HOW TO MAKE THE CHURCH STRONG

1.       INTRODUCTION

1.       God wants the church to be strong in every community.  Eph. 6:10;
         1 Cor. 16:13; Col. 1:5-11.

2.       The church should be as strong as possible numerically.  We should 
      seek to convert all the people of the community.  Acts 2:36-41, 47.
3.       The church should be strong morally and spiritually.  Each member
         should be strong in the Lord.  Eph. 6:10.

11.      HOW TO MAKE THE CHURCH STRONG.

1.       Fill it with a knowledge of God's word.  Acts 20:32; 1 Pet. 2:2. 
         Bible school, regular preaching, VBS, gospel meetings, radio, TV,
         tracts, home libraries, church library, cottage meetings, etc. 
         Heb. 5:12-14; 2 Pet. 3:18.

2.       Make it strong in faith. 2 Them. 1:3; Rom. 1:5.8. We need a
         daring, venturesome faith.

3.       Saturate it with fervent love. 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 Cor. 13: 1-7.

4.       Keep it unspotted from the world.  Jas. 1:27; Rom. 12:1, 2.

5.       Fill it with zeal and devotion.  Rev. 3:14-19; Jno. 213-17.

6.       Give it a good leadership - elders, deacons, song leaders, clan
         teachers, parents, etc. 1 Tim. 3; Tit. 1.

7.       See that it has a united membership - no factions, bitter         
      contentions, strife, etc. 1 Car. 1:10; Acts 4:32. 34; Eph. 4:3;  
      Rom. 16:17, 18.

III.  THERE ARE MANY OTHER THINGS WHICH ARE 
            SURE TO HELP STRENGTHEN THE CHURCH.

1.       Offer it plain Bible preaching - just the  simple truth.  Acts 14:1; 
   2 Tim. 4:2; Acts 2:42; Eph. 4:15.

2.       Make it a friendly church.  Prov. 18:24; Matt. 7:12.

3.       Fill it have a praying membership. 1 Them. 5:17, 18; Jas 5:16.

4.       Make it a cheerful, liberally giving church. 2 Car. 9:7; 1 Car. 16:1-
         3; Rom. 12:8, ASV.

5.       Fill it with personal workers who, above everything else, long to   
   teach souls for Christ.  Acts 8:4; Is& 2:3; Prov. 11:30.

6.       Keep its worship scriptural, warm, and spiritual.  Jno. 4:23, 24; 1
Cor. 14:15.

7.       Saturate it with a forgiving and loving spirit.  Eph. 4:32.

8.       Fill it with godly parents.  Prov. 22:6; Gen. 18:19; Eph. 6:1-4.

9.       Put great emphasis upon the importance of having a good and efficient
         Bible School.  It is estimated that between eighty and ninety-five per
         cent of the additions to the church in many places are first enrolled
         in the Bible School.

a.       Provide adequate facilites - meeting house, classroom maps, visual
         aids blackboards, charts, etc.

b.       Provide and train a corps of faithful teachers for all departments.

c.       Keep adequate records so as to stay in touch with every pupil in every
         class.  Let the teacher show the same diligence in watching after his
         class an the elders should over the whole church.

10       Keep all the members at work.  Give each one something to do.  Allow 
    no one to bury his talent.  A working church is a happy church - a 
    growing church.  Neh. 4:6; Eph. 2:10; Tit. 3:1; 2:14; 1 Tim. 5:10; 
    Tit. 3:8; Col. 1:10; 2 These, 2:17; 1 Tim. 6:18; Heb. 10:24.