{"id":32520,"date":"2013-10-26T09:18:22","date_gmt":"2013-10-26T17:18:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/?page_id=32520"},"modified":"2013-10-26T09:18:22","modified_gmt":"2013-10-26T17:18:22","slug":"church-growth-gods-way","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/sermons\/miscellaneous\/church-growth-gods-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Church Growth God’s Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"churchMy brother is an architect. A while back he showed me the plans he was working on for the largest church in the valley. They had outgrown their present facility and were building a multi-million dollar addition.<\/p>\n

The plans themselves were impressive. He had spent thousands of hours working on the construction documents. There were over 200 full-size pages. He had carefully thought out everything: capacity limits, weight loads, seating plans, roof plans, exterior and interior elevations, wall types, center line diagrams, code exiting plans, door and window schedules, and a host of other terms which I did not understand. But one thing was obvious. The church was going to be huge. The church I pastored at the time could have almost fit into only one of its Sunday school rooms.<\/p>\n

I visited my brother again a short time later. I knew that as the architect, he would be overseeing the project, so I asked how the addition was going. “Fine,” he said, “but let me show you something.” He pulled out his copy of the blueprints, turned to one of the pages, which to my untrained eye, looked no different than all the others, and pointed to a couple of blue lines. “You see this wall here?”<\/p>\n

“Yes,” I told him nonchalantly, thinking to myself, “Ah-ha! It’s a wall!”<\/p>\n

“I was down at the site today, and I noticed that this wall didn’t look quite right, so I got out the blueprints, and compared them with the wall. The blueprints show how thick the wall should be, what it should be made of – in this case it’s a concrete wall – what texture the wall should have and so on.” He showed me how the blueprints revealed all of this. Then he continued, “The wall they were building was not according to the blueprints. It was too thin, the design wasn’t right, and the texture was wrong.”<\/p>\n

“Well, can they fix it?” I asked.<\/p>\n

He looked at me with a small smile. “You bet they can. I told the contractor to knock it down and make a new one.”<\/p>\n

I was amazed that he had that much power. “What? Won’t that slow things down and cost a lot of money?”<\/p>\n

“Yes, it will, but that’s the contractor’s problem. If he had followed the blueprints as I had designed them, he wouldn’t be in this mess.” He went on to explain why the wall needed to be the thickness it was and why it needed that certain design and texture, but I was still thinking about that last thing he had said.<\/p>\n

It has been one of my top frustrations as a pastor to counsel people who come to me for help only after their life is in shambles. I want to tell them (but never do), “You wouldn’t be in this mess if you had just followed what God has said in His Word.” I sometimes feel like the father who is supposed to fix a son’s broken toy after it had been used in a foolish way. If people would follow the directions, they wouldn’t get the negative consequences they keep getting.<\/p>\n

I’m sure these feelings are true of nearly all professions. Doctors probably feel this way about the endless stream of patients that come through their doors. Mechanics wonder how a person doesn’t know to change their oil and check their fluids. Dentists are amazed at some people’s failure – like myself – to regularly floss. Teachers send notes home with their students every week, but then get complaints that the parents never know what is going on. Of course, the teacher then discovers that the parents never read the notes either. Every profession has these sorts of frustrations with people who don’t follow directions and only come in for help after the situation is almost beyond help.<\/p>\n

I wonder if this is how God feels about the way we handle His church? We blindly ignore His most careful instructions on how to design, run and grow His church, and only after our church is in shambles do we come to Him for help. But by then, the correction process is painful, slow and costly. It involves some walls being knocked down. It causes a setback in our plans and our schedule. Whether we are correcting a problem, or starting from scratch, if we want the church to be built right, it needs to be done according to the Architect’s Plans. It is these plans which we will be looking at during the next several weeks and applying to this church. If we want our church to grow, we need to do things God’s way.<\/p>\n

Now, I have read many books on church growth. Many of the available books on church growth contain great ideas and great principles. Most of them relate the story and principles that led to phenomenal numerical growth in a specific church. It is inferred in all of the books that if other churches copy these principles, they too will experience this kind of growth. One of the main problems with this is that no two churches are identical. While some principles from these “successful” churches might be applicable and adaptable to our setting, what works in one church might not work in another. And none of these previously published strategies work in every church of every size and in all locations.<\/p>\n

\"churchObviously, they all worked somewhere, or else we would not have heard about them. But reason and experience tell us that not one of them works everywhere. So most pastors today who want to grow their church either try a blended approach from several different strategies, or they randomly pick one of the strategies and hope it works for them. All too often, both approaches end in failure and frustration. As a pastor, and having watched many pastors flounder through program after program, book after book, with little or no “results”, I have to ask, “Are we doing it wrong, or were the ones who wrote the books just lucky?”<\/p>\n

