The principles of maintaining Church growth in holiness without compromise

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the study

A vast majority of churches of the 18th century have been or are being lulled to sleep. If one researches the principles of maintaining Church growth in holiness without compromise, he or she would discover that a large portion of the Churches is either considered to be compromising or is declining in growth. The problem of the Churches’ not growing or compromising after the passing away of their founder is not just limited to aged long churches. This is a problem at large in the denomination as a whole. The purpose of this project is in no way to discredit any church. It is simply to bring to the reader’s attention the problem at hand and hopefully offer some insight as to not only why churches are compromising, but also possible ways to move churches from a compromising status. I believe that healthy churches should grow.

Certainly, there is no set formula for Church growth other than the exalting of Jesus Christ, Our Savior. Jesus Himself said in John 12:32, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” While it is clear that Jesus was speaking about His death on the cross, the message is still clear. The people of God must lift up Christ, and He draws the world to Him. It is time to stop lifting up traditions and programs and lift up Christ.

The Theoretical Basis in Ken Hemphill’s book, The Bonsai Theory of Church Jerry Vines, exploring 1-2-3 John (Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1989), Growth, he writes, most pastors and laymen that I talk to want their church to grow. They want to reach their community for Christ. Despite their desire to grow, their church remains the same size. It is, in fact, the 10 nature of a living organism to grow. All the biblical images of the church such as the body, the field, and the building presupposes a natural process of growth. It is my conviction that many churches, without knowing it, are doing things which virtually assure that they will remain small.

Hemphill goes on to state that just as there are many sizes of trees, there will also be many sizes of churches. Just as each tree is different, so shall each church be different. Hemphill states, it does not presuppose that all churches should or could become very large churches. It does, however, suggest that a church, as a living organism, should grow to its natural, God given-size. When Jesus established the church, as recorded in Matthew 16, He promised He would build His church. Thus we can say that church growth is at once natural and supernatural. It is supernatural because God gives the growth and it is natural because the church was created as a living body to grow.

The church of Jesus Christ was birthed supernaturally. God manifested Himself through the Holy Spirit in such a way that He demanded the attention of all who were present. Certainly, those present had the right to choose what they desired to believe, but the fact remains that when the church came into being, it did so in power and might. Ken Hemphill, The Bonsai Theory of Church Growth (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1991), (Acts 2:1-47). If one traces the history of the church in the book of Acts, it is evident that at its inception there was an increase of people. Acts 2:41 clearly states that when the church was birthed, the people “received His word, were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Then Acts 2:47 states, “. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. ” Then, later, in Acts 5:12 and Acts 5:14, after the purging of the church of Ananias and Sapphira ” that by the hand of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both men and women.” In chapter six when the disciples were overburdened with the administrative work of the church, they had the church choose from among themselves seven men to relieve their demands. Once this was done we read in Acts 6:7, “and the word of God increased and the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly. ” Later in chapter eleven, at the church of Antioch, again the word of God was being preached. Acts 11:21 states, “And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.” Barnabas would then be sent as far as Antioch and as he preached we read in Acts 11:23, “Much people were added unto the Lord. ” As Paul was making his second missionary journey, he would revisit the churches from his first journey. As they “went through the cities, they delivered decrees for them to keep. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.” (Acts 16:4-5)

It appears that throughout the book of Acts, the pattern is for the church to grow. The early church grew through the power of the proclamation of the word and God would add to those whom He chose. Paul clearly states in his writing to the church of Corinth that our role is to be out planting seeds and watering them, but God will always add the increase. Paul writes in 1 Cor 3:6, “I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” The pattern for the early church was one of growth according to the book of Acts. This growth was supernatural because only God could bring the increase, yet it was also natural in many ways because God used men to deliver His good news. It appears from research that Church growth is a biblical concept, while at the same time, it is the living Christ that grows it. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The emphasis is on the phrase “I will build my church.” Lewis Sperry Chafer writes, that each of the five words, “I will build My church” has great doctrinal significance, and the phrase could be quoted each time emphasizing a different word. In referring to Himself as “I,” Christ stated that the building of the church is something He undertakes. It is Christ who is calling out, saving, and perfecting this specific company. The word “will” shows a prophetic aspect to Jesus’ statement, and implies that the church was not in existence at that time and was not the work of Christ while He was on earth but would be realized in the future. The word “build” suggests that this is a slow process continuing throughout the present age (Eph. 2:20; Heb. 3:6). Though God will use human instruments to proclaim the Gospel, the calling of the church to salvation and the forming of the church into the body of Christ is a work of God not of man.

