How To Build And Grow A Church? (The Bible Way)

Executive, it is very much important we know what is a church in knowledge of the truth. A church is the gathering of two or three people in Jesus Christ. A church is not the building, the structure, the house place. A church is the coming together of people under the name of Jesus Christ to have fellowship with the Word, prayers and resources and information as one. But what we have now so popular is personal empire not actually church.

The Book of Acts and Romans — is the best books of the Bible to know and understand the church. The book of Jeremiah is the best book to understand How to grow the church. I am a Word-based Christian, I am a businessman. When it comes to the Bible, I am not a professional, I am not a pro — I am an amateur, when it comes to the Bible. With the little knowledge I have from the Bible, I will live my better life in accordance to God's Word as possible I can.

The church is a place of worship, a place of forgiveness, a place of love, a place of fellowship, a place of truth, a place of comfort. The church is not a place of tribalism, not a place of personal interest, not a place of praising party, not a place of announcing what people are giving to the church. A family of different people under one faith, that's the church of Christ Jesus. Executive, do not build a church on your mandate.

A mandate is like a compass to your direction. When God gave Moses the leadership mandate, Moses build on God's Word but abide in his mandate. A mandate is a compass, I learnt that from Apostle Paul, he was given the mandate to preach the message to the gentiles, he built his mission on the Word, not on the mandate. Jesus Christ never told us to build on anything including on mandate, He never told us to build on the Holy Spirit, never. The Holy Spirit will direct and guide you in all truth!

Do not build your church, young ministers, young pastors — on the gifts of the Spirit. Do not build your church on prophecy, prayers, seeing vision, deliverance, speaking in tongues, and whatever that is attributes of the Spirit. Build your church on the Word of God. Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hades shall not prevail — that is to say is on the Word. He that listens and keeps my Word is like unto a man that built his house on the rock, the storm, the rain, the wind, all came but the house fell not.

The Word. I like usually said, every growing church begins with a groaning knee. It is like when you want to lay down the foundation of a house, you have to dig the ground, the groaning knee is digging the ground for the church planting. And Jesus Christ fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, and the Apostles prayed for days at the upper room, and Paul fasted for three days and nights — all eated nothing nor drink anything. But they all did one thing in common, building their mission on the Word, solely on the Word, nothing else.

Executive, is that so now. I don't think so. Now is doctrines of men, doctrines that will suit them. To grow a church, according to Jeremiah, you are to give them LIFE APPLICABLE TEACHINGS THROUGH THE WORD. LIFE APPLICABLE KNOWLEDGE FROM THE BIBLE. You see how all was capitalize, that is to tell you how important this is, but we don't see that again. The Bible is as practical as it is as spiritual. Yes, the Word of God is very much practical and both spiritual. I have read(red) books on Church Growth and Members Retention, but I have no church, like I told you, I read wide alot.

Your church is not growing after five years, then there is something wrong with it. Stop this attitude of we are still growing. Don't scope with failures, fight failures. Yes, everything big began small, little by little you get to the top — but I tell you, know the difference between patience and wasting time. There's a difference between having patience and wasting time — better know it. I have burned my data up a lot on researches and learning from great Ministries outside Africa and within Africa and Nigeria, and from different fields of life — to build myself for a future I desired.

Only from Jeremiah and Acts of the Apostles, and Romans — can tell you well to build and grow your church. You don't have to read hundreds of books on Church Growth and Members Retention. To retain and grow your members, is fellowship and love. How often do your fellowship with your members? How do you encourage your members. When you see a dedicated member, do you seek his path or you suggest he is going to be a pastor. Bishop David Oyedepo once said, most people known to him are not necessarily pastors, he will ask them their paths and encourage them to go for it, while abiding in God's Word. Because someone knows the Bible and can pray effectively 

You will hear we have a faithful brother that have the calling of God. Jesus Christ had many disciples but only 12 was apostles when He was still in his ministry. Check the Bible well, I made an oath to God and myself — that I will never lead people to take the path I choose except it is their decision. What I mean is I am a businessman. I cannot tell you to do blogging if I discovered that blogging is not going to help you. Someone that have interest in Politics, I will encourage you to go for it; while making sure you are fixed on the Word of God and living by the Word.

Because you are good at something, does not necessarily mean that's your calling. Because there is a need in that area, does not mean that's your field. Executive, calling and skills are not the same, but they are important. Be knowledgeable on a subject can drives you to your calling — if it be the Will of God.

