> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.dashhouse.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Much Joy in the City
- URL: https://www.dashhouse.com/2014113much-joy-in-the-city/
- Published: 2014-11-04T10:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2022-08-15T15:25:07.000Z
- Author: Darryl Dash
- Tags: Blog, Church, #DashHouseCom, #wp

Want an interesting study? Take a look at how Luke describes the growth of the church in the book of Acts. It’s not the way that we usually describe the growth of the church.

I [noticed](https://dashhouse.com/dashhouse/2011/4/5/the-word-of-god-increased.html?ref=dashhouse.com) a while ago that Luke sometimes used a phrase: “The word of God increased” (Acts 12:24). What a great way to put it. As David Peterson writes in his [commentary](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080283731X/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=dashhouse-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=080283731X&ref=dashhouse.com), “The church which is the creature of the word grew.” As our churches grow, I hope it can be said that our growth is the growth of the word.

![](https://www.dashhouse.com/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img147.jpg)

I noticed another phrase recently. When Philip first preached the gospel in Samaria, Luke describes the result: “So there was much joy in that city” (Acts 8:8). The spread of the gospel is the spread of joy. Spurgeon said, “No city flourishes so well as that which has a clear, powerful, gospel bell ringing in the midst of it…We long to see this joy in London.”

If the church ever grows significantly in my city, I would be a happy man if it could be said:

- the word of God increased there
- there was much joy in the city

That’s the type of church growth I long for.

![Much Joy in the City](https://www.dashhouse.com/content/images/v7/dashhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img147.jpg)