God has called the Church to multiply. Jesus’ words are clear. He will build His church (Matthew 16:18). It is Christ who saves, Christ draws, and Christ who adds to the church, yet Lewis Sperry Chafer, Chafer Systematic Theology, ed. John F. Walvoord (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1988). It is the call of the church to go out and proclaim the Gospel to the lost and dying world. Jesus did not leave the church powerless and disabled when He ascended to heaven. In His “Great Commission” Jesus said, go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matt 28:19-20) John MacArthur believes that in this verse, Jesus not only has the authority to command us as the church to go and win the lost to Christ, but He has also given us the power to obey His command. MacArthur writes, it was in light of His absolute, sovereign authority that Jesus commanded, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” The transitional word is, therefore. “Because I am Sovereign Lord of the universe,” Jesus was saying, “I have both the authority to command you to be My witnesses and the power to enable you to obey that command. Later on the Mount of Olives, as the Lord was getting ready to ascend to His rightful throne in heaven beside the Father, Jesus said, “But ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) It is very clear that not only is it God’s intention for the church to multiply, but He has enabled the church with a supernatural power to help it to grow. Yet a vast majority of churches are not growing. Are the churches not tapping into the available power? Has the church for which Christ died, finished growing? church has become self-sufficient to the point where the power of God is considered to be no longer needed. We have come up with programs, methods, and studies of different growing churches to find out the answer as to how we can grow. I don’t believe that we should look at what is going on around us, and adopt new programs and methods without changing the message.

It should also be noted that if the power of God is not resting upon His people that are serving in the local congregation, then the results appear to be a spiritual death. When the church loses its spiritual appeal to people, it loses its effectiveness for the Lord. The result is that the world no longer sees the power of God being manifested in the people of God. Churches need to revive and move from the declining or plateaued stage. Peter writes in 2 Pet 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Peter seems to indicate that the Lord Jesus is staying in His hand for the return in the desire that all will be saved. If Jesus is staying in His hand for His return. He must still be looking for an increase in the church. Thus the church must be called to be healthy and growing. Ken Hemphill writes. The church is designed to grow. Jesus told His disciples: “I will build my church (Matt. 16: 18). The scriptural images of the church imply natural healthy growth. The church is referred to as a field a body and a building in progress. In Ephesians 4:11-16 where Paul discussed the proper working of the gifted body, he concluded: but speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head even Christ from whom the whole body being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies according to the proper working of each individual part causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love (v.15-16).

The growth of the church is both natural and supernatural. The church was designed by God to grow naturally but all church growth is a supernatural miracle. Again the question needs to be answered as to why are churches that has grown large begins to decrease? Both in the doctrine of the bible and holiness Have we substituted something in the place of God’s plan? Have we been lulled to sleep? This project would look into several possible reasons for a lack of growth and offer some possible ways to reverse this trend. In this research project, several issues will be observed as to the possible cause for the lack of growth and compromise. Areas that will be covered are tradition, building space, apathy, worship, lack of leadership, personalizing the purpose, stating the purpose over and over, the church: deeper life bible church, and gospel land marks.

1.1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In the contemporary era, churches face the dual challenge of achieving growth while upholding the core principles of holiness. As many churches strive to expand their congregations, there is often a perceived tension between the need for numerical growth and the adherence to strict doctrinal standards. This has led to a growing concern that some churches may compromise their foundational beliefs in an effort to attract more members, thereby diluting the essence of holiness that should be at the heart of Christian life.

The problem this project addresses is the apparent lack of a comprehensive framework that churches can use to maintain growth while steadfastly adhering to principles of holiness. Many churches struggle to find a balance between appealing to a broader audience and remaining true to their spiritual convictions. Without clear guidelines and principles, there is a risk that churches may either become overly rigid, stifling growth, or too lenient, compromising their core values.

This project seeks to explore and establish principles that will enable churches to grow both numerically and spiritually, without compromising on holiness. The goal is to provide a blueprint for church leaders and congregations that ensures sustainable growth while maintaining the sanctity and purity of the church’s mission and message.

