Power and Fruit

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Village Church Planting is an amazing ministry. You may know that VCP

ministers in 31 different African countries to train church planters to multiply

healthy churches. Over the past two and a half years, African church planters

trained by VCP have planted over 10,000 churches with an average size of

about 50 people each. To God be the glory!

But who are those 10,000 church planters? They are men and women who live

in villages, men and women who love Jesus and want to share the Good News

with their neighbors who do not know Christ. They come from big variety of

Christian groups. VCP trainers and VCP partners, regardless of denominational

background, endorse the Apostle’s Creed and the Lausanne Covenant. These

two statements of Christian belief bring balance to VCP ministry. One

statement is short; the other is long. One is ancient, the other was written in

1974. One is referenced frequently in church movements that started more

than 100 years ago; the other is referenced more frequently in younger

movements. Together they bring balance to VCP ministry.

There is significant diversity in the doctrinal distinctive of VCP partner

denominations. Some emphasize the study of God’s word, others emphasize

the leading of the Holy Spirit. Some emphasize the need for revival; others

emphasize the need for day-by-day obedience to Christ. Some emphasize

strong denominational organization; others emphasize freedom in Christ for

ministry. Some emphasize the power of the Holy Spirit. Others emphasize the

fruit of the Spirit. But all are working to multiply healthy churches full of

disciple making disciples of Jesus. Praise the Lord!

So what is more important in the life of a Christian, power from God to do

works of faith, healing, and deliverance, or the fruit of the Spirit that produces

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and

self-control? What is more important for the Christian power or fruit?

Sadly, many Christians have an answer for this question. That is why some

denominations emphasize power and others emphasize godly character. But we

just do not see this division in the Scriptures. Jesus said that his followers

would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. And they did! They

prayed and God moved. But they also experienced God’s power to love, to

forgive, to be faithful in the face of persecution, to be patient in times of trial,

and to express joy in the face of suffering. The churches described in the New

Testament acted in great faith and experienced the miraculous power of God.

The churches of the New Testament found sanctifying grace from God to live

godly lives characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. In that power AND in that

sanctifying grace they made disciples who transformed the Roman world.

My fellow church planter, may God give you grace to trust him for the

miraculous demonstration of his power AND amazing character transformation

in the lives of your people. May the churches you plant be characterized by

both power and fruit. In Jesus name, Amen.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #PowerAndFruit