to the church after Jesus ascended to heaven. In this sermon, Pastor Matt teaches about what caused the early church to explode in growth and why God cares about the numbers.

God Cares About the Numbers!

Sometimes churches and the people in them become too caught up in the numbers, but the opposite can be just as much a problem. At Fusion Christian Church, we care about how many people attend because each one of those "numbers" represents a person who Jesus died for. God loves people, and by reaching more people we show God's love to more people. If we stop caring about the "numbers" altogether, we limit how many people we can love on God's behalf. We do not want high numbers simply to have them, but because numbers represent real people who need the gospel.

A Church that Gives God the Glory Continues to Grow.

God draws people to himself when Jesus Christ is lifted up. This means both that Jesus draws people through his death on the cross, and that Christians can help with this. When we glorify our God, we lift up Jesus and point our attention toward him. This helps direct others toward the one who can save them, and the Father draws them into the church.

A Unified Church Continues to Grow.

Unity does not mean that we agree on everything, it means we agree on the most important things and are gracious in everything else. Many people confuse unity with uniformity, thinking that because Christians are not completely uniform in all things, we are not united. This is not the case. Complete uniformity is usually the sign of a cult group, whereas true unity accommodates a wide range of practices and beliefs. If we believe in "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all" (Eph. 4:5-6) then we have unity on the essentials.

A Generous Church Continues to Grow.

One thing that united the early church was their willingness to give what they had to provide for others. Generosity is a tangible expression of the love Christians should have for everyone, but most of all for each other. When we give to the church, we help ensure that its needs are provided for. Giving to the local church is a primary way to facilitate this.

A Church that Gathers both Corporately and in Small Groups Continues to Grow.

The early church would meet regularly both in large and small gatherings. They met daily in homes, but also met in larger groups at the temple. Both types of gatherings are valuable for the health of the church. Those who go only to large meetings and not small groups are unable to develop the close relationships that help bind the church together. Those who only go to small groups and not large meetings miss out on the larger vision of the church.

Every person in the church is essential. When you are not active in your church body, not only are you missing out on the church, but the church is missing out on you! You have something to offer God and to offer the church. Don't deprive the rest of the body of Christ of your unique gifts and abilities!