1.1.3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

I. What core principles of holiness should guide church growth?

II. How can churches balance numerical growth with doctrinal adherence?

III. What risks arise from compromising holiness for growth, and how can they be mitigated?

IV. What models show successful church growth without compromising holiness?

V. How can leaders communicate and implement growth strategies aligned with holiness?

1.1.4. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

I. To identify core principles of holiness for guiding church growth.

II. To analyze the balance between numerical growth and doctrinal adherence.

III. To explore risks of compromising holiness for growth and propose mitigation strategies.

IV. To examine case studies of church growth without compromising holiness.

V. To develop guidelines for leaders to implement growth strategies aligned with holiness.

1.1.5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study titled “The Principles of Maintaining Church Growth in Holiness Without Compromise” holds significant importance for several reasons. First, it provides essential guidance for church leaders, offering practical and theological insights on how to foster and sustain church growth while remaining true to their doctrinal foundations and principles of holiness. This is particularly relevant at a time when churches may feel pressured to dilute their beliefs to attract a larger congregation.

The research highlights the crucial balance between numerical growth and holiness, ensuring that efforts to expand the church do not lead to a compromise. By identifying potential risks associated with compromising holiness, the study serves as a safeguard, offering strategies to maintain the church’s mission and identity without yielding to external pressures.

Furthermore, the study contributes to the broader field of church growth by presenting a framework that integrates both quantitative and qualitative aspects of growth. It emphasizes that true growth involves not just an increase in numbers but also a deepening of spiritual commitment and adherence to core doctrines. Additionally, by showcasing successful examples of churches that have grown without compromising their principles, the study inspires and guides other congregations facing similar challenges, encouraging a movement toward growth that honors both God and the church’s mission.

1.1.6. SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Scope of the Study: The study titled “The Principles of Maintaining Church Growth in Holiness Without Compromise” focuses on identifying and analyzing the key principles our churches can adopt to achieve sustainable growth while maintaining strict adherence to our core doctrinal beliefs in DLBC LUGBE FCT NIGERIA. It explores various strategies that ensure growth without compromising the church’s commitment to holiness. The study includes a review of theological literature, case studies of churches that have successfully balanced growth and holiness, and interviews with church leaders who have implemented these principles. The research also considers different denominational perspectives to provide a comprehensive understanding of how holiness can be maintained across diverse churches.

Limitation of the Study: The study is limited by several factors. First, it primarily focuses on DLBC LUGBE FCT NIGERIA and may not fully apply to other religious contexts where the dynamics of growth and doctrinal adherence might differ. Second, the study relies on case studies and interviews, which may introduce biases based on the specific experiences and contexts of the churches and leaders involved. Additionally, the study’s findings may not be universally applicable to all churches, particularly those in vastly different cultural or socio-economic environments. Finally, the research is limited by its reliance on existing literature and case studies, which may not capture emerging trends or the full range of challenges that churches face in maintaining holiness while pursuing growth.

CHAPTER TWO

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK, EMPIRICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROJECT AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2.1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The conceptual framework for this project outlines the key factors influencing church growth while maintaining the principles of holiness without compromise. The relationship between church growth and holiness is vital for churches seeking both numerical expansion and spiritual depth. This framework examines how principles of holiness, leadership strategies, challenges, and mitigation methods interact to foster balanced and uncompromised church growth. The conceptual framework is built around central concepts, including church growth, holiness, doctrinal integrity, leadership strategies, challenges, and mitigation strategies. These concepts are not only key to the theoretical understanding but also provide practical insights into how churches can balance growth without compromising their doctrinal foundation.

2.1.1. Basic Concepts:

1.Church Growth

Church growth involves both the numerical increase of members and the spiritual growth of the congregation. Growth is considered successful when the church expands in size, influence, and spiritual depth. However, this growth can be driven by different factors, such as evangelistic outreach, community outreach, and internal church development (McGavran, 1980).

2. Holiness

Holiness is the pursuit of moral purity, spiritual integrity, and adherence to biblical principles. It emphasizes righteousness, separation from sin, and a commitment to God’s will. The principle of holiness plays a central role in the spiritual health of the church, ensuring that growth is not achieved at the expense of moral or doctrinal compromise (Grudem, 1994).

3.Doctrinal faithfulness

Maintaining Doctrinal faithfulness involves a strict adherence to the church’s core beliefs. It resists external pressures to dilute teachings for the sake of popularity or numerical expansion. Doctrinal integrity ensures that growth aligns with biblical truths and the church’s mission, preventing the loss of spiritual identity (Erickson, 1998).

