In this sermon, I speak directly to an urgent dilemma facing the church: growth or death. We all understand that growth is necessary in life, whether in our marriages, careers, businesses, or health, but too often we forget that the same is true of the church. A healthy church cannot remain stagnant. When anything becomes stagnant, it begins to die. So I call the congregation to take spiritual inventory and ask: are we becoming more effective in God’s mission, or are we drifting into comfort and unfinished obedience?
I begin by clarifying that the church belongs to God, not to personalities, preferences, or even traditions. We are one Body under one King, and the Body of Christ functions with structure and responsibility. Scripture shows two clear evidences in the church: leadership offices and congregational responsibility. Leaders, pastors, deacons, and ministry heads, are accountable to God, and according to James, leaders are judged more strictly. That truth should sober every leader. Our actions carry weight, influence, and consequences, especially in a culture where many have lost trust because of leaders who fall.
From there, I walk through leadership’s responsibility using Ephesians 4:12: leaders are called to equip God’s people for works of service so the Body may be built up. That means leadership must do more than preach, we must delegate, prepare, train, and develop people. Without structure, without a plan, and without intentional discipleship pathways, we are not fulfilling our assignment. I also share personally how taking ministry seriously includes recognizing the burden of calling: it’s not something I “do,” it’s who I am before God, and it impacts others who are watching and following.
Then I shift to the responsibility of believers. Every Christian has a role. From 1 Peter 4:10, I emphasize that each person has received a gift and is called to use it to serve others. From 2 Corinthians 5:20, I remind the church that we are Christ’s ambassadors, representatives of heaven, called to help the world be reconciled to God. From Ephesians 2:10, I affirm that we are God’s handiwork created for good works. I confront a common imbalance: sometimes we focus so much on personal devotion, Bible reading and prayer, that we forget service is also a spiritual discipline and a core part of spiritual maturity.
I then press into the mission of the church through Matthew 28:19–20. “Go,” “make disciples,” and “teach” are action words. We are not called to sit still and remain comfortable. Faith that produces no obedience becomes dead and powerless. Jesus also said the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, which exposes a common problem: we gather well, but we often fail to engage the harvest field. In today’s culture, church attendance is no longer automatic. People carry skepticism, pain, and baggage, so we must learn to reach them intentionally through real relationships, not by treating people like projects. Our workplaces, schools, and daily relationships are ministry fields.
From there, I take the church to Revelation 3:1–3, where Jesus speaks to the church in Sardis: “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” This passage becomes a mirror. Reputation is not the same as spiritual health. Jesus calls the church to wake up, strengthen what remains, repent, and finish what is unfinished. I compare stagnation to a hospital monitor: when things go flat and stagnant, it’s a dangerous sign. Sometimes the church needs a spiritual wake-up call, an honest confrontation, so life can return.
I also address real challenges: burnout, lack of structure, and fear of change. Many churches struggle because ministry is carried by a few people without sustainable systems, which leads to exhaustion and hesitation to step into new opportunities. I make the point that wisdom includes knowing capacity, creating healthy rhythms of rest, and developing processes that protect people while still advancing the mission. The goal is not to work people into the ground, the goal is to build a healthy, equipped Body that can serve consistently without collapsing.
I close with urgency and hope. God’s work is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58), but we must give ourselves to His mission with wisdom and perseverance. I warn against a self-focused faith that neglects God’s house and God’s mission, echoing the prophetic confrontation that God’s people can become busy building their own lives while leaving God’s work unfinished. This sermon is ultimately a call back to covenant responsibility: to build disciples, equip the saints, serve with our gifts, and reach the lost. We are not spectators, we are family. And God is calling His church to grow
My Faith Journey 