My suspicion is that they were lucky. I heard of a man who got a book contract because he doubled the size of his church in a few short years. His book gained him popularity, so he was asked to became the president of a Bible college. However, within a few short years after his departure, his church crumbled. The elders, the Pastor-turned-Bible-College President and the church growth experts were soon asking, “What did the present pastor do to destroy the church?” The experts went in to determine what had happened and found that at the time of the church’s explosive growth, two other large and prominent churches in the area had undergone splits, and the church in question happened to be on the receiving end. Nothing the first pastor did grew the church, and nothing the pastor after him did destroyed the church.<\/p>\n

When a church grows by gaining members from the problems of other churches, it is just a matter of time before this new church fails as well. Neither pastor did anything special or anything wrong. The first just happened to be at the right place at the right time, and didn’t stick around long enough for the sky to fall. Instead, he got a book contract and a College President position. The second pastor, although he thought he was getting a thriving church, was doomed from the start. He ended up with a broken church. And yet, the pastor-turned-college-president’s book on how he grew his church and you can too is still on the bookshelves available for purchase.<\/p>\n

So who are we to believe? Who do we trust? Do we try one method after another until one of them clicks with our church? Do we flit from model to model hoping that we find something to stand on before our people get burnt out? There must be another way! The must be some objective pattern to know who is right and what will work! Isn’t there some standard by which we can judge them?<\/p>\n

Well, to the surprise of many, there is. While reading all of these books on church growth during the last eight years or so, trying to find the “secret” to church growth, I came across one book which laid it all out so clearly and so simply, I could hardly believe what I was reading.<\/p>\n

The Best Book on Church Growth<\/h2>\n

This book explained the church’s origin, builder, durability, purpose and function. It challenged almost everything the modern church growth movement encourages and promotes. Instead of making the unchurched and unsaved feel comfortable, this book tells us not to conform to the world. Instead of meeting for primarily evangelistic purposes, this book tells us to meet for the edification of the saints. Instead of marketing the church via worldly methods, this book tells us to neither love the world nor the things in the world. Instead of giving people what they want to hear, this book tells us to teach what God wants people to hear. Instead of being program oriented, this book tells us to be people and ministry oriented.<\/p>\n

What was this book? You guessed it. The Bible. The Holy Scriptures. The Word of God.<\/p>\n

\"church<\/p>\n

I have found very few church growth books on the market today which actually base their principles on the Word of God. Most of them are based on experiences and worldly marketing techniques, opinion surveys and the like. But if we are going to grow God’s church in God’s way, we must do things according to God’s Word. He is the Architect of the church, and has laid out clear plans for how the church is to grow. All of us, I hope, would agree that we can fully trust and rely on the principles laid out for us in Scripture. If Scripture gives us principles for church growth, shouldn’t we try them before we turn elsewhere? Other principles may work in certain areas, and with certain pastors who lead certain churches. But the Scriptural principles of God will work in upper class suburban churches, government housing project churches, rural churches and inner city churches. These principles will work in rich countries and third world countries. They will work in areas where there is a Western mindset, and where there is an Eastern mindset. They will work in large churches and small churches. They will work in thriving communities and dying communities. These principles will work in our church.<\/p>\n

But before we can look at them, before we can start building, the ground must be cleared of all obstacles. So let’s begin with defining some very important terms.<\/p>\n

Defining “Church”<\/h2>\n

I took a class in my undergraduate studies called “Argumentation.” It was quite enjoyable. We pretty much sat around arguing with each other. The first thing we learned was that most arguments, disagreements and misunderstandings get off on the wrong foot because people do not define their terms. If the terms are not defined, there is almost no way an issue will ever be resolved.<\/p>\n

Anyone who has children knows exactly what I mean. When a parent says to their 16 year old daughter “Don’t stay out late,” the difference between what the parents mean by “late” and what the daughter understands as being “late” is about six hours. Similarly in marriage, when a man says he understands his wife, what he means when he says he understands his wife is completely different that what she thinks he means when he says he understands her – if you understand what I’m saying. Even in theological debate, what one person means by “justification” is completely different than what someone else might understand.<\/p>\n

So to avoid as much confusion as possible, we want to begin by defining what we mean by “church growth.” And we need to take these two words separately. Before we can look at how the church grows, we need to come to an agreement of what the “church” is. I won’t do the study for you, but if you were to do it on your own, you would discover that according to the Bible, the church is not a building.<\/p>\n

