A church growing daily in faith and numbers (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Acts 16:1-5]

 

 

 

One day, during a church leadership Bible study on Acts 4, I gained insights into how the Lord established His church (referred to as the early church) and noticed a pattern.  Reflecting on how the Lord built the early church, I identified five elements in the pattern, which I call the "Top to Bottom Method": (1) Prayer (Acts 4:31, cf. 1:14-15), (2) Being filled with the Holy Spirit (4:8, 31), (3) Preaching the gospel (vv. 8-12), (4) Growth in believers (v. 4, cf. 2:47), and (5) Loving community (4:32-37).  However, I was surprised to realize that the pattern of how our churches are built in contemporary times is the exact opposite, which I refer to as the "Bottom to Top Method."

 

  • Church:

 

In the Lord's method, the first priority is prayer, but in the worldly method, the focus is on building the church as a community.  While efforts are made to unify hearts and minds within the church, observing many churches attempting to establish themselves with diverse visions and goals makes it clear that this cannot be considered God's way.

 

  • Number of Church Members:

 

The worldly second method seems to prioritize increasing the number of church members.  It raises concerns that the increase may not be due to people hearing the gospel and being saved but rather a result of "sheep-stealing," as mentioned in the book "The Purpose-Driven Church."  The focus appears to be on horizontal transfer, not on people coming out having heard the name of Jesus Christ.

 

  • Evangelism/Mission:

 

The third method involves reluctantly engaging in evangelism and mission.

 

  • Being Filled with the Holy Spirit:

 

Only at the fourth stage, it seems, is there a seeking after being filled with the Holy Spirit.  Even though this should be the first step, in the worldly method, it is often placed at the end, creating a sense of mystery or emotionalism rather than being biblically grounded.

 

  • Prayer:

 

Even prayer is conducted with an attitude that seeks acknowledgment of our sovereignty rather than recognizing God's sovereignty, holding onto His promises, and praying.  The focus is often on our circumstances, feelings, and thoughts rather than a posture of humbly calling out to God.

 

In Acts 16:5, the Bible records, "So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers."  Today, centering around this scripture, I want to meditate on how our church, under the title "A church growing daily in faith and numbers," can become a church where faith and numbers increase each day.

 

First, for our church to become one where faith and numbers grow daily,

we must all become disciples of Jesus.

 

Look at Acts 16:1 - "Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek."  After the disagreement with Barnabas and the separation (15:39), Paul, along with Silas, went on their first missionary journey to Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches (v. 41).  In Acts 16:1, Paul arrived in Lystra, passing through Derbe, and encountered Timothy.  The region of Lystra was where a remarkable miracle occurred during Paul's first missionary work, healing a man who had never walked (cf. Acts 14).  This led to a tumultuous incident where the locals wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas, thinking they were gods (Yoo).  Lystra, as a city with a significant non-Jewish population, was a focal point for the spread of Christianity, as God used Paul and Barnabas in their first missionary efforts to preach the Gospel and perform miracles.  After many years, when Paul returned to Lystra with Silas, he found a few believing Jews in this predominantly Gentile city.  Among these believers, Paul encountered a new individual, Timothy, who was a disciple (Yoo).  According to Acts 16:1, Timothy's mother was a Jewish believer named Eunice, and his father was a Greek. Considering the biblical context and Timothy's background, he can be described as a "half-Jew," meaning his mother was a believing Jewish woman, and his father was a Greek.  Timothy's mother, Eunice, is mentioned in 2 Timothy 1:5, described as having a sincere faith, similar to Lois, Timothy's grandmother.  Both women were known for their genuine and steadfast faith, making Timothy a fortunate possessor of such a precious faith (Park).

 

True disciples of Jesus have a sincere faith without deception.  The term "sincere faith" signifies a faithful, unsophisticated, and genuine belief.  As an example, we can reflect on the faith of Abraham in Romans 4:18-21.

 

  • Abraham's sincere faith was hope against hope (v. 18).

 

Despite being about a hundred years old and Sarah's womb being dead, he believed in God's promise that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars.  In other words, Abraham's faith was a hope for a son in an impossible situation, beyond human medical capability.

 

  • Abraham's sincere faith did not weaken in the face of an impossible situation (v. 19).

 

He knew the deadness of his body and Sarah's womb, yet his faith did not falter.

 

  • Abraham's sincere faith, in an impossible situation, grew even stronger, giving glory to God (v. 20).

 

"He did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God."

 

  • Abraham's sincere faith was the confidence that God could fulfill His promise (v. 21).

 

"Being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised."  Sincere faith holds on to God's promise.

 

                As true disciples of Jesus, we must heed the words of 1 Corinthians 13:5: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.  Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"  Now, you may be familiar with Niagara Falls.  In 1860, the renowned tightrope walker Blondin attempted to walk on a tightrope above Niagara Falls.  A year earlier in 1859, Blondin had successfully carried his manager, Harry Colcord, on his back across the tightrope above Niagara Falls.  This feat drew a large crowd eager to witness Blondin's tightrope walk.  Tying a rope about 300m long at a height of approximately 50m above the rushing waterfall, Blondin posed a question to the gathering admirers: ‘Do you believe I can walk across this tightrope from this side to the other?’  The crowd enthusiastically responded, ‘Of course!’ to which Blondin asked, ‘Do you believe I can walk across this tightrope carrying someone on my back?’  Again, the crowd replied, ‘Of course!’ Yet, when Blondin invited any volunteer from the crowd to step forward and be carried on his back, no one volunteered. What does this story tell us?  Despite the crowd claiming to believe in Blondin, their faith ultimately proved to be hypocritical and insincere (Internet).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With God's grace, having become disciples of Jesus,

 

 

 

 

 

James Kim

(Seeking faith that hopes against hope)