Building Up The Church

We often spend time fixing up the physical building in which the church meets. We must always be about the job of improving it. Of more concern than the building in which the church meets is the church itself. The church is the people, as we see in Acts 2:47 where God added to the church by adding people. What are some ways, as members of a local church, that we can build UP the church?

1. SHOW up!
Nothing is ever built up without the workers showing up!
A. You are built up by showing up.
· Just ask Thomas about the importance of showing up when the Lord's people assemble.

· Jn. 20:19-24 - He missed an opportunity to see the resurrected Lord.

B. Others are built up by you showing up.
· Heb. 10:24-25. We show that we consider one another by assembling to exhort one another.

· Eph. 4:11-12 - How can evangelists, pastors, & teachers edify the body if it's not here to be edified?

· :16 - If you take a joint out of your body, will your body be built up or fall?

· If you keep yourself away from the church, will you build it up or tear it down?

C. Could we keep our secular job if we were as faithful in our attendance there as we are in our attendance with the church?
· Which is most important to us?

o Where we are answers that question for us.

· What condition would the church be in if all its members justified missing services?

o Would the church be built up or torn down?

o Are we more concerned about building up our bank account or the church?

· We must SHOW up to build up the church!

2. FIRE up!
A. OT examples.
Ps. 122:1 - We must have the same attitude of David: "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'"
Isa. 2:2-3.
B. NT examples.
Acts 5:40-42 - The apostles when brought before the council.
Acts 8:4 - "Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word."
2 Cor. 11:22-23 - Paul to the Corinthians.
Jas. 3:5 - "See how great a forest a little fire kindles!"
Look at the fire started by the apostles and
other first Christians.
C. Rev. 3:2 - Sardis had a name but was dead.
:15-17 - Laodicea was lukewarm, but the Lord would just as soon they be cold.
· If we do not stay fired up, we will cool off.

· We must consider the church to be more than just a place we go a few times a week.

· If we worked for our employer the same amount and with the same enthusiasm that we work for the Lord & His church, would we be able to keep our job?

To build up the church, we need to FIRE up!

3. GROW up!
A. Eph. 4:15 - We need to grow up spiritually.
All of us at every level of spiritual maturity need to continue growing.
· An employer expects us to become more of an asset to the

· growth of the business.

· God expects to to become more of an asset to the

· growth of the church.

B. 1 Cor. 3:1-3 - The Corinthians were not growing.
Heb. 5:12-14 - The Hebrews had the same problem.
C. How do we grow up?
2 Pet. 3:8 - "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
1 Pet. 2:2 - We are told how to grow: "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby."
We must GROW up for the church to be built up!

4. SPEAK up!
A. If we lived in a walled city and were being attacked, would we fight to protect the city?
We would speak up if someone was harming our place of employment.
We would speak up to defend our family members when they are attacked.
We must be more willing to speak up and defend the church.
B. 2 Pet. 2:1-3 - False teachers will bring destruction to the church.
Rev. 2:14-15 - The church in Thyatira was being destroyed by false teaching.
:16 - Look at how Jesus says He will deal with the problem.
C. Eph. 6:11-12 - Paul talks about our spiritual battle.
:17 - Only one weapon is needed with the whole armor of God.
· God has given us only one weapon to defend the church, and we must use it.

· Heb. 4:12 - "For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword."

The word of God, as powerful as it is, is useless if we do not speak up with it.
If we love the church like we should, we will SPEAK up and defend it.

God needs workers, those willing to help build up His church. Are you willing to join His labor force? Are you willing to obey His word today? The church needs you, and you need the church.
Become a child of God today by believing in His word, repenting of your sins, confessing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and being baptized in water for the remission of your sins. Then the Lord will also add YOU to the church, and you can begin a life that will help build it UP.

Author Unknown

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