Striving to grow and revitalize the church of Jesus Christ encourages those faithful to the Great Commission of our Lord to make disciples and be his witnesses. By equipping and nurturing disciples to grow in Christian discipleship, the kingdom of God is thereby built, expanded, and extended throughout the world.

It is imperative to fully comprehend the teachings of the Scriptures as we consider the subjects of growth, revitalization, and new church development. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus declared, "On this rock I will build my church…." In this article, I will explore how God began the "building program"; that is, the program of building God's church from the very beginning of time and continuing today. That program continues to challenge the church today to be about the task of proclaiming the good news and expanding the kingdom of God.

Old Testament Understanding of Growing the Church

God's plan for the growth of the body of Christ begins in Genesis 1:28 when God says to Adam, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion. . . . . " This was more than an attempt to promote biological growth. God also meant that the earth is to be filled with "knowers of God." Adam was called to extend the "garden of God" to the uttermost boundaries of the entire earth (Ezekiel 28:13; 31:8-9). It was God's desire to fill the earth with priests, kings, and prophets so that the covenant purposes of the grace of God could be fulfilled throughout the earth.

In Genesis 3:15, the loving God reaches out to Adam and Eve even though they had sinned. By faith, Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, offered the blood of the lamb as his offering (Hebrews 11:4; Genesis 4:4). Abel's faith came by hearing God's word. Cain also heard the word of God, but he rejected it. God pled with him for his repentance (Genesis 4:7). Seth, the next son born to Adam and Eve, promulgated God's Word in a way that the future generations included Enoch and Noah. Enoch prophesied the Lord's coming, Ò . . .with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment…" (Jude 14:15). Noah, says the Scripture, was justified by faith (Genesis 6:8-9; Hebrews 1:7), and thus became the progenitor of all humankind.

Further, in Genesis 17, God revealed himself to Abraham and called Abraham to usher into being a nation of priests who would proclaim Jehovah to the world. Through Abraham's descendants, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and Joseph, God's continued redemptive work continues.

The book of Exodus reveals how God remembers to keep God's side of the covenant promise of blessing to the nations of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 2:24). Over and over again, God gives Pharaoh many opportunities to repent as he sends Moses to deliver his people. Even in the history-making division between Egypt and Israel (Exodus 8:23; 9:4; 11:7), through plagues and the dividing of the sea, the nations bear witness to the salvation of God (Exodus 7:5). And God rightfully declares, "And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots and his chariot drivers" (Exodus 14:18). The song of deliverance sung at the shores of the Red Sea clearly acknowledges the redemptive work of God: "The peoples heard, they trembled; pangs seized the inhabitants of Phillistia. Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; trembling seized the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away" (Exodus 15:14-15).

Other examples of what God had in store for the pagans include the stories of Rahab the Canaanite (Joshua 2; 6:17; Hebrews 11:31) and Ruth the Moabite (Ruth 1:16-17; Matthew 1:5). God made it clear to the Israelites that he did not love them more than the pagans around them, but that the Israelites were special to God because God had chosen them so that, through their witness, the whole earth would be made aware of God's redeeming love, redemption, and provision for the salvation of all people.

The Psalmists, especially David, understood this intention of God; and the Psalmists encouraged God's people to sing praise to the God of salvation "to the ends of the earth." Approximately fifteen times it is proclaimed that nations will worship the living God. All the nations will call him blessed, and salvation is to be received by the nations (Psalm 67). God is the king of all nations (Psalm 47:8), and kings and rulers will bow before God. Prophetically speaking of Messiah, the Father promises, "I will make the nations your heritage" (Psalm 2:8). As Israel reveals God as savior and judge (Psalm 67:3-7), other nations will be enlightened and forsake idols (Psalm 96). The book of Psalms is filled with exhortations to praise Jehovah, whose love, mercy, and grace are revealed to all who need deliverance from sin, hopelessness, and loneliness.

In the ministry of the prophets, Isaiah talks about the Messiah as the light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6; 60:3). Isaiah speaks of Israel as the vineyard planted by God (Isaiah 5:1ff) that bore the fruits of sin: briers and thorns (Isaiah 7:23-25; 9:18; 10:17; 27:4; 32:13; 33:12). Jeremiah speaks of the day when all the nations will be gathered in Jerusalem to speak of the name of the Lord. The Prophet Haggai proclaims the Lord to be "the treasure of all nations" (Haggai 2:7); and Habakkuk realizes that it is God's yearning that all the earth "be filled with knowledge of the glory of the Lord…" (Habakkuk 2:14). It is in the book of Jonah that the missionary nature and heart of God can perhaps best be seen.

God is also discerned in the Old Testament as the One who: (1) seeks out; (2) Desires to reconcile and restore broken relationships; (3) transforms human nature and makes all things new; (4) redeems, restores, and develops individuals and nations; and ( 5) Brings salvation, peace, and life eternal to all those who seek him.

The Old Testament is not simply a collection of historical writings. It is the history of the faith-formation of God's people, and it is filled with acts of God's saving grace within history. These acts of God in history provide the foundation of Israel's faith. The salvation history of the Old Testament becomes a background by which God's unconditional love, saving action, and the growth and expansion of God's church are fully discerned.

Throughout the Old Testament, it is revealed how God extended God's grace and love to people and nations so that ALL would be redeemed, restored, saved, and brought into the loving embrace of God. Although terms such as "church growth," "evangelism," "new church development," and "revitalization" do not appear in the Old Testament, it is clearly evident that the concepts of God's love, divine grace, salvation, spiritual and numerical growth, church development, and discipleship are present.

