Strong Church

There has always been a great need for strong churches. The great 19th-century preacher, Charles Spurgeon, wrote,

“They are going to regenerate the world by Democratic Socialism, and set up a kingdom for Christ without the new birth or the pardon of sin…To me it seems a tangle of ever-changing dreams. It is, by the confession of its inventors, the outcome of the period–the monstrous birth of a boasted “progress” –the scum from the cauldron of conceit. It has not been given by the infallible revelation of God–it does not pretend to have been. It is not divine–it has no inspired Scripture at its back. It is, when it touches the Cross, an enemy! When it speaks of Him who died thereon, it is a deceitful friend. Many are its sneers at the truth of substitution–it is irate at the mention of the precious blood. Many a pulpit, where Christ was once lifted high in all the glory of His atoning death, is now profaned by those who laugh at justification by faith. In fact, men are now not to be saved by faith but by doubt. Those who love the Church of God feel heavy at heart because the teachers of the people cause them to err.”

If true in the 1800’s, and considering all the “progress” since, how much more do we need strong churches today? In this week’s sermon, we look to Paul’s prayer for the body of Christ in Ephesians 3:14-21,

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

There is both historical and Biblical support for forming and growing strong churches. How does the church respond to the call for Romans 8 faith? We become the church that Jesus came to plant. How? Watch this week’s message to hear five ways we work to be a strong church. You can follow along with the Sermon Notes here. 

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