A Growing Church
Teachers
Lesson Summary
The class focused on the growth of the early church, emphasizing the central role of the word of God in expanding the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Richard Sutton used passages from Acts and Romans to highlight how the first-century church multiplied disciples through obedience to Jesus’ commission (Acts 1:8) and the power of the gospel (Romans 1:16). The teacher noted that the book of Acts is fundamentally about church growth, illustrating how the word of God increased and disciples multiplied, beginning with 3,000 souls at Pentecost (Acts 2:41) and later reaching over 5,000 believers (Acts 4:4). The lesson underscored that church growth is not driven by human talent or strategy, but by faithful proclamation of God’s word. Sutton also connected the historical expansion of the church to the modern mission of Linder Road Church of Christ, encouraging members to reach souls one at a time, starting in Meridian, Idaho, and extending globally. Central themes included the transformative power of the word of God, the necessity of disciple-making, and the enduring example of the early church’s mission.
Key Scriptures
And the word of God continued to increase and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.