How God Grows a Church and Its People

Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv

A Turning Point: The Assassination of Charlie Kirk

Today, I want to begin by talking about a turning point in our country this week that impacts all of us. Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking on a college campus. Charlie was a Christian evangelist who showed how God’s truth informs every part of life: relationships, politics and culture.

He focused on turning college students to God’s truth and was amazingly successful. He did it with grace, kindness and boldness. Here is a statement he made minutes before becoming the first major Christian martyr in America.

Charlie Kirk: "It’s not just intrabiblical evidence, but extrabiblical evidence that Jesus Christ was a real person. He lived a perfect life, he was crucified, died and rose on the third day, and he is Lord and God over all."

He continued to speak the truth, even though he recognized that violence was getting worse. He and others shared that presently 50% of people on the left (Democrats) believe that killing a person of differing beliefs is justifiable. We are entering a time of increasing persecution for standing for God’s truth.

How should we react? We need to love our enemies and pray for them. We must be bold as lions, speaking God’s truth without fear or hatred. Let’s choose to follow Charlie’s and Jesus’ example of speaking the truth in love to those who disagree.

Let’s pray for Charlie’s widow Erika and two young children in this time of grief. Pray that God would raise up many more people to spread God’s truth with courage and kindness. We pray that today’s message would inspire each one of us to do our part in growing and multiplying to reach more people for Jesus.

Introduction: God’s Vision for Multiplication

Today we conclude our message series entitled “God’s Vision for Us.” We’re looking at each of our vision statements: Experience God’s Spirit, Spread God’s Truth, Share Life Together. Today we are going to talk about We Are a Multiplying Church. Our message title is “How God Grows a Church and Its People.”

Growth in a family doesn’t always happen the way we expect. When my wife Carol and I started our family, we had two children. Then came the surprise of our lives when we went in for our first ultrasound. I remember sitting there when the doctor said, “I think there’s another baby in there.” Then a few minutes later, he said and I think there’s even another one here.

We were shocked to realize that God was giving us triplets. Three at once, all born healthy and just celebrated their 27th birthday last week. In the years that followed, we added two more children for a total of seven. We hadn’t planned for that kind of multiplication. Honestly, it was stretching, exhausting and sometimes overwhelming. But looking back, it was one of the greatest blessings in our lives.

God multiplied our family far beyond what we imagined. And with that multiplication came more love, more laughter and more opportunities to grow as people and parents.

Genesis 1:28 (ESV): "And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.’"

This command of God to Adam and Eve applies to every person God has created. We are to be fruitful and multiply to impact our world. This does not just apply to physical children, it applies to spiritual children and to the overall impact of our lives.

Acts 2:47 (ESV): "And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."

Just like in our family, God was the One adding to the early church, not according to human planning, but by His power. Was the early church just sitting around praying? Well, they were praying, but they were also being bold witnesses through the power of the Spirit.

Just like having physical children requires both physical and divine input, so does seeing spiritual children being born.

Psalm 127:3–4 (ESV): "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth."

Children are a blessing and reward from God. In the same way, every new believer and every new family added to the church is a blessing, a gift and a reward that enriches us all.

1 Corinthians 3:6 (ESV): "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."

Multiplication is always God’s work. We plant and water faithfully, but He is the one who brings surprising increase, often beyond what we anticipate or feel ready for. To be a multiplying church, we must be multiplying people, because God grows His church by growing us.

Now, I know some people may hear talk about growth and immediately think, I don’t want a big church, I like it small and comfortable. Others think, well, I don’t really care how big the church is, I just want it to meet my needs. But here’s what I want you to see: When the church grows, you grow. Healthy things of all kinds grow and multiply.

A healthy, multiplying church creates more strength, more opportunity, and more blessing for every single person and every single family. How God grows His church is the same way He grows you. This morning, let’s look at three ways God grows His church and His people.

We Multiply Through Salvation and Spirit Empowerment

Acts 6:7 (ESV): "And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith."

The church in Acts multiplied because the Word was preached and people responded with faith. The new believers became obedient to the faith, they grew in their faith through obedience to God’s Word. The early church was being obedient to the Great Commission given by Jesus to every believer, then and today.

Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV): "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

The call to multiply begins with reaching people for Christ, baptizing them and making disciples. This is the foundation of church growth and of personal growth. None of this would have happened if the early church had not obeyed Jesus’ instructions to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:4–5 (ESV): "… he ordered them … to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, you heard from me; … you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

Jesus told His disciples they were not to attempt to make disciples or spread God’s truth until they were baptized in the Holy Spirit and receive God’s power to be witnesses. The three steps of believing in Jesus, being water baptized and Spirit baptized are the biblical foundation of the Christian life. They give us the power to be multipliers of the Gospel in our world.

