What does the Bible say about church growth?

Individually and collectively, spiritual growth depends upon obedience to the word of God. We have an example in the early church, of whose progress we read thus: "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, was multiplied" (Acts 9:31, R.V.). The church was multiplied, and this increase followed a faithful walk.

In Acts 9 there is one verse which is very, very full, "the assemblies...... had peace, being edified and walking in the fear of the Lord, and were increased through the comfort of the Holy Spirit" (v.31 J.N.D.). They increased, they did not decrease. We read on three occasions in the Acts of the Apostles that the word of God increased (6:7, 12:24, 19:20). Where there are companies of believers in which the word of God is followed and obeyed there will be increase. Where the word of God has its way individually and collectively then there is bound to follow increase. So that verse is often a challenge to me, why is there not increase? Why should it be decrease? The fault cannot be on God's side (that would be blasphemy), the fault is not on the truths that we have learnt because these truths have been well hammered out on the anvil of concern and inquiry. The truths are correct, we have no doubt at all about that. Well, then, the difficulty must be on our side. That must be the reason why the increase is being held back. The fear of the Lord perhaps is not being practised, and perhaps the comfort or exercise of the Holy Spirit is not taking place through us because of our folly, and so we have to examine ourselves about this matter of spiritual increase, both individually and collectively. This need not necessarily be numerically, although we would like to see that, that is not always a sign that there is increase according to the mind of the Lord, but it would be a healthy sign if we did see an increase in souls being saved and being added to our companies as directed by the Lord according to the truth. Let us pray earnestly like Jabez, that we might be increased individually and that our companies might be increased spiritually, and of course, only as we are increased individually will we be increased collectively. I am sure that is being done, but let us stimulate it a little further with a little more earnest desire and prayer for increase spiritually, not to acquiesce in the weak conditions, not to acquiesce in the declension, but to desire earnestly that there might be increase according to God.

If believers are increasing in the true knowledge of the Lord and the truth, increasing in love to Him and to each other, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, then true edification will be the assured result, and multiplication, increase in numbers, will assuredly take place. Let those two words haunt our memories, “EDIFIED”—“MULTIPLIED,” till we turn them to intense and practical effect in our own lives.

Returning to Acts 2:47, it is well to notice that "the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Men did not join themselves to it, as people join churches today; the joining was done by the Lord Himself. Those whom He saved He joined to the Church by His Spirit and "of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord" (Acts 5:13, 14).

Such was the power and holiness of the early Church that the unsaved would not dare to try to join themselves to it; they felt that they had not what these born-again believers had. But when any were saved, they were added to the Lord, not to men or organizations, and found themselves naturally one with the believers and already joined to the Church of God.

(V. 6). Thirdly, these servants had not all been given the same service. As in the field, one plants and another tends the plants, but God alone can cause the plants to grow, so, in the service of the Lord, Paul may be used to obtain converts and Apollos be used to care for the converts, but God alone can give life and spiritual growth.

Then in verse 10 Paul says that it is God who provides the seed so that things can grow, so that fruit can come to light, it is God who is the real source of all fruitfulness and blessing; and we know that so very well. We know that we can provide the very best seed for our gardens, we can till the ground, we can do everything that the gardening books tells us to, but if we do not get the rain and if we do not get the sunshine then nothing will happen. God is the One who provides all the food that we eat, everything that is good comes from the hand of God and it is beneficence and kindness and love that He provides for mankind. 'Oh,' you might say as you look on the shelves of the shop with the tins and the jars and the packages, 'Man is a very clever being, he provides quite sufficient for himself'. Does he? Take all the wrappings away and what are the basic commodities that are there? Everything comes from the ground, everything that God has provided. Man may dress it up, he may put it through certain processes but basically it came from the good earth, it came from God. Paul says to the Corinthians, "I have planted, Apollos watered but God gave the increase" (1 Cor.3:4) and so we are very thankful that, although we have been stressing what is personal in endeavour in view of the collective position, we are thankful to fall back on the sovereignty of our God who supplies us with the seed to sow and the rain and the heat to make the seed grow. In other words, in spiritual things, while we endeavour to do things as guided by the word of God the One who has the final say is God Himself. In His wisdom He provides the fruit just as it is required.

Paul may plant and Apollos water, but the increase is of God. How constantly is this forgotten! In the Gospel of Mark, that Gospel so instructive to all servants of Christ, the Pattern of all true service, the Master tells His disciples, "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up he knows not how. For the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest is come." What can the sower do to make the corn grow whilst he sleeps? The seed grows, but "he knows not how." Would that all labourers in the Gospel more heeded portions like those of 1 Cor. 3 and Mark 4. Let us cast the seed into the ground and leave the increase to God, Who alone can give it. Like the husbandman let us patiently wait for the early rain and the latter rain. It is of no use poking the seed with a revival stick. The word of God will never take root in that way.

The first simple truth taught here is — sowing and reaping. If seed is not sown, fruit will never be produced. Moreover, if God does not put the right resources into the earth, sowing would be in vain. Would not our Lord be assuring His disciples that unless God had prepared the ground first, their efforts would be in vain? To take this truth home to ourselves, all we can do is sow the seed. Once the seed is sown the sower can do no more, but goes on with his daily labours and leaves the seed to do its own work assisted by the resources which God has placed there. Let us not try devices in an endeavour to cause the seed to germinate when only God can do that! One is persuaded that this initial work of preparing the ground for the right reception of the seed — the word — is when a soul is "born again." Then, as our Lord spoke of the earth bringing forth "fruit of herself," so also a soul wrought upon by God would have spiritual resources for the receiving and gendering of the word heard in the preaching of the glad tidings of the grace of God. Also, as seed sown in the earth is beyond the reach and sight of the sower, yet the evidence of growth will be seen in the appearance of the "blade" and the "ear," and finally, "the full corn in the ear" which is the time to reap. So may we not be over anxious to reap ere the full time has come, nor lagging behind when we ought to be reaping. May we go on sowing the seed, quite assured that God only can cause it to grow, and let us be watchful for the appearance of the "full corn" — a harvest for the praise of God.

Thus while the duty of the servants of Christ was to let the truth shine in their actions, and to measure it out generously in their words, they were without power to produce any living result from their work. Let Paul plant and Apollos water, the increase is of God alone (1 Cor. 3:6-7). The spirit and the life are in His word. It is the word itself, not the ministry of it, that works within those that believe (1 Thess. 2:13).

Paul wrote to the Assembly at Rome: "I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another" (Rom. 15:14). He also desired to visit them to impart unto them some spiritual gift (Rom. 1:11) . To the Assembly at Colosse he wrote: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another" (Col. 3:16, New Trans.). This they, as brethren in Christ, were able for, and so also are brethren in the Lord today. Even though no distinctive gifts may be present in a small Assembly, this simple service of teaching and admonishing one another as the Spirit of God directs and enables is always possible for Christians who will meet in all simplicity around the Lord to study His Word. The great failure of the Church has been that of which the apostle warned the Colossians, "not holding fast the head, from whom all the body, ministered to and united together by the joints and bands, increases with the increase of God" (Col. 2:19, New Trans.). Joints and bands are not great members of the body, but they minister to and unite the members and thus the body increases. If Christians will only hold fast the Head, keep their eyes on Christ, and lean on Him, they will be edified and blessed in meeting together. If this is not done, they will not be thus blessed and human means will be resorted to, as one can see has occurred all about us today.