Expository Preaching Blog #19 – “Expository Preaching and Church Growth”

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There are a lot of discussions about church growth. There are a lot of books about church growth. There are a lot of seminars, conferences and classes about church grow. Most of these are about strategies, methods and tools that you should use. There are a lot of how to do it ideas out there.

Please understand I am not against church growth. Actually I am 1,000% in favor of church growth. I believe that every church should be growing numerically as well as spiritually. I don’t believe it is good for any church to be stagnant in these areas. I don’t believe any church should be “we four and no more.” I knew of a church a few years ago that was in a metropolitan area of about 7 million people. They actually had in their constitution that would never grow to be a church of more than 200 people. That is absolute disobedience to the Word of God. Matthew 28:19&20 tell us to make disciples of all nations without any cap of the number of people to be reached. Mark 16:15 Tells us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

I wholeheartedly believe that this can, will and must be done by expository preaching. Preaching the Bible verse by verse and thought by thought in every service.

Matthew 28:19&20 is what I call the LBT passage. Leading the Lost to Christ for salvation. Baptizing every new believer. Then Teaching each believer. I believe this is the main purpose and message of the church and the sole purpose of the church. I do not believe this can be properly accomplished without expository preaching and teaching. Now you can have great gatherings and organizations with many members. You can have a sporting event with over 100,000 people present at one time but that does not make a church.

To have a church, souls must be saved. This come through the preaching of The Word and the preaching of The Gospel. See I Corinthians 1&2. It is by the foolishness of preaching God’s Word that this is accomplished. That has not changed.

Most evangelical churches in the USA are not growing. Most are less than 75 people in attendance. Most are 50 years old or older. I live beside a church that is 240 years old. There are about 20 people in attendance on an average Sunday morning. Something is wrong with that situation. Most churches are stagnant or literally dying. It does not need to be. I have seen 3 churches grow with expository preaching. One grew 25%, the second grew 400% and the last grew 95%. No fancy programs or methods. Just steady expository preaching service after service. Souls were saved, baptized and added to the church. Very few were added by “sheep” coming from other churches. We need expository preaching and teaching in our pulpits. It is then that I believe we will see true and lasting church growth.

 

Rev. David Johnson

Former Pastor

First Baptist Church of Austin, MN

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