GROWING WITH A GROWTH THAT IS FROM THE LORD
Colossians 2:19....holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
....holding fast to the Head,
from whom the whole body,
nourished and knit together
through its joints and ligaments,
grows
with a growth that is from God.
Here is God's ideal for church growth. “Church Growth @ God” will be a good title.
There are different types of growths depending on how and owing to what it comes about. Growth due to activities, growth due to good management principles, growth from good planning, growth from clever propaganda, growth from false propaganda, growth from attractive programs in the church etc are some examples.
Here is another, probably a very overlooked one; “growth that is from God”.
Are we insisting that the other kinds of growth are not of God altogether? No, never. Whatever structure we folks can present to God in faith, as part of our efforts, He is keen to fill up and bless. When He has called a people and they bring Him something in faith, He will oblige in spite of imperfections. But He also has plans that are pure-breed, which He originates in His heart and fulfills in His own methods. A growth that is from God is one such, for sure.
How does this growth begin and how is it sustained? The answer is very obvious in our Word for meditation.
... holding fast to the Head. This is the key element that initiates the growth that is from God. The reason is that Jesus Himself said “I will build My Church”. If He is the builder, what is a better strategy for growth than to simply hang on to Him, holding Him fast, never substituting anything or anyone else?
… from whom the whole body : The growth is caused by Him and it is from Him as well.
…. nourished and knit together : the condition is that the body (the members of the church) should
i) be nourished ii) be knit together.
Nourishment comes by the BALANCED diet, feeding on the Word of God. This results in HEALTH which will naturally lead to GROWTH. (Word brings Faith).
Knit together situation can only result from living together in Covenant Love. Hurts, pains and offenses are what divide us, not so much of doctrines. But love will enable us to forgive and release and keep out of offenses. “For love covers a multitude of offenses”. The Amplified Bibles elaborates this as
“love forgives and disregards the offenses of others”.
We see Faith and love operating together to bring about “Growth that is from God”. If this is constantly happening in a local church, then growth is on the way. Never give up. Only make every effort to keep at Faith and Love and increase in it. Fruitfulness is bound to come.
Let’s look also at 2 Peter 1:5 Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue knowledge; 6and in your knowledge self-control; and in your self-control patience; and in your patience godliness; 7and in your godliness brotherly kindness; and in your brotherly kindness love. 8For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful ...................
Faith and love, one for nourishment and the other for knitting together, WILL produce fruit. Amen.
through its joints and ligaments: this growth will come through the working of the parts together. Angels from heaven are not going to bring this growth (they do help us in our harvests though!)
grows: This can be an ongoing process and it can be slow or fast. There is hard work on every believer's part individually, contributing to the whole, effectively.
with a growth that is from God : Nobody's gift or leadership ability or management skills or personal charisma takes credit in the growth, because it is purely from the Lord.
Faith Family has been called and geared and wired to wait for a growth which is purely from God. It is sometimes slow, though God has all varieties up His sleeve. The coming year seems to be the year when God wants us to expect this growth. He showed it to us, told us to speak it and work hard for it. This is the structure we need to offer to God, the empty pots which He will gladly fill up for us to see, use and enjoy. Here's the time. We have thus far refrained from methods and strategies to grow. The time has come now. What we stood and paid for, God will begin to bring to fruition. This is the year in which we are going to see a growth that is from God. A year to move up in Growth! Amen
Colossians 2:19....holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
....holding fast to the Head,
from whom the whole body,
nourished and knit together
through its joints and ligaments,
grows
with a growth that is from God.
Here is God's ideal for church growth. “Church Growth @ God” will be a good title.
There are different types of growths depending on how and owing to what it comes about. Growth due to activities, growth due to good management principles, growth from good planning, growth from clever propaganda, growth from false propaganda, growth from attractive programs in the church etc are some examples.
Here is another, probably a very overlooked one; “growth that is from God”.
Are we insisting that the other kinds of growth are not of God altogether? No, never. Whatever structure we folks can present to God in faith, as part of our efforts, He is keen to fill up and bless. When He has called a people and they bring Him something in faith, He will oblige in spite of imperfections. But He also has plans that are pure-breed, which He originates in His heart and fulfills in His own methods. A growth that is from God is one such, for sure.
How does this growth begin and how is it sustained? The answer is very obvious in our Word for meditation.
... holding fast to the Head. This is the key element that initiates the growth that is from God. The reason is that Jesus Himself said “I will build My Church”. If He is the builder, what is a better strategy for growth than to simply hang on to Him, holding Him fast, never substituting anything or anyone else?
… from whom the whole body : The growth is caused by Him and it is from Him as well.
…. nourished and knit together : the condition is that the body (the members of the church) should
i) be nourished ii) be knit together.
Nourishment comes by the BALANCED diet, feeding on the Word of God. This results in HEALTH which will naturally lead to GROWTH. (Word brings Faith).
Knit together situation can only result from living together in Covenant Love. Hurts, pains and offenses are what divide us, not so much of doctrines. But love will enable us to forgive and release and keep out of offenses. “For love covers a multitude of offenses”. The Amplified Bibles elaborates this as
“love forgives and disregards the offenses of others”.
We see Faith and love operating together to bring about “Growth that is from God”. If this is constantly happening in a local church, then growth is on the way. Never give up. Only make every effort to keep at Faith and Love and increase in it. Fruitfulness is bound to come.
Let’s look also at 2 Peter 1:
Faith and love, one for nourishment and the other for knitting together, WILL produce fruit. Amen.
through its joints and ligaments: this growth will come through the working of the parts together. Angels from heaven are not going to bring this growth (they do help us in our harvests though!)
grows: This can be an ongoing process and it can be slow or fast. There is hard work on every believer's part individually, contributing to the whole, effectively.
with a growth that is from God : Nobody's gift or leadership ability or management skills or personal charisma takes credit in the growth, because it is purely from the Lord.
Faith Family has been called and geared and wired to wait for a growth which is purely from God. It is sometimes slow, though God has all varieties up His sleeve. The coming year seems to be the year when God wants us to expect this growth. He showed it to us, told us to speak it and work hard for it. This is the structure we need to offer to God, the empty pots which He will gladly fill up for us to see, use and enjoy. Here's the time. We have thus far refrained from methods and strategies to grow. The time has come now. What we stood and paid for, God will begin to bring to fruition. This is the year in which we are going to see a growth that is from God. A year to move up in Growth! Amen