Our churches appear to be almost equivalent in size, and perhaps due to that,
they also have similar issues that need to be addressed. One main issue that it
seems we both have is the size of a bigger church and its emphasis on numbers.
There is a strange tension between our efforts to grow a church by our willpower
and the trust and relationship necessary for God to grow the church. It is easy to
get caught up in doing everything you can do to build a large congregation at the
expense of feeding the flock you have to create disciples that can disciple others.
A specific Bible verse comes to mind when thinking on this issue, “Unless the
Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the
city, the guards stand watch in vain. (Ps. 127:1, NIV).”
d d d d d d d d d d In the beginning, everyone could thank God for the growth. Still, in
sustaining that growth over long periods, the human effort begins to replace the
grace of God to maintain it and eventually leads to what you stated in paragraph
three. This issue is in reference to the discipleship necessary to have a strong,
healthy, Christ-centered congregation that is equipped to disciple others. As Dever
writes, “how many of us have seen large churches with thousands of members
who never come, and hundreds of those who do attend seeming not really to care
much about God?”[1] Growth is important, but spiritual growth is the key indicator
that the church is alive, as things that are alive grow![2]
d d d d d d d The second paragraph states a common theme regarding expository
preaching. Often it is easy to slip into an effective method of communicating by
tilting the scales a little too far towards commentary. Commentary is relatable,
understandable, and can give the congregation a sense of application by speaking
directly towards the issue in a way they can understand. However, the longer that
goes on, the more one runs the risk of the topic becoming man-centered as
opposed to God-centered. As Mark Dever writes, “preaching should always (or
almost always) be expositional because the Word of God should be at its center,
directing it.”[1]
d d d d d d d d d d I can relate to this issue, as I posted about a similar topic with my church
addressing the current racial tension in America. While the sermons were by no
means out of bounds, the services for an entire series drifted towards a man-
centered approach and away from the Word. Here, the “almost always” of Dever’s
quote shifted in the opposite direction. The fact you are mindful of it speaks
towards the possibility of a solution, as the issue is not moving forward unnoticed.
As you stated, not all preaching is biblical. A practical, secular solution may sound
good and have some application, but it may not be the application or method
given in Scripture.
[1] Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013), 225.
[2] Ibid.
Bibliography
Dever, Mark. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013.
