- Rick Warren: Why believes in church growth?
- God word commands it-
there are five Great Commissions given in the New Testament. However,
Matthew 28: 19-20
i. We
are to make them- that’s win them to Christ help them become converted
ii. Then
baptize them- That’s mark them, help them become believers
iii. Mature
them- teach them to obey everything I taught you
iv. Mark
16:15, Luke 24: 46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8 – in each Gospel and in the book of
Acts Jesus commission his followers to go out and win them to Christ
v. The
gospel is to be expanded in every increasing concentric circles- Jerusalem,
Judea and then to Samaria and finally to the ends of the earth
vi. Begin
at home base and expand to the world
vii. These
verses imply that we are to help the church to grow, work for church growth and
believe in it. In fact, I (RW) believe that the church that refuses to reach
out to unbelievers is a disobedient church. It is sinning. To ignore these
commandments is sin because Jesus said, “ If you love Me, keep My commandments”
- The
needs of the people
i. People
without Christ dies and goes to hell
ii. As
long as there is one person in our city that’s headed for heal, then we must
reach out
iii. We
will never stop growing as there is one person who needs Christ
iv. A
selfish church does not want to grow
v. The
church that focuses on itself, rather than on the needs of those out in the
world, has lost its purpose and has simply become a social club.
vi. Increase
growth means more problems, bigger problems, inconveniences, more conflict,
more expenses
vii. Peter
Wagner said, “ if you are a pastor of a declining church, your job is getting
easier and easier year after year
viii.
The unselfish thing was the decision to
grow. Love is the foundation for church growth (2 Cor. 5:14)
ix. The
Lord is patient not wanting any one to perish but wanting everyone t come to
repentance. (1 Peter 3:9) This one verse implies that numerical growth is God’s
will.
x. A
church must choose to grow nor not to grow
1.
Make it by the programs offered
2.
Make it by the time and energy invested in
evangelism
3.
The make it by the size of the building they
choose to build
4.
The priority outreach, the priority of
evangelism is portrayed in Luke 15:4
- Jesus believed in church growth
i. Jesus
said I will build my church.
1.
Building implies development, expansion or
growth
ii. Jesus made statements implied expansion
1.
The meek shall inherit the earth
2.
You are the salt of the world and light of
the world
3.
Many will come from the east and west (Matt. 8:1)
4.
Wherever the Gospel is preached throughout the
world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her
5.
Jesus
had a world vision, he intended for there to be disciples all over the world
and expected that expansion to happen
iii. The
parable of the Sower implies growth based on the capacity of the soil (heart)
YC
iv. Luke
13- Parable of the Fig Tree
1.
Jesus points out that fig tree were designed
to grow and bear fruit. Jesus demanded that it be cut down because it was
simply taking up space
v. Parable
of the Mustard- Jesus predicted the growth of this kingdom from a small
beginning
vi. Parable
of Yeast – predicts the expanding influence of His kingdom
vii. For
the Son of man came to seek and save that which is lost-Luke 19:10 (Jesus
Priority of evangelism)
viii.
Mark 2 17- Jesus said I have come not to
call the righteous – his goal was to those who did not know him
ix. The
parable of the Banquet Luke 14
1.
How wide his invitation
2.
Jesus wanted a full house – God expects the
church to grow
- The
nature of the church implies growth
i. Under Christ control, the whole body is
nourished and held together by its joints and ligaments and it grows, as God
wants it to grow. (Col. 2:19)
1.
God wills for churches to grow
ii. It
is normal for a church to grow, if a church is not growing we must ask
ourselves is it because of sin, it dead; or an external growth restrictor
- New Testament demonstrates growth
- The
very first church at Jerusalem is recorded in the book of Acts. So we see
first the 120 in the Upper Room. Then the first day of the official
church when the Spirit comes, 3000 people are added to the church
- After
that, Daily the Lord added to that church
- Acts
4:4 – Many who heard the message believed and the number of men grew to
about 5000, which means there were at least 5,000 to 10,000 females and
5-10,000 children.
- A
number of Bible Scholars believe that by Acts 4; 4 the Jerusalem church
had as many as 25,000 members
- Acts
5:14 – Nevertheless more and more men and women believed in the Lord and
were added to their number
- You
have filled Jerusalem with your teaching Acts 5:28
- Acts
6:1 The number of disciples were increasing
- Acts
6:7 The word of God spread and the number of disciples in Jerusalem
increased rapidly and a large number priest became obedient to the faith
- Acts
21:20 “ many thousands” literally translated means “ tens of thousands”
- By
the time Paul had arrived in Jerusalem in AD59 the church had grown so
much that the number of believers can only be estimated in ten’s of
thousands. G. Campbell Morgan estimated that the church had 60,000
members
- The
fulfillment of Prophecy demands church growth
- Matthew
24:14 “ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole
world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come
