Some people ignore the subject of spiritual and church growth because they believe an emphasis on numbers is wrong, but in the Bible there are many records of God's concern with numbers. For examples, see Numbers 1:1-3; 2:23-24; 26:1-4; Revelation 7:9; 20:8; Genesis 22:17; and Hebrews 6:14.
Jesus told many parables concerning numeric growth. He also indicated that careful numeric records are kept in Heaven:
Luke 15:7 "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in Heaven, over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance."
Growth is emphasized in the record of the early church in the book of Acts. Summaries of the growth of the church are recorded in Acts 1:15; 2:41; 4:4; 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; and 28:30-31.
You must not ignore the subject of growth just because of a few problems with the wrong emphasis. Rather, you must recognize and deal with the problems. There is a wrong emphasis on spiritual growth when the following factors are present:
1. When spiritual growth is compromised to attract the crowds, there is a misplaced emphasis on numbers. Some ministers say only what people like to hear in order to attract great crowds. The Bible warns in 2 Timothy 4:3, 4:
"...the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables."
Read 1 Chronicles 21:18. David's concern with numbers here was motivated by Satan and was an act of pride. When you begin to take pride in great numbers, your emphasis is wrong.
2. There is a sin of the flesh mentioned in Galatians 5:20 which is called "emulations."
Emulations is a form of jealousy which results in imitating others to equal or surpass their achievements. When you are jealous of large ministries and begin to imitate them in order to grow, you have a wrong emphasis on numbers.
3. The goal of spiritual growth is winning new converts to Jesus Christ and teaching them until they become responsible, reproductive members of the Kingdom of God.
There is a difference between church growth and Kingdom growth. If the First Church splits and 100 of their members go to Second Church, church growth occurs in Second Church, but there has been no Kingdom growth. Spiritual growth has not occurred. There has only been a transfer of existing numbers.
The goal of spiritual growth is not to attract new members from another church, but to reach the unreached with the Gospel. Emphasis on numbers is wrong when the goal of church growth replaces that of Kingdom growth.
4. Jesus ministered to crowds of people during His earthly ministry (Luke 6:17; 7:11; 8:37; 9:14-16; 14:26; 23:27; John 6:2), but Jesus never ignored the individual because of the crowds.
He called individuals out of crowds to minister to them (John 5:3-13; Mark 5:24-34). In John 4, Jesus ministered to one woman who brought an entire village to the Master.
In Acts 8 there is the record of a great revival preached by Philip in the city of Samaria. In the middle of these meetings God spoke to Philip to leave Samaria and go to the desert between Jerusalem and Gaza. Philip immediately left the great revival in which he was ministering. He went from a densely populated country to a lonely desert. He left the crowds in order to minister to just one man, an Ethiopian returning home from Jerusalem. This one man was probably responsible for spreading the Gospel to the entire continent of Africa.
Again, do not despise little things. Remember, a small candle can do what the sun can never do-it can shine at night.
5. When spiritual growth results in church growth, the emphasis sometimes changes from people to things.
Because of growth, a bigger church building may be needed and efforts are shifted from growing disciples to a building program. When your chief concern is with buildings to accommodate growth, numbers have caused you to lose sight of the primary goal.
God is more interested in people than in buildings. The Biblical record of God at work in the world focuses on people. When spiritual growth results in a shift of emphasis from people to material things like buildings, priorities are wrong.
6. Never judge the spirituality of another person or ministry by numbers.
Great numbers are not always an indication of spirituality. Numeric success in some cases is mute testimony that the Church has failed to be the Church. Sometimes, faithfulness to the Word of God and the Lord Jesus Christ may repel rather than attract. For example, when Jesus began to teach the unpopular message of His death, many of His followers deserted Him according to John 6:52-64.
There are other reasons why growth may not be evident. The Bible teaches there are certain seasons for spiritual growth just as there are growth cycles in the natural world. In the natural world, during certain seasons of the year some plants do not reproduce. They have no leaves or fruit and look like a dead branch sticking out of the ground. But in the right season, these plants will blossom and fruit and leaves will come forth.
The same is true in the spiritual world. There are certain times when specific areas of the world are more receptive to the Gospel than others. You can know that by studying the patterns of growth in those areas. Use every bit of information you can glean about that chosen area so you can concentrate your spiritual forces in fields that are "ripe unto harvest."
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