Sermon - A Greater Glory Flashcards
Lesson Title
A Greater Glory
Mainline Church of Christ at the time and still today:
Average Congregation = 150 members
Baptisms per year = 8
Retention = Less than 10%
Church of Christ 1979:
Largest attendance = 3000
Largest Church of Christ outside of U.S. = 500
By 2000 ICOC:
LA ICOC = 10,000 disciples with 15,000 in attendance
Manila = 7,000 attendance
40 Congregations with more than 1,000 attendance
ICOC Now
Every church lost half its members (Portland: 300 members to 25)
Scripture leading into first point
2 Chronicles 36:15-19 (586 B.C.)
Lesson Points
- God Scatters and God Gathers
- God Proves and God Moves
- God Measures our Treasures
Who destroyed the temple?
Theologically Nebuchadnezzar, Spiritually Satan
Scripture after first point
Nehemiah 1:8-9
What scripture says hardships will come
Hebrews 12:7
What are Hardships meant to produce?
- Holiness
- Righteousness
- Peace
Hardships have two effects
Make you a better Christian or a bitter Christian
What did Kip learn from his hardships?
- Movement is not tied with God
- Leadership is not tied with God
- God smashes idols (Acts 13:36 - We have purpose until we die)
- Give mercy to weak (Laban principle - Jacob put under worse deceiver but then became greater than Israel)
First scripture of the second point
2 Chronicles 36:22-23
When does Cyrus come to power?
536 BC
Scripture following the first scripture of the second point
Ezra 1:1-5
Church growth for the boston movement in the first four years
- 103 Baptisms
- 200 Baptisms
- 252 Baptisms
- 368 Baptisms
First scripture of third point?
Ezra 3:8,10-13 (535 BC)
How did each person react to the temple being rebuilt?
New guys fired up, old guys heartbroken
What is the second scripture of the third point?
Ezra 4:24/5:1-2
What is the third scripture in the third point?
Haggai 1:1/2:1
Quote at the End
The Glory of the New Movement will be greater than the Old Movement…And IF we stay righteous we will live to see the world evangelized in our generation!
