What does it take to build a church (Acts 18) July 20 2025

I wonder what does it take to build a church?Choose a location: to reach the most people choose a large city full of trade and travellers passing through. Like Singapore or Dubai or if it’s 52AD you might choose Corinth. Corinth was one of the largest cities, very Roman, with a hugely popular athletic Games, and not one but two busy ports on either side of the city with boats being cleverly transported across from one side to the other.Choose the best team: not the best most charismatic speakers but rather people who listen to Jesus and follow God, can teach the Good News correctly, that know how to encourage, live and love others with integrity, are happy to pay their own way, can make friends and develop more team players and have resilience. For Corinth this was Paul, his fellow tent makers and business partners Priscilla and Aquilla alongside his long-travelled companions Silas and Timothy.Recognise God is at work: For Paul and his team they received a message from God when one night the Lord appeared to Paul in a vision “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” (Acts 18:9-10).Be committed and resilient: Paul and his companions constantly had a barrage of negative voices and rejection yet it didn’t seem to stop them. In fact, a few years later, once the church in Corinth was established Paul writes back to them explaining himself and his secret of resilience being integrity in how you live.2 Corinthians 6: 3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. 4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, [c] and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defence. 8 We serve God whether people honour us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. 11 Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. I wonder could these same principles apply to you as you are part of Gods mission wherever God has placed you: family, neighbourhood, workplace, school or university?This Sunday is Kettle Club Sunday. We have had nearly 40 kids over the week coming to the school holiday program learning about Paul and his friend's journey with Jesus growing the church! This includes the story of how the church was planted in Corinth (Acts 18). The journey is 3 chapters long in our bibles, barely 6 pages, yet covers 3 years and 4500km! Come along and support the kids this Sunday as they retell the story to us and share what God has been teaching us at Kettle club. Worship together as we raise children of God. Note that the ‘livestream’ (actually, a special pre-recorded message just for this Sunday) will still be available but will not be a live video of the service.