If you have not read Part 1, you should go back and read it before continuing here. Part 1 includes helpful background information necessary to understand this post.
The tactics of the Church Growth Movement represent works. We cannot obtain acceptance before God through our own works. How can we grow His church with our own works? Christ said in Matthew 17:21 that the power we seek can only come through fasting and prayer. Perhaps some of these churches have engaged in fasting and prayer, however, at the end of the day, all of their tactics are works-based. If we cannot achieve salvation from sin through our own works, then we cannot build Christ’s church or the kingdom of heaven through works.
In John 12:32, Jesus told us the real power which draws people to church, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
Here, we have a number of eternal truths. But first, the verse does not mean that if we lift up the name of Jesus He will draw people. This is taking the verse out of context and ascribing a false meaning to it. Much of today’s popular “worship” shouts, “Lift up the name of Jesus!” This is not what Jesus said for us to do. But twisting Scripture or ascribing false ideas to the Bible is a hallmark of the Church Growth Movement.
In verse 33, the very next verse, it is explained that by “lifted up” Jesus meant lifted up on the cross. Yes, the Holy Spirit, through John, knew people would twist the meaning of the verse, so He had the forethought to tell us what Jesus really meant. In other words, Jesus is saying that if He is lifted up on the cross He will draw all people to Himself.
It is part of God’s plan of redemption. This is one eternal and Biblical truth.
Jesus is the real draw. This is a second Biblical truth. All people will be drawn. This is a third Biblical truth. Jesus Christ is actively drawing people today. This is a fourth Biblical truth.
The growth we seek in our churches must have as its origin the drawing power of Jesus Christ. This means that we must do as Paul writes in Colossians 1:28, “We preach Christ” and “admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.”
One of the greatest problems with the Church Growth Movement and the Contemporary Music Movement is that it refuses to accept the plain words of Jesus. Few will respond to the drawing of Christ. The two movements have essentially fused together to defy the words of Christ and have attempted to manufacture mega churches. Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:14 and Matthew 7:13-14 that few will respond.
This is extremely heart-breaking, however, it is a truth within which we must work. This truth should not be used to limit what we do or deter our (true) evangelism and missions efforts. However, just because few people are responding does not give us the license to manufacture means and works to pack pseudo church buildings. We must be faithful to Christ and leave the rest to Him.
If you want to understand true evangelism and true church growth, read Acts, and read it over and over again until you can begin to see how they tried to reach people for Christ. Make note of the things they did, the things which happened to them, and how they allowed the Lord to direct their steps.
A key tool they used, and which has been successfully implemented down through the generations, is expository preaching. We must rely on Christ as the draw, so we must preach Christ and allow Him to draw people. Anything less than Christ is like intentionally throwing seed onto rocky soil or into the briar patch. Mark 4:5-7
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