There is always going to be needs and wants in the earth and church. But to fulfill your destiny, you must identify your purpose and that's the direction to your calling. Know your calling if you want to be rightly rewarded.

Just because people are clapping hands for you, does not mean that's your race. Run the race set before you before you met that person. What was your burden before you entered that place. We miss our path because of churches of today, and we are saying it is the will of God, seriously. There was a burden in your heart, you had a vision, you know what you want — why then? That's manipulation not God's hand. The world is waiting for the manifestations of the sons of God not pastors, not ministers — in the field of business, sports, entertainment, politics, you can name it — the world is waiting for the light!

You are the light of the world, not the light of the church. You are the salt of the earth, not the salt of a church group. Not the salt of church programmes — be educated through the Word not copying patterns of men, and be saying that's how it is done. Is that the right way? That's the correct question for our generation now! For a church to remain strong and increase in number, it requires fellowship and love, and it's foundation must be built on the Word of God, taking its mandate as its compass through the journey.

I will end by telling you this: the devil is not afraid of you know the Bible, you praying hard, you observing midnight prayers, you speaking in tongues, you believing in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The devil is afraid of two things, one, a united church — we can see that in the book of Acts of the Bible. And The message of the kingdom. The devil (himself), not demons — will come to where the kingdom message is preached and to the united church. Because if these two are together, the devil's kingdom is in deep trouble.

The kingdom is not the church. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness — everything shall be added to you. The scripture told us that the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness, peace, love, and joy in the Holy Spirit. And righteousness exalt a nation, and that righteousness cannot be gotten through prayer but by the knowledge of the Word, prayer only comes to request for strength to live by the Word. So building on the Word is the very first foundation of Christianity and the church.

I will also like to let you know, that you don't pray and have prosperity. Prosperity, wealth does not come by prayers. It comes by laws. (Joshua 1 vs. 8) You shall study and meditate on the laws day and night, and thou shall make thy way prosperous and have good success. When you do what wealth demands, you become wealthy — not prayers. You shall not forget the God that gives you power to make wealth. And the Bible says knowledge is power, and my people are powerless for lack of knowledge — is it prayer? Africa Is a prayerful and a religious continent, I will say it again anywhere.

We are so religious and prayerful. Christianity came to us, but we have hijacked it, leaving technology and knowledge. Occupy till I come, but we say no. I will pray till you come. We are indirectly challenging God. Dominate the earth and be fruitful till I call you home, keep yourself unspotted from world. We said, no I will sleep in the church, I will do nothing than to carry your Word. But when the secular nations produce something, we pray hard to have it. We populated YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and even yes cars and private jets. Wait ooo! Why wouldn't Africa be poor?

Do you know what Jesus Christ called those always seeking for miracles. Miracle car, miracle house, miracle job, miracle baby, miracle whatever. Only in Africa, Jesus Christ called those always seeking for miracles — a wicked and adulterous generation, check it in your Bible, when the people was seeking for a sign, a miracle from Jesus Christ. I pray God gives us understanding and deliverance indeed. Africa was feeding the world, now Africa is begging the world, because we have failed God and do ours in the name of covering of Christianity. Because you are a Christian doesn't mean you should be economically unproductive. Yes, be fruitful not be slothful!

John D. Rockefeller was the first modern billionaire in our generation, and according to record, he is a devoted Christian, and the world including Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Elon Musk are still copying his pattern of attaining wealth. Bishop David Oyedepo copied John D. Rockefeller wealth formulae. Christians should be who the world must copy from, not we praying to have what the world is producing. Henry Ford the founder of Ford Motor — a devoted Christian, the world copied his car model and today he is respected.

Light of the world, salt of the earth — have now turn to I want to light of the church and salt of the small church group. We must go into the world that cause transformation, shine our lights, make impacts. We must rise up and change Africa all round including in politics as Christians. The world must be talking about us, not we talking about what the world is doing. I once told God, if you will not make me great kill me, let my parents bury me — highest they will cry we lost our first son, and God said to me, out of your hands many shall be empowered. Executive, I cried for death for more than a week, my mother is my witness.

When we were at Rumueme, attending Zion International High School and going to Omega Power Ministries Worldwide as our church. I am happy of what I am becoming. I keep praying to God to take me into the future He has prepared for me as He said in the book of Jeremiah, because I don't want to run anybody's desired race. Yes, I will stop here. People can choose a race for you, be watchful, be of knowledge, and be prayerful.

© Didi-Omah Augustine Chinazaekpere 

(Founder, The Organisation DIDI-OMAH)