4.Leadership Strategies

Leadership plays a critical role in guiding the church’s growth. Church leaders must design and implement strategies that promote numerical and spiritual growth without compromising holiness. This may involve setting clear doctrinal boundaries, promoting spiritual disciplines, and fostering accountability (Kotter, 1996).

5.Challenges

Churches face several challenges in trying to grow while maintaining holiness. These include traditional and cultural influences that pressure churches to conform, financial constraints that prioritize expansion over spiritual integrity, and internal division that can arise when growth strategies conflict with doctrinal beliefs (Hiebert, 1985).

6. Mitigation Strategies

Mitigation strategies are tools used to prevent compromising holiness during growth. These include regular doctrinal teachings, accountability structures, selective membership processes, and leadership training programs that focus on maintaining the church’s spiritual integrity while encouraging growth (Kittel, 1964).

2.1.2. Relationships Between Concepts:

• Church Growth and Holiness:

There is an intrinsic tension between the desire for growth and the need for holiness. While numerical growth brings more people into the congregation, it can sometimes be at odds with maintaining the church’s commitment to purity and spiritual depth. Therefore, growth must be pursued through evangelistic and community outreach efforts that do not compromise the church’s holiness.

• Doctrinal faithfulness and Leadership Strategies:

Leadership strategies that emphasize doctrinal faithfulness help ensure that growth does not come at the cost of compromising the church’s core beliefs. Leadership must balance growth initiatives with the preservation of core doctrines, employing strategies that promote both expansion and adherence to scriptural truths.

• Challenges and Mitigation:

The challenges faced by churches, such as financial pressures and cultural influences, often push them towards compromising holiness. However, churches can implement mitigation strategies such as promoting accountability within leadership and maintaining clear doctrinal teaching to address these risks and ensure growth aligns with holiness principles.

2.1.3. Components Breakdown:

1. Church Growth (Core): The central concept that is influenced by the other components.
2. Holiness: One of the key influencing factors of Church Growth.
3. Doctrinal Integrity: Another key influencing factor.
4. Leadership Strategies: The balancing force that maintains the right focus between Holiness and Doctrinal Integrity while promoting Church Growth.
5. Challenges: External risks and obstacles that may hinder the growth and integrity, which require Leadership Strategies to overcome.

Fig 1. Framework diagram for church growth

Here is the Framework Diagram for Church Growth, visually depicting the key components:

1. Church Growth: sits at the core.
2. Holiness and Doctrinal Faithfulness: are the main influences feeding into Church Growth.
3. Leadership Strategies: balance these influences while driving growth.
4. Challenges: represent the risks that must be mitigated using the Leadership Strategies.

2.2. EMPIRICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROJECT:

The empirical framework for this project outlines how the principles of maintaining church growth in holiness without compromise can be studied and measured in real-world settings. This framework is structured around the examination of core variables, such as church growth strategies, adherence to holiness, doctrinal faithfuness, leadership practices, and mitigating factors. By focusing on empirical methods, this project aims to generate data that will illuminate how the Lugbe Region Deeper life church can grow in numbers while preserving spiritual and doctrinal faithfulness.

The empirical framework will rely on both quantitative and qualitative approaches, combining surveys, interviews, and case studies to gather insights from church leaders and members. The framework will guide the data collection and analysis processes, ensuring that findings are rooted in observable, measurable evidence.

2.2.1. Core Variables and Indicators:

2.2.2 Church Growth

Operational Definition: Church growth refers to the numerical increase in church membership and the spiritual development of the congregation.

Indicators:

1. Membership growth rate over time
2. Frequency of new member
3. Participation in church activities
4. Spiritual development such as engagement in spiritual disciplines (e.g., prayer, Bible study)
5. Frequency and effectiveness of evangelistic outreach

Measurement Tools:

1. Attendance records
2. Surveys measuring members’ perceptions of spiritual growth and engagement
3. Interviews with church leadership to assess growth strategies

2.2.3. Adherence to Holiness

Operational Definition: Holiness is understood as the commitment to scriptural principles of holiness, faithfulness, and obedience to scriptural principles.

Indicators:

1. Emphasis on Bible studies
2. Engagement in personal practical holiness (e.g., prayer, fasting, avoiding sinful behaviors)
3. Church policies that uphold scriptural standards (e.g., membership criteria, disciplinary measures)

Measurement Tools:

1. Surveys assessing member adherence to scriptural and spiritual obedience
2. Content analysis of sermons and church teaching materials
3. Interviews with leaders about their emphasis on holiness

2.2.4. Doctrinal Faithfulness

Operational Definition: Doctrinal integrity refers to the church’s adherence to its theological and doctrinal principles without dilution or compromise.

