Mark III: Discipleship

Mark XIII: Church Growth and Christian Discipleship

How do we define church growth? Is it the application of business and marketing principals to achieve success in kingdom advancement? … is the goal a megachurch meeting in a box in the ‘burbs? Is it all about numbers and building projects and bulging budgets with large staff members?

And how do we measure growth? Is there a formula or a device? Is it measured by the giving? The programs? Is there software that can do it?

How does God measure the success and growth of the church?

In the Exodus, God gave Israel specific commands on how they were supposed to build His temple. And it was nothing like the temples that the surrounding nations built for their idols. In Exodus 25:8-9, after giving Moses the instructions, God said,
8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

The design of the Temple was so important to God because, according to Hebrews 8:5, it was a copy or a shadow of heaven.

In the New Testament we also learn that the lifeless wood and stone structure temple has been replaced by the Church (it has become organic): “Do you not know that you are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Paul asked the Corinthians.

If God takes the design of a brick and mortar structure seriously, how much more the flesh and blood structure?

A. I want to propose a couple of truths about God’s will for the growth of the church and what I believe the Bible says about the pattern for the growth of Gateway Baptist Church:

1. God cares about the growth of the church
From Genesis to revelation God has commanded His people to be fruitful (Gen 1:28; Rev 7:9). 1 Peter 2:2-3 says, “as newborn babes, desire the pure  milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

2. God expects and causes growth
God does not just leave us to our own cleverness and skill to grow His church, He enables the expansion of His Kingdom, (He compares the growth of the church to a field that is sown with seed- the sower spreads the seed of the gospel, but God is the one who causes the increase). 1 Thess 3:12 says,
…may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

So I think that it’s safe to say that if God cares about the growth of His church, than so should we. But that does not leave us with the freedom to do it our way. Church growth is not a matter of “if it works, its good!” We don’t need the paltry wisdom and pattern of the world when we have the infinite wisdom and perfect pattern laid out by God for the growth of the church. Our goal is not results (that’s God’s job); our goal is faithfulness to the pattern he has already established.

So how does biblical growth happen? Read 1 Peter 1:3-8

B. Biblical growth occurs through our increasing knowledge of the Word of God. According to the text, this growth comes in three stages:

1. First we believe the promises of God: “Your word I have treasured in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Ps 119:11). Godliness grows when actively (proactively) believe God’s promises and apply them to our lives in the way we think… in the decisions we make… in the conversations we have (or don’t have)… in our thoughts… in our actions…

2. The next stage of growth after believing the promises of God is that we imitate the character of God (WWJD). It is impossible to be Christ-like without imitating him and we learn to imitate him by studying his way of life in the gospels.

3. Finally, stage three, after believing the promises and imitating the character of God we become useful in the knowledge of the Word of God. The purpose of the knowledge of the Word of God is that our lives bear the fruit of that knowledge. Mark Dever writes, “If these qualities (knowledge) are in us and increasing, we are useful to God in the building of His church and the spreading of His Kingdom.” It has to do with teaching and preaching the Word to others.

Now that was the individual responsibility of each member in growing the church. But the church also has a corporate responsibility in growing itself (and you thought it was all the pastor’s job).

C. So the question is “How can we as a church biblically and according to the pattern laid out by God promote the growth of this church?” Here it is, are you ready for it? This is how it all comes together:

1. Expositional preaching:
God's Word is His chosen instrument for bringing life and holiness to His people. Expositional preaching is therefore foundational to the growth of the church because it is the kind of preaching that best unleashes the divine intention and performative power of the text on the life of the believing community.

2. Biblical theology:
As we see the overarching themes of the Bible, we come to a deeper, more intimate, more accurate knowledge of God's character in Himself and His ways with mankind. As we grow in this knowledge of God, we begin to trust Him more. And as we trust Him more deeply, we begin to obey Him more readily.

3. Biblical understanding of the Gospel:
When we realize that all we have contributed to our own salvation is our own sin and rebellion, we begin to discover that it was necessary for God to accomplish for us every part of our redemption in Christ - and that he has already done so. This Biblical understanding of the gospel then drives us to grow in our reliance on Christ. Indeed, we must rely on Him - He is our only hope.


4. A Biblical understanding of conversion:
Understanding conversion as God's work in us helps us come to a clearer and more Biblical picture of what exactly a Christian is - not someone who simply prayed a prayer or made a commitment years ago, but a person who has been called and converted by God's sovereign, transforming grace.

5. A Biblical understanding of evangelism:
Understanding evangelism as God's work of converting people as we share the gospel frees us up to trust God with the work of conversion so that we can be more forthright and less market driven in the work of evangelism.

6. A Biblical understanding of church membership:
When we understand church membership as a mutual commitment to one another's spiritual health, we deal with each other at a deeper level.

7. Biblical Church discipline:
As our corporate holiness matures, our corporate witness to the unbelieving community becomes more attractive, our evangelism becomes more effective and fruitful, genuine conversions are likely to become more frequent, and healthy numerical growth is more likely to occur.

8. Biblical Church leadership

This is our topic for next Sunday’s message.


Conclusion:
So this is where it all comes together- God’s formula- His pattern for the church. It is both an individual responsibility (not just the pastor’s) to believe the promises, imitate the character and use the knowledge of God.

If the church isn’t growing (according to your assessment) do you blame the programs of the church, the ministry of the pastor, the color of the walls? Or do you ask yourself, “what part do I play in the growth of the church?” How diligent are you about your own spiritual health?

Then, if the church is going to grow, we must work together as a Body, the true temple of God to preserve and strengthen the 9 Marks of a Healthy church; things like Biblical preaching, Biblical understanding of the gospel, Biblical church membership. And we need to be careful not to replace those things with man made patterns that only create simulated church growth. We must not exchange the glory of God for a lie.

Church growth that does not follow God’s pattern is only and illusion. If God does not grow His church, it is a pretense. Let’s be a church that is careful to follow God’s pattern not the world’s.