Your Church Has Great Possibilities
By Dr. Bola Akin-John
That great preacher and revivalist, Charles G. Finney was asked on his death bed, “If you have the opportunity to start your ministry all over again, what will you and not do?” He answered after deep thought, “I will preach to the church, not to sinners”. “Why would you do that?” the interviewer asked. Finney explained, “If the church can be what the Lord intends her to be, the world would never remain the same again” That statement has been a deep motivation to me over the years and it still rings true today. Every local church has great possibilities. She can do so much for the Lord and turn the world right side up for the Lord (Acts 17:6). And that should be the faith and believe of every category of church leader. Acts 24:5.
- Biblical Foundation – Matthew 16:18; Matthew 13:31-33; John 1:4,5; John 10:10
The church that Jesus started was a faith project. It started with Him alone, won twelve disciples and commission them to take over the world.
✓ He will use men and women to raise and build His church.
✓ His church will outlast the onslaught of the gate of hell.
✓ It may start small, but will grow to take over.
✓ It may be tiny and unrecognized, but will eventually fill the whole place.
✓ His church is His agent in every locality to shine as light to dispel darkness.
✓ His church is not a religious order but a life-giving entity to humanity.
Jesus is a life-giving Savior and the church, his body must therefore be a life-giving church. The life-giving Father is concerned with giving new life to human kind through the salvation that comes, at great cost, only through the life-giving Son. Christ’s vision for His church is to be a life-giving center – getting people converted and bringing them into true relationship and fellowship with God. Bride Recruitment Center – the great possibility of every local church.
A truly life-giving church is a growth center, not only a birth center, where people grow to what God has for them in life and the kingdom.
- Spiritual Birth and Spiritual Growth – Acts 2:41-46
A local church is the assembly of converted Christians who have organized themselves to fulfil the Great Commission in a particular geographical area.
▪ The local church must be a channel of spiritual birth and spiritual growth.
▪ Conversion, salvation of soul is the basic requirement.
▪ The Pastor must be a converted soul and grown in the Lord.
▪ The Life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit must be evident.
▪ The Lordship of Christ must be over everything.
▪ Obedience to the authority of the scripture must be sacrosanct.
▪ Reaching out to win the world and growing people in the Lord is non-negotiable.
A healthy local church is not a museum of the saints, a moving coach that people drop off at their bus-stop, nor a hospital only to treat the wounded, but a Bride recruitment center.
A life-giving local church is an ARMY Barrack that people are recruited, trained, treated, equipped and empowered to fight the battles of life and the kingdom.
Every man and woman that claims authorization from Christ to start local churches in the world must meet up with these criteria, if they are to be the church of Christ.
- The Possibilities Of Every Local Church – Psalm 92:12-14; Luke 1:37
Every local church has great possibilities in the Lord to make positive or negative impact. As you start, lead or oversee local churches, here are scriptural and realistic possibilities:-
❖ Your church can grow and affect people positively.
❖ You can be used by the Lord to lead that church to dreamland of impact.
❖ Your church can overcome every inhibition and barrier to her growth.
❖ Your church can see multiple conversion of souls in hundreds of thousands.
❖ Your church can reach every person in that community.
❖ Your church can destroy the forces of darkness and shine the light of Christ brightly to everyone.
❖ Your church can help the poor, widow, youth, children, alcoholic and wicked to see the light of Christ.
❖ Your church can raise an army of disciples to evangelise the world for Christ.
❖ Your church can raise funds that will help the downtrodden of society.
❖ Your church can multiply branches that will plant other branches – thereby making eternal impact for Christ.
❖ Your church can become the most influential entity in your community for eternity.
❖ The possibility of also being only a religious center-devoid of life, sick, stagnant, not getting anyone converted, dying, being a bad image and nuisance in locality is there.
You will discover that some churches are way stations for the wounded; others are town squares, where a herald announces good tidings from the king. Some are hospitals for the sick; others are fire stations, whose trucks rush to douse the community’s problems. Some are family centers that provide a good environment for children; others are theaters, where music and drama are emphasized. Whichever of these emphases is yours, the bottom line is that your church fulfills her divine possibilities.
- Impact-Driven Church In Every Locality
To truly fulfill the positive possibilities of your church, your must seek to be driven, controlled and directed by these factors. Too many local churches are being driven by tradition, ceremony, competition, church fads and secular pursuits. The more reason they are lame-duck. The followings are what must drive you for growth possibilities:-
- Personal growth and development of the Pastor.
- Lifting up Jesus as the Head of the church.
- Seeking to bring everyone to the life-giving Christ.
- Becoming a prayer house of Christ.
- Edifying the saints into discipleship.
- Reaching out in evangelism to convert more souls.
- Allowing the undiluted word of God to permeate the church.
- Giving room to the presence and operations of the Holy Spirit.
- Engaging your community positively with good works.
The possibilities of every local church is enormous and unending. While her feet must be strong in her locality, her eyes must be in the world. God wants your local church to grow and be a life-giving center. And because of that, your church can grow, make impact and change the world for Christ – one soul at a time.
N/B. TERRITORY TAKERS CONfERENCE is for General overseers, pastors, Bishops, apostles, prophets, Evangelist’s and ministers that wants to expand, multiply, increase and extend God’s Kingdom into new territories. Slated for 27-31 Augus, 8 am-3pm each day at FRAC venue, faith bus stop, Egbeda-Idimu Road, Lagos. Enquiries to Pastor Seyi-08056126914–Sms or WhatsApp. Kindly come for fresh encounter with the Lord of the Harvest.
*Dr. Bola Akin-John is the Founding President, International Church Growth Ministry, Lagos.