Instead,<\/p>\n

The church body consists of the universal and local gathering of believers under the headship of Christ, meeting regularly and orderly for the purposes of exalting God, edifying one another and evangelizing the world.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although this definition is somewhat involved, as we continue to look at God’s Blueprints for Church growth, it is the definition we will keep in mind. We will develop this in much greater detail later, but for now, just understand that this is the Biblical definition of the church. Let us turn now to a Biblical definition of growth.<\/p>\n

Defining Church Growth<\/h2>\n

Ask the average person in church what a growing church looks like, and the answer would be a variation of three “B’s”: bodies, bucks and bricks. They would say that a church is growing when it obtains bigger membership rolls, bigger buildings, and a bigger budget. To put it another way, more people, more money, and more structures. I have been to many pastor’s conferences over the years. Do know what the number one question among most pastors at the conferences is? Inevitably, with any pastor, the question that eventually comes up is: “So, how big is your church?” People today tend to judge a church by it’s size. Most people in America think that bigger is better and so when they pick a church, they pick one that has lots of people, a large budget, and a big building. That is bodies, bucks and bricks.<\/p>\n

\"churchBut guess what? Nowhere in the Bible are we told that bodies, bucks and bricks are how you measure church growth, or even church health. This is how you measure a business. But according to the Bible, the church is not a business, it is a body or a family. And when you are talking about a body, or a family, there are a completely different set of questions to ask to determine growth and health. For example, I come from a family of ten children. I am the second eldest of ten kids. When people hear this, they say, “Wow! How did your parents manage it?” As a parent myself, I honestly don’t know how they are still sane. But despite the amazement at the number of children in our family, I have yet to talk to someone who thinks that the family I came from was inherently better than their family because mine was larger. To judge the health of a family based on its size is ludicrous! Nobody says that large families are better off than small ones! The health of any family is measured by the spiritual, physical, relational and emotional qualities exhibited within that family. Many families choose to keep the number of their children low, just so that they can be healthy.<\/p>\n

It’s the same with your body. Nobody thinks that people who have more pounds are naturally healthier than people who have less. In fact, diets are so popular today because people realize that in some cases, less is better. The church is just like a family. The church is just like a body. The church is not like a business. When determining church growth and church health, numbers do not matter. Think about it. If healthy churches are only those that have 10,000 in attendance on Sunday morning, then 99% of the churches in the world are sick. But church growth is not – and never should be – about numbers. This is because the church is not made up of numbers. What was our definition of church? The first part of it was that the church is made up of believers. The church consists of all those who believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life.<\/p>\n

Therefore, church growth happens, not when numbers increase, but when believers mature in the faith. Church growth is about growing people:<\/p>\n

Church growth is teaching and training the people who are in the church to become what God wants them to be so they can do what God wants them to do.<\/p>\n

To put it more simply, church growth happens when Christians grow into spiritual maturity. The amazing thing about this kind of growth is that every church can accomplish this, no matter how large or small the church is. If the church has ten people, and one year, the pastor is doing all of the ministry, but a year later, it is the pastor and one other person that is doing all of the ministry, that church has experienced 100% church growth, even if there are still only 10 people. If another year passes, and two more people get involved in the ministries of the church, then that church has just doubled again, even if there are still only 10 people in church. This is true and Biblical church growth. It’s not about numbers. It’s about maturity and ministry involvement. Growth is not adding numbers to your church, it is helping those who come to the church become more like Christ and live more obediently to Christ.<\/p>\n

Understandably, this kind of growth is more elusive, relative and subjective than numerical growth. But just as any kind of growth is measurable, we can measure this kind of growth as well. If church really wants to know if their church is growing, here are some questions they can ask:<\/p>\n

Do the people love God more today than they did last year (1 Cor. 8:1; Php. 1:9)?<\/p>\n

Are they growing in faith (2 Cor. 10:15; 2 Thess. 1:3)? Are they more faithful to God this year than last?<\/p>\n

Are they growing in love (Eph. 4:16; 2 Thess. 1:3) and grace toward each other (2 Peter 3:18)? Are they willing to serve within and without the church more?<\/p>\n

Are they growing in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:10; 2 Peter 3:18) and their salvation (2 Peter 2:2)? Have they learned more about God, His Word and His ways? Are they more obedient to what they have learned (Jas. 1:22-23)? Do they have an increasing desire to study and apply God’s Word (2 Tim. 2:15)?<\/p>\n

Are they praying more and building each other up through prayer (Jude 20)?<\/p>\n

