Church - Sovereign Grace Cherry Hill
Pastor Warren at SG Cherry Hill has been going through the book of Acts. They are going a little faster than I would, but I have really enjoyed the messages. I look forward to going there and it has been a great place to “re-calibrate”.
I jotted down some notes from today.
• In spite of the judgment of God on Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, the church continued to grow.
• The apostles had been warned about this preaching of the gospel, and then they were flogged for continuing to do so.
• At the end of Acts 5, Peter makes his famous statement, “We ought to obey God rather than men”
• This plan for the church was of God, not man. If it is from God, it is unstoppable.
• Those who oppose the gospel are not opposing man, but God
• There is nothing beyond God’s control, the culture is not “spinning out of control”
• The church should be more mature than dirung the times of the apostles, we have had 2000 years of practice
• In Acts 6, the growth brought with it some divisiveness. Some people’s needs were not being met, and this was causing some strife. The “12” were concerned with teaching, and realized that they could not care for physical needs and give proper attention to their teaching.
• Preaching God’s word is primary for the church to grow. A quote was shared from Mark Dever’s book, “The Deliberate Church”, to demonstrate this point
• Growth requires change. The church in Acts 6, and Sovereign Grace Cherry Hill, are both examples of growth bringing about the need for change.
• Pastor Warren explained how he regularly meets new people at church on Sundays. Lately, when he asks who invited them, he sometimes does not even know who those people are! This growth will force the church to change.
• A quote from D.A. Carson was used to demonstrate how Acts 6 was a time of change. Change is still required for the health of a local body and the advance of the gospel.
• The deacons were not just gifted men, but men of great character (Acts 6:3)
• The primary concern among these men was the advance of the gospel, not their own concerns. The deacons had to have a degree of humility to allow the “12” to do what they were called to do.
• The “12” could no longer wait on tables. Their roles were changing. Growth was forcing this change. SG Cherry Hill needs to continue to embrace change fro the sake of the gospel.
• As this church was growing, the “12” may not have been as accessible as they once were. Other men needed to be trained to care for needs, and the “12” needed to keep preaching and praying.
• Relationships also must change for the sake of the gospel and growth. Small groups cannot be exclusive or “in stone”
• Pastor Warren related the change of the church in Acts 6 to how his relationship has changed with the original team that planted the Sovereign Grace Church in Cherry Hill back in 1993. He had the people stand and thanked them for their dedication and flexibility as the church grows
• Church planting is costly because we feel the loss of close friends as relationships change. Some men from this church have been sent out to start other Sovereign Grace churches.
• Pastor Warren assured his congregation that this message is not a preparation for some announcement or staff change (that he is aware of). But, the truth is, we must continue to train men and send them out.
• There isn’t “tenure” in church…. men do what they are called to do for the time God calls them to do it. Pastors and care group leaders step down or move on in God’s timing.
• Acts 6:7 shows what happens when we understand these things. The gospel advances.
georgehyland.com blog
Sunday, March 11, 2007