Indicators:

1. Consistency of doctrinal teaching over time
2. Frequency of doctrinal instruction
3. Members’ understanding and agreement with the church’s doctrinal believe

Measurement Tools:

1. Surveys assessing members’ doctrinal understanding
2. Analysis of church curricula and teaching materials
3. Leadership interviews on doctrinal policies and enforcement

2.2.5. Leadership Practices

Operational Definition: Leadership practices refer to the actions and strategies employed by church leaders to guide growth while maintaining holiness.

Indicators:

1. Leadership training programs that emphasize holiness
2. Frequency and content of leadership meetings
3. Accountability structures within the leadership
4. Strategies for communicating growth principles and holiness to the congregation

Measurement Tools:

1. Interviews with church leaders about their strategic approaches to growth
2. Document analysis of leadership materials and meeting minutes
3. Surveys measuring members’ perceptions of leadership effectiveness

2.2.6. Challenges and Mitigation Strategies

Operational Definition: Challenges are external and internal pressures that make it difficult for churches to balance growth with holiness, while mitigation strategies are the methods employed to address these risks.

Indicators:

1. Identification of pressures (e.g., cultural influences, financial constraints)
2. Strategies used by churches to avoid compromising holiness
3. Effectiveness of accountability and doctrinal oversight structures

Measurement Tools:

1. Surveys and interviews identifying perceived challenges from members and leaders
2. Case studies on churches that have successfully mitigated risks
3. Analysis of church documents outlining mitigation strategies

2.2.7. Research Design:

The empirical framework is designed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The methodology for this project includes the following steps:

1. Survey Distribution:

Surveys will be distributed to church members and leaders to gather data on their perceptions of church growth, holiness, doctrinal integrity, leadership strategies, and challenges. The questionnaire will cover all the core variables and use both Likert scale and open-ended questions for depth.

• Interviews with Church Leaders:

In-depth interviews will be conducted with pastors and church leaders to understand the strategic thinking behind growth initiatives and how they ensure these strategies are aligned with holiness principles.

• Case Studies:

Case studies of churches that have successfully balanced growth with holiness will be analyzed. This will involve reviewing their history, growth strategies, and doctrinal policies to identify best practices.

• Document Analysis:

Relevant church documents, including Bible doctrine, growth plans, and leadership training materials, will be analyzed to assess how doctrinal faithfulness and holiness are preserved during periods of growth.

• Data Analysis Techniques:

The data collected from surveys will be analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify trends in church growth, holiness adherence, and challenges. Qualitative data from interviews and case studies will be analyzed to identify common themes and patterns related to maintaining growth without compromise.

2.2.8. Expected Outcomes:

The empirical analysis is expected to reveal:

1. The extent to which Deeper Life Bible Church, Lugbe Region, is able to grow without compromising its doctrinal and holiness standards.
2. Common challenges churches face in maintaining doctrinal integrity during periods of growth.
3. Successful strategies employed by Deeper Life Bible Church, Lugbe Region, that have managed to achieve growth without compromising on holiness.
4. Insights into the role of leadership in ensuring that growth strategies align with biblical principles.

2.3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2.3.1. POSSIBLE CAUSES OF CHURCH NOT GROWING AND COMPROMISING

2.3.2. TRADITION. 

The word “tradition” is defined by Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words as “paradosis. a handing down or on. In the King James version of the Bible the word “tradition” or “traditions” is used thirteen times. The word “tradition” or “traditions” is used in Matt 15:2,3,6; Mark 1:18. Of these thirteen times that Jesus made reference to traditions, eight of these were in the gospels. Each time that Jesus used the word, it was in a negative and warning tone. Of the thirteen times that the word is used in the Bible, the use of the word carries a negative sense twelve times. in Matt 15:1-9, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and scribes when they question Him about why His disciples transgressed the traditions of the elders. Jesus sternly rebukes them by stating in Matt 15:3 that they had “transgressed the commandments of God by your traditions.” By placing traditions of the elders above the commandments of God, the results are: Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matt 15:6,8-9),

