Acts 2:47 says, "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." This, of course, is speaking of the growth of the church. If you look back into the beginning of Acts, you notice that there were 120 believers after Christ ascended in Heaven from Jerusalem. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached and 3,000 were added to their number -- 120 and then they became 3,000. Then on a daily basis after that others were added to their number.
In
4:4 it says, "And soon the number of men grew to about 5,000." Notice, they're just counting the men here, not the women and children. So there were 5,000 men plus women and children. Then it says, "After that the number of disciples multiplied greatly." In addition to that, it says a great crowd of priests obeyed the faith.
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It's as if they've stopped talking about adding and now they're talking about multiplying. Then persecution fell on the church in Jerusalem, and they were scattered all over the place. They went to various cities, and wherever they went they communicated the Gospel. In Antioch, for instance, it says a great number believed. Then from Antioch they went to various cities around the world and there it says the churches grew daily in numbers. One thing is unavoidable about this record of the early church. They had dramatic numerical growth. A healthy church should be growing numerically.
Of course, you can grow numerically in a variety of ways. You can have a good music program, and people who like music come to hear the music. You can put on a great children's program, and people who are looking for good programming for their kids will come because of that. You can have a good counseling program, and people who are looking for some emotional integration will come for counseling. You can have a live singles program and singles will come around because they'll meet other singles. All these things are perfectly appropriate, but I want you to notice something about all this -- it is not necessarily what was happening in the Church in Jerusalem.
In the Church in Jerusalem their growth came because the Lord was adding to their number those who were being saved. I'm sure you'll understand what I mean when I say this -- it possible to be involved in a music program or some other programs and not be interested in being saved. The problem that we have in churches sometimes, is that we put on excellent programs in different areas, but the people who are coming are not necessarily being saved. That must be the overwhelming concern! Not to suggest that we're unconcerned about other aspects of people's lives; not to suggest that all the other ministries are not valid. They clearly are. We must never get so wrapped up in the means that we ignore the end, which is that people are being saved and added to their number. So the key words here are: "The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."