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TITLE: The Mustard Seed
TEXT: Mark 4:30-32
PROPOSITION: God intends for the Kingdom to grow.
QUESTION: How?
KEY WORD: Applications
SCRIPTURE READING: Same
INTRODUCTION:
- This short parable is an important one.
- Today I want to focus on the meaning and application.
Background
Small seed - used to measure things that were tiny
Grew to 12 - 15 feet - strong branches
Not a tree (Maple or Oak) but large enough for birds to rest
Matthew 17:20 - Used to describe the size of faith
Meaning of the parable
Kingdom will have a small beginning
It would grow rapidly
It will be beneficial to the world
How can we, as a church, grow like the mustard?
Here are 9 requirements for growth.
Attitude - "Desire"
- There must be a desire to be a great church
- Must be willing to pay the price
Vision - "see beyond"
- We must be able to see beyond next Sunday
- At Kadesh-Barnea the 10 spies had no vision
- Vision is more important that location, money, talent
- Fisherman, keeping only the small fish, threw all the larger ones back, asked why, said, "I only have a 7" frying pan."
- Many churches have a 7" limitation on vision
Atmosphere
Mood-setters = song leader, preacher, announcements
Most churches are friendly to each other
We must decide to either:
DO IT! DELEGATE IT! OR DITCH IT!
Bible-centered
Sermons, classes
Spend time in study of the word
Church will never be bigger than its Sunday school
Action-oriented
We must put people to work
Put deacons in charge and turn loose
Involvement is the key to keeping them
Unity
Acts 4:32
Tradition is holding us back
Do you want the church to function?
Specific goals
The survey tells us where we are
A goal tell where we are headed - our aim
We need to establish:
- A GOAL for the church
- Several goals that are specific (countable)
- Set time tables and limits for them
- Post, announce, and publicize them
Praise and encouragement
Barnabas = his nickname, what others called him
What if we were called as perceived?
Discouragement is a major problem in church growth
Persistence
Hang in there.
Keep on keeping on.
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