There are three things that Jesus said in this passage regarding tradition. First, tradition makes the word of God powerless. When people choose to live by traditions, those things that have been handed down through the generations, then the word of God is not the guide, traditions are the guide. Second, tradition not only makes the word of God powerless for those that are bound by it, but it also causes an outer response without an inner change. God is interested in the inner change, not the outer. This is seen in the following verses of Matthew: But those things proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart: and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. The third thing that happens when tradition takes the place of God’s teaching is that a person or person’s worship becomes vain. In Matt 15:9, Jesus said, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” The charges that Jesus brought forth against the scribes and the Pharisees are charges that can be brought against the modern-day church. Over the years, traditions have been handed down from parent to child. These traditions take 27 first place while the word of God comes in second, at best. The results are that traditions are taught, worship is offered in vain, and the results are that we are not experiencing the flowing power of the Holy Spirit because we have chosen to do it our way. The result is death. The Bible, not tradition, must sit in “See to it that no one the tradition of men.” judgment over us. takes you captive (Colossians 2:8) Paul wrote, though. The 28 traditions of men aren’t necessarily God’s traditions.

When the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus why His disciples transgressed the tradition of the elders by failing to do the ceremonial hand washing (Matthew 15:1-2) Jesus answered them with another question: “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” (v.3) Religious traditions may or may not be good but what God wants is for us to obey Him and that’s always good. Amazingly, we will get mad at people if they don’t follow our religious tradition but we don’t get upset if they disobey the Word. Colossians 2:8 warns us to beware of human traditions. That means if what your grandmother taught you is in line with God’s Word that’s fine. But if it isn’t then follow Paul’s warning and change that tradition. Churches that are bound in tradition are churches that live in the past. Another way of saying this is that they have become stuck in a time warp. They have allowed “the way it has always been” to become the guide for the church and not the Holy Spirit. Rick Warren believes that every church is driven by something. Some churches are driven by personalities some are driven by programs and still others are driven by other events. Yet Warren writes Tony Evans Are Christians Destroying America? (Chicago: Moody Press 1996) I 223-224. 29 In the tradition-driven church the favorite phrase is “We’ve always done it this way.

The goal of a tradition-driven church is simply to perpetuate the past. Change is almost always seen as negative, and stagnation is interpreted as “stability. Older churches tend to be bound together by rules, regulations, and rituals, in some churches, tradition can be such a driving force that everything else, even God’s will, becomes secondary. Ralph Neighbor says the seven last words of the church are, “We’ve never done it that way before.  When the tradition of the past is allowed to dictate the future, the end result will always be the death of that church. While the exact percentage of churches that are declining or plateaued because of traditional bondage is not available, one can reasonably see that tradition can hinder churches from growth and lead the church to compromise.

Traditional methods must change to keep pace with cultural and technological advances, while keeping the message true to the Word of God. In the book, Into the Future, written by Elmer Towns and Warren Bird, there is a story told of an elderly couple that ran off the road into water that was about a foot deep. When asked how it happened the elderly gentleman said, “I couldn’t see, so I kept going the way. Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995). It’s amazing how far a church can go with unquestioned habits (i.e., “business as usual”) before realizing that we completely missed a “turn.” When we attempt to accomplish our mission on the basis of faulty information, however, that’s exactly what will happen. If we assume that the best course of action is to continue to do everything the way we have always done, we may be mistaken. Many of our customs, attitudes, and strategies are dead. Instead of clinging to dead, man-made traditions, we need to embrace what God blesses today. For churches to turn and begin growing they must be willing to pay the price to break the traditions of the past, look where they are at in the present, and move into the future. The church of 2001 will not grow from the blueprints of the 1950’s.

2.3.3. APATHY

When tradition seems to hold a church in bondage, there is normally going to be an apathy that settles in that group of people. Apathy is defined by Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary as. lacking of feeling or emotion; IMPASSIVE. Lack of interest or concern; INDIFFERENT. It is the conviction of this writer that tradition is the breeding ground to the spirit of apathy in the churches today. The concept is, as long as it was good enough for mom and dad and I do not have to make any effort to change or to move into new areas of spiritual growth and ministries, then it is good enough for me. Charles Stanley wrote a book in 1985 titled, Confronting Casual Christianity, in which he deals with the apathy of the church and denomination. The dictionary defines apathy as “lack of feeling or emotion; impassiveness; lack of interest or concern; indifference.” It is the first cousin to complacency which carries the idea of self-satisfaction and lack of concern. Whatever you call the condition, it saps the vitality of the body of Christ. This pathetic condition is summed up in the expression, “I could care less.” In fact, many a believer are so apathetic and complacent that he will not even couch it