New Testament Understanding of Growing the Church

God's divine will to save all people and bring them to redemption, as seen in the Old Testament, is stated even more explicitly in New Testament writings. The coming of the Holy Spirit marks the beginning of God's harvest to build, extend, and expand the church of God.

More than in any other book in the New Testament, the people in Acts are seen responding in large numbers to the salvation message. The early church grew at a rapid rate. In Acts 1:15, we learn that the church was begun with 120 people. At Pentecost, however, the congregation grew to more than 3,000 (Acts 2:41). And the growth continued: "And day by day the Lord added to their number" (Acts 2:47). Acts 5:14 indicates that multitudes of believers were added to the body of Christ.

In Acts 6:7, we read that the number of disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and we learn of a great awakening in Samaria in Acts 8:5-25. Further, the churches in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria grew (Acts 9:31); and all who were living in Lydda and Sharon and Joppa also believed (Acts 9:35,42). Acts 11:21, 24, and 26 tells of the movement in Antioch; and the text says that many believed and turned to Christ. The first part of Acts concludes: "But the word of God continued to advance and gain adherents" (Acts 12:24). Acts 21:20 mentions the thousands of believers among the Jews. The book of Acts provides a clear picture of the numerical and spiritual expansion of the early church.

Other references to growth in the development of the church include Acts 13:43-44, 48-49; 14:20-21; 16:5; 17:2,4; 18:8-11; 28:24,30-31; Romans 15:19,23. Luke further elaborates on the maturity and breadth of the expansion of the church. In addition to the numerical and geographical growth of the early church, Luke gives attention to growth in moral, ethical, and spiritual dimensions.

Four dimensions of growth in the early church may be seen in the New Testament: (1) growth in spiritual life; (2) growth in Christian fellowship and prayer; (3) growth in Christian service; and (4) growth in numbers. God's plan for the expansion of the church cannot be ignored. It is clearly seen throughout the writings of the New Testament, especially in the Book of Acts. In fact, if we look at the entire Scripture with "growth eyes," it is difficult to conclude anything other than the Old and New Testaments were written by missionaries to missionaries. In this respect, they are the greatest manuals for growing and expanding the church of Jesus Christ!

God Wills and Wants the Church to Grow

Why should the church be engaged in the ministry of seeking the lost? Why should the church be engaged in the ministry of proclaiming the good news and building new faith communities? Why must Christian believers be concerned about the growth and revitalization of the body of Christ? Why must the task of saving the lost and the proclamation of the good news be the top priorities in the life and the mission of the church? The answers to these questions are simple: God demands it! God wills and wants the church of Jesus Christ to multiply, grow, and expand.

Any discussion of church growth and new church development needs to come from the theological conviction that God desires and wants the kingdom of God to expand, spread, and grow.

Growing the body of Christ, making new disciples for Jesus Christ (the process of faith development), and building new faith communities are the will of God. Therefore, church growth and faith development must become the primary tasks of the church today. John Wesley argued that growth was a sign of God's grace and that decline was a sign of a decrease in God's grace. The central or primary task of God's people, then, is to make known the essential facts of the good news: Jesus Christ died for all people; there is salvation and new life in Christ Jesus. We are called to disciple and grow people within the context of faith communities — the body of Christ.

The theological base on which revitalization and new church development can take place is to perceive the church as an agent of outreach and reconciliation and to perceive the church as faithful to our Lord's command to go and make new disciples and build new faith communities. In Matthew 28:18-19, Jesus commands: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Growing the church and creating new faith communities is being faithful to the Great Commission. Ultimately, it is faithfulness to God.

It is important to keep in mind that churches exist not only to help and nurture Christians, but also to give believers a center of operation from which to consistently launch intentional ministries of reaching the lost and inviting them into the fellowship of the body of Christ. The primary purpose for the existence of the church is to spread the power of the gospel, to make new disciples, and to engage in the expansion of the kingdom of God by building new faith communities throughout the world.

There are three basic reasons why growth and expansion of the church of God is a necessity: (1) The church of God is a living organism. Every living thing grows and expands. The only thing that ends growth is death. God dislikes death; God overcame death. God is the giver of life and life more abundant. There is no sadder sight than that of a dying church or denomination. Renewal and expansion of the church in and through the power of the Holy Spirit is its only hope. (2) The church itself needs to grow, expand, and spread. (3) The world has no hope for hearing the gospel except through God's divinely ordered medium, which is the body of Christ, the faith community of believers. The responsibility of spreading the good news to every person on earth and expanding the body of Christ has been given to the church and to every disciple of Christ.

Conclusion

The Scripture has ample examples and illustrations — from Genesis to Revelation — of a God who seeks, saves, finds, restores, enables growth, and builds. God calls for the faithful people of his church to follow him in this task of seeking, saving, finding, restoring, growing, and building God's kingdom. God's objective is not only to proclaim, but also to gather together the results of the proclamation: to build, expand and grow the church of God through the formation of new faith communities. God is pleased when the church grows, expands, multiplies, and prospers. Growth brings glory and honor to God. The power and strength for this all-important divine task comes from God the Holy Spirit. Without his empowerment, we can do nothing!

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible Copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches or Christ in the USA. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Dr. Wesley S.K. Daniel formerly served as the Director of Evangelism and International Church Development with the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church. Currently, he serves in the Iowa Annual Conference as the Des Moines District Superintendent.