I’d imagine
most of us on the conservative end of evangelicalism—whether you’re
part of the YRR crowd or the OBR (Old, Boring, Reformed) crowd—we
understand the wrongheadedness of church growth methodology. It’s easy
to see how men like the early pioneers of church growth (Donald
McGavran, C. Peter Wagner, Robert Schuller) and their most famous
disciples (Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen) got it wrong.
The theology of the Bible teaches us God is absolutely sovereign over
salvation; He alone predestines, calls justifies, and glorifies fallen
sinners who are dead in trespasses and sin. Christ is the sovereign head
of the church who receives the elect bride from His Father; He alone
directs, equips, and grows the church according to the will of the
Father. The Holy Spirit is the executor of the Father’s will, drawing
the elect to Jesus Christ; He alone regenerates the sinner, seals the
elect, and empowers the church for growth and service.
We don’t deny the human element, even as we affirm monergism and divine initiative. God uses means and we’re part of the means He uses to do His work, right? As Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” And it’s important to see that the apostolic pattern of planting and watering were not according to a pragmatic, “the end justifies the means” approach. Paul, Apollos, and every other exemplary minister of the apostolic age did ministry according to the means God prescribed (i.e., Eph. 4:11-16) and not according to what seemed reasonable to the culture (i.e., 1 Cor. 2:1-5).
The end goal, as well as the means employed to achieve that end, are important to God. So, when we use pragmatic-oriented church growth principles to plant and water, we go against the grain, planting and watering according to the pattern of the flesh rather than the power of the Spirit. That’s wrong. We, along with Paul, want the faith of those who hear us to rest, not “in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:5). Keep Reading...
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We don’t deny the human element, even as we affirm monergism and divine initiative. God uses means and we’re part of the means He uses to do His work, right? As Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” And it’s important to see that the apostolic pattern of planting and watering were not according to a pragmatic, “the end justifies the means” approach. Paul, Apollos, and every other exemplary minister of the apostolic age did ministry according to the means God prescribed (i.e., Eph. 4:11-16) and not according to what seemed reasonable to the culture (i.e., 1 Cor. 2:1-5).
The end goal, as well as the means employed to achieve that end, are important to God. So, when we use pragmatic-oriented church growth principles to plant and water, we go against the grain, planting and watering according to the pattern of the flesh rather than the power of the Spirit. That’s wrong. We, along with Paul, want the faith of those who hear us to rest, not “in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:5). Keep Reading...
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