Application: Becoming Agents of Multiplication

We become agents of multiplication when we share the Gospel and depend on the Spirit’s power. You can take action by inviting someone to church, sharing a God story or praying for someone. If you are not saved, water baptized or Spirit baptized, make a decision to take all three steps to become a power-packed believer.

Ask God for fresh boldness from the Spirit. Fear does not come from God, faith drives out fear. Multiplication begins when one person says, Lord use me to reach others for you.

We Multiply Through Discipleship and Ministry Involvement

Acts 9:31 (ESV): "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied."

The church multiplied not only in numbers but in strength. New believers had peace, were built up, walked in the fear of the Lord and in the Spirit’s comfort. The new believers were growing spiritually to learn how they could be witnesses for Jesus beyond the church. And they were learning how to grow together with other believers in the church.

Ephesians 4:16 (ESV): "From whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

When every member does their part, the church grows in health and capacity. The new believers were learning how not to just be attenders in church, but to serve others within the church family with their spiritual gifts. When that happens, this verse tells us that the body of Christ grows, it multiplies.

2 Timothy 2:2 (ESV): "What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also."

Remember that last phrase of the Great Commission. What are we to do with new disciples? We are to teach them to obey all that Jesus commanded. Discipleship happens through learning God’s Word from teachers, pastors and one another. And then putting that teaching into practice by serving in ministry both within and outside the church. Discipleship is multiplication in action, disciples raising disciples, leaders raising leaders.

Application: Everyone a Disciple, Everyone a Servant

We multiply when discipleship becomes normal and when everyone serves. The church cannot multiply if only a few carry the load. Remember, everyone is to be a disciple and everyone is to serve. You can take action by joining a Life Group, mentoring another believer, or stepping into a serving role.

When you grow, the church grows. When you pour into someone else, multiplication ripples outward.

We Multiply Through Generosity and Kingdom Mission

Acts 12:24 (ESV): "But the word of God increased and multiplied."

Are you seeing a pattern here in our Scriptures from the early church in the book of Acts? The book of Acts does not just give us the history of the early church. It shows us how God desires for His church to multiply through the power of the Spirit. The word of God increased and multiplied.

How does that happen? It happens as people spread God’s truth and those who receive it in turn spread God’s truth to yet others. That results in exponential growth, multiplication. The church multiplied because they lived generously and sent people into mission. Multiplication was never just about their own gathering, it was about advancing the Kingdom.

2 Corinthians 9:10 (ESV): "He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness."

God multiples what we release for His purposes. Generosity always precedes multiplication, both in our lives and in our church family. The seed in Scripture represents the Word of God. As believers, we have the seed of God’s Word growing in our hearts. That truth is not to be kept for ourselves, we are to sow that seed in the hearts of others. God will continually multiply or replenish our seed for sowing, so that we can reap a mighty harvest.

What does the harvest represent? The harvest represents people being saved, the church multiplying.

Acts 13:2–3 (ESV): "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off."

The church at Antioch multiplied because they gave, they prayed and they sent out their best. For us, this includes giving faithfully with our tithes to support our church family and supporting missions with our offerings above the tithe.

Our long-term Kingdom mission vision includes dreaming about planting churches across St. Louis to ignite revival. We’re not ready for that yet, but as we grow, as God adds to our number, as leaders are raised up, one day we will send teams to plant churches. We must dream now so we will be ready later.

Application: Living with a Kingdom-First Mindset

We multiply when we live with a Kingdom-first mindset, giving and sending for the sake of the Gospel. You can take action by practicing generosity today and supporting missions. Pray about how God may one day use you in sending or going. We multiply through generosity and Kingdom mission.

Conclusion: Trusting God to Multiply Beyond Our Plans

Just like our family multiplied beyond what we planned, God wants to multiply His church beyond what we expect. Yes, it stretches us, yes, it takes faith. But it also brings joy, blessing, and growth into our lives. To be a multiplying church, we must be multiplying people. Because God grows His church by growing us.

If God could take two kids and multiply them into seven in our family, imagine what He can do with our church family. When we give ourselves to salvation and Spirit empowerment, discipleship and serving, generosity and mission, the Lord will add, strengthen and multiply His church.

📘 Continue the Journey

Reflect deeper and apply this week’s message with the Message Study Guide — perfect for personal devotions, family discussion, or your Life Group.

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