Can you comment on church growth?
Introduction. Our question is very thought provoking. There are two ways to affect church "growth" - man's way and God's way. Let's contrast these two.
Man's way of creating church growth. Man's way is to attract and please people by offering what they want, often treating them as "customers". Appeals are made to make people happy by offering food and social fulfillment. Much emphasis is placed on bands and modern music with fun and frolic for all. Special effort is made to socially satisfy the divorced, the young, the singles, etc. Appeals are made to parents by providing secular schools and day care. Striving for larger numbers and bigger, nicer buildings is often the emphasis! When it comes to God's word, man's way is to not be too assertive, avoid stepping on people's toes, and have just enough of the truth to be deceiving to the undiscerning (cf. Gal. 1: 6-9).
God's way of creating church growth. God's word teaches us that the church (Jesus' church, Matt. 16: 18) is essential, viewed both from the local and universal perspective (cf. Acts 2: 47; Eph, 1: 3-7). Christians are to be members of a local church. In such a relationship they assemble (Heb. 10: 25; Acts 2: 42), edify one another (Eph. 4: 12-16), sing praise to God and one another (Eph. 5: 19), have the pure word preached to them (Acts 20: 7, 27, 28), are overseen by scriptural bishops (1 Tim. 3: 1-7; Heb. 13: 7), give of their means into the local treasury (1 Cor. 16: 1, 2), and observe the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 11: 23-28). God's growth occurs in principally two ways: (1) the members are built up spiritually by the gospel, and (2) the lost become Christians by obeying the gospel (Jas. 1: 21; 1 Tim. 3: 15; 2 Thes. 1: 7-9). The pure and relevant truth of God's word is the essence of such growth (1 Pet. 2: 1, 2: Acts 20: 32), even if it challenges people's incorrect thinking and sinful behavior. Of course, we must "speak the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15). But the emphasis is on spiritual growth, not numeric growth.
Conclusion. We must decide whom we desire to please with our growth - God or ourselves.
Man's way of creating church growth. Man's way is to attract and please people by offering what they want, often treating them as "customers". Appeals are made to make people happy by offering food and social fulfillment. Much emphasis is placed on bands and modern music with fun and frolic for all. Special effort is made to socially satisfy the divorced, the young, the singles, etc. Appeals are made to parents by providing secular schools and day care. Striving for larger numbers and bigger, nicer buildings is often the emphasis! When it comes to God's word, man's way is to not be too assertive, avoid stepping on people's toes, and have just enough of the truth to be deceiving to the undiscerning (cf. Gal. 1: 6-9).
God's way of creating church growth. God's word teaches us that the church (Jesus' church, Matt. 16: 18) is essential, viewed both from the local and universal perspective (cf. Acts 2: 47; Eph, 1: 3-7). Christians are to be members of a local church. In such a relationship they assemble (Heb. 10: 25; Acts 2: 42), edify one another (Eph. 4: 12-16), sing praise to God and one another (Eph. 5: 19), have the pure word preached to them (Acts 20: 7, 27, 28), are overseen by scriptural bishops (1 Tim. 3: 1-7; Heb. 13: 7), give of their means into the local treasury (1 Cor. 16: 1, 2), and observe the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 11: 23-28). God's growth occurs in principally two ways: (1) the members are built up spiritually by the gospel, and (2) the lost become Christians by obeying the gospel (Jas. 1: 21; 1 Tim. 3: 15; 2 Thes. 1: 7-9). The pure and relevant truth of God's word is the essence of such growth (1 Pet. 2: 1, 2: Acts 20: 32), even if it challenges people's incorrect thinking and sinful behavior. Of course, we must "speak the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15). But the emphasis is on spiritual growth, not numeric growth.
Conclusion. We must decide whom we desire to please with our growth - God or ourselves.