The document is a sermon about deterrents to church growth. It identifies six deterrents that were covered in a previous sermon: loose talk, looking back, lack of vision, little faith, lovelessness, and listening to the wrong people. It then discusses six more deterrents: relying on professionals instead of all church members serving, promoting cliques instead of fellowship, unwillingness to sacrifice for the church, desiring convenience over commitment, division within the church, and members living impure lives. The sermon encourages examining one's own actions and ensuring they are helping rather than hindering the church's growth.

1. WELCOME TO THE
JACKSON STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST
WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE

2. (Eph 4:11-16) And He Himself gave
some to be apostles, some
prophets, some evangelists, and
some pastors and teachers, {12} for
the equipping of the saints for the
work of ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ, {13} till we all
come to the unity of the faith and
of the knowledge of the Son of
God, to a perfect man, to the
measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ; >>>

3. {14} that we should no longer be
children, tossed to and fro and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by
the trickery of men, in the cunning
craftiness of deceitful plotting, {15} but,
speaking the truth in love, may grow up
in all things into Him who is the head;
Christ; {16} from whom the whole body,
joined and knit together by what every
joint supplies, according to the
effective working by which every part
does its share, causes growth of the
body for the edifying of itself in love.

4. (Eccl 3:22) So I
perceived that
nothing is better
than that a man
should rejoice in his
own works, for that
is his heritage. For
who can bring him to
see what will happen
after him?

5. Last Sunday night’s failed joke!
(The failed joke was much funnier
than the actual joke.)
• Did you know that scrambled eggs
are better than a million dollars?
• Nothing is better than a million
dollars! Right?
• And scrambled eggs are better
than nothing!
• Therefore, scrambled eggs are
better than a million dollars!

6. LAST WEEK WE LOOKED AT
THE FIRST SIX
DETERRANTS TO CHURCH
GROWTH
1. LOOSE TALK
2. LOOKING BACK
3. LACK OF VISION
4. LITTLE FAITH
5. LOVELESSNESS
6. LISTENING TO THE WRONG PEOPLE

7. DETERRENT
S TO
CHURCH
GROWTH (2)

8. I. RELYING ON
PROFESSIONALS
A. (Rev 1:6) and has made us kings and
priests to His God and Father, to Him
be glory and dominion forever and
ever. Amen.
B. (1 Pet 2:9) But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, His own special people, that
you may proclaim the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness into
His marvelous light;

9. II. PROMOTING CLIQUES
A.(Prov 18:24) A man who
has friends must himself
be friendly, But there is
a friend who sticks
closer than a brother.

10. II. PROMOTING CLIQUES
B. (Luke 14:12-14) Then He also said
to him who invited Him, “When you
give a dinner or a supper, do not ask
your friends, your brothers, your
relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest
they also invite you back, and you
be repaid. {13} “But when you give a
feast, invite the poor, the maimed,
the lame, the blind. {14} “And you
will be blessed, because they
cannot repay you; for you shall be
repaid at the resurrection of the
just.”

11. III. UNWILLINGNESS TO
SACRIFICE
A. (Mat 16:24) Then Jesus
said to His disciples, “If
anyone desires to come
after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his
cross, and follow Me.

12. III. UNWILLINGNESS TO
SACRIFICE
B. (Rom 12:1-2) I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that you present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
to God, which is your reasonable
service. {2} And do not be
conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that you may prove what is
that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God.

13. IV. DESIRE FOR
CONVENIENCE
A. Spare time, extra money, left
over religion
B. (Mat 6:33) “But seek first the
kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these
things shall be added to you.

14. V. DIVISION
A. (1 Cor 1:10) Now I plead with
you, brethren, by the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that you
all speak the same thing, and
that there be no divisions
among you, but that you be
perfectly joined together in the
same mind and in the same
judgment.

15. V. DIVISION
B. (John 17:20-21) “I do not pray
for these alone, but also for
those who will believe in Me
through their word; {21} “that
they all may be one, as You,
Father, are in Me, and I in You;
that they also may be one in Us,
that the world may believe that
You sent Me.

16. VI. IMPURE LIVES OF
MEMBERS
A. (James 4:8) Draw near to
God and He will draw near
to you. Cleanse your
hands, you sinners; and
purify your hearts, you
double-minded.

17. VI. IMPURE LIVES OF
MEMBERS
B. (1 Pet 2:11-12) Beloved, I beg
you as sojourners and pilgrims,
abstain from fleshly lusts which
war against the soul, {12} having
your conduct honorable among
the Gentiles, that when they
speak against you as evildoers,
they may, by your good works
which they observe, glorify God
in the day of visitation.

18. ARE YOU HELPING OR
HINDERING CHURCH
GROWTH?
1. LOOSE TALK
2. LOOKING BACK
3. LACK OF VISION
4. LITTLE FAITH
5. LOVELESSNESS
6. LISTENING TO THE WRONG PEOPLE
7. RELYING ON PROFESSIONALS
8. PROMOTING CLIQUES
9. UNWILLINGNESS TO SACRIFICE
10.DESIRE FOR CONVENIENCE
11.DIVISION
12.IMPURE LIFE