Are they growing in the power of the gospel (Col. 1:6)? Are they bringing Christ into their homes and workplaces more?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These questions can be applied to any church whether there are 20 or 20,000 in attendance. Even a church that is decreasing in attendance can “grow” under these guidelines.Now don’t misunderstand. When these things happen, when a church grows according to this definition, very often numerical growth will result. Sometimes the budget will increase. Occasionally, the number of programs will multiply. These things may very well happen when a church is growing, but they are not in any way indicators of Biblical growth or the lack thereof.<\/p>\n

\"churchThis conception of church growth is surprisingly revolutionary. The number one motive in most church growth strategies today is more people. We must fill the pews, the parking lot and the offering plate. But these are not Biblical motives. Yes, we are to go into all the world, and yes, we see the church in Acts adding 3000 members to their church in one day, but this was never the motive, this was never the goal. The goal is making disciples (Matt. 28:19-20).<\/p>\n

Disciples are not made simply by getting more of them. Sometimes, disciple making is best when there are fewer to work with. Jesus took thousands of followers and narrowed them down to twelve. And among the twelve, He focused on three, and of those three, only one was “The Beloved Disciple.” Jesus could have had a following of 20,000. Instead, He focused on growth. He knew it was better to fill a person’s soul and mind and heart with the words of Scripture than to fill the hillsides with followers. He knew it was better to help a few fulfil their God given purpose than try to get thousands to simply understand what their purpose was. Jesus knew it was easier and more effective to model servant leadership to twelve, than it was to 12,000.<\/p>\n

You know what this means? A church can grow even if it is shrinking in size. I don’t know if Jesus would have a large church today or not. If He did, He would hand pick a few individuals to invest His time in. But if He didn’t have a large church, we can be sure He wouldn’t be trying to get one. Jesus, if He were pastoring today, would do the same thing He did 2000 years ago. Wherever He was, He would use the God given opportunities to invest in the lives of the few people who were in front of Him. This is true growth; and in today’s world, this sort of church growth is revolutionary.<\/p>\n

True Church Growth is Liberating<\/h2>\n

This idea of church growth is also quite liberating. It is a relief to hear that we do not have to worry if attendance is up or down. We do not have to try to please all the people in order to keep them coming. The only Person we have to please is God, and if He sees the people under our care growing, we can expect to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant.” We will receive praise from the Master for growing His church as He wants it to grow. While men and women of this world may be impressed with size, God is not. God wants to see faithfulness and obedience. He wants to see us serve where He has placed us.<\/p>\n

God the Architect has provided Blueprints in Scripture so that His church, the universal body of believers gathered in local congregations, can grow into spiritual maturity. When God’s Blueprints for Church Growth are followed, every church can be a success.<\/p>\n

In the studies ahead, we will discover how to accomplish this kind of church growth. Just as most church don’t understand what true church growth is, so also, most churches don’t know how to accomplish Biblical church growth.<\/p>\n

If you ask the average Christian how to accomplish church growth, the response would consist of a variation of the following “P’s”: people skills, programs, preaching, paperwork, prayer, placement, presentation, politics, prominent location, prominent leadership, publicity, powerful Spirit manifestations, and psychology. They won’t always use these exact words, but this is the general consensus. But God’s Word not only tells us what the church is, and what true growth is, but also how this growth is accomplished.<\/p>\n

It is first and foremost accomplished by God, for His glory, and by Jesus Christ. Remember what He said in Matthew 16:18? “I will build my church.” And Ephesians 4:15-16 tells us that it is Christ who causes the growth of the body. But you and I have a part also. And it is this that we will be looking at in the studies ahead.<\/p>\n

Here is the building schedule.<\/p>\n

This study invited us to speak to the architect. Next, we will look at the resources God has provided for us in building His church. Then we will look at the goal we are shooting for. After these planning stages, we will turn to groundbreaking. We will pour a foundation, learn how to choose a contractor, and then begin to build upon the foundation.<\/p>\n

Once the foundation is down and the building has begun, we will learn what role you have in the whole project. We will see who the foremen are, and who makes up the crew. We will study the model and learn about the program, what the church is for.<\/p>\n

Finally, when this is all done, we will have a grand opening and see what God will do through a church that is built using His blueprints. I hope that you will be able to join us for all of these lessons. It will change the way you think about the church and your role within the church.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My brother is an architect. A while back he showed me the plans he was working on for the largest church in the valley. They had outgrown their present facility and were building a multi-million dollar addition. The plans themselves were impressive. He had spent thousands of hours working on the construction documents. 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