Trinity Lutheran Church - Town of Wilson

How Does God's Church Grow?

Posted by on 3 February 2010 | 0 Comments

How does God’s Church grow?  That seems like an odd question, doesn’t it?  After all, we all know how God’s church grows, don’t we?  God sprinkles some seed of His Word around, then He waters it, then those seeds either sprout and grow, or get eaten and die!  Right?

Perhaps we should return to the question How does God’s Church Grow?  We know that only God can make the church grow.  Jesus said, “I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18).  Furthermore, we better never get the idea that we can take that job away from God!  The Bible makes it clear that the Lord is in charge of the growing/building process.  Psalm 127 tells us that “unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”

So, when we talk about the “church growing” we must first begin with God; He’s the only One who can make the church expand in this world … and His alone!   He could do it with lightning and thunder!  He could do it with impressive armies of angels!  He could appear to all the people of the world in a special revelation.

God could work through marvelous, miraculous signs and wonders that would impress everyone for sure!  God could work that way because He can do anything!  God could expand His kingdom, build His church, cause it to grow in all of these miraculous ways, but He doesn’t!

INSTEAD, He decided to work through human channels!  He declared that the power of the Holy Spirit would work through human contacts in human ways.  Every day the kingdom of God grows … as God uses people … reaching out, sharing the love and Word of God revealed in Christ Jesus.

May God bless us as we work together in His kingdom!

In Christ’s service,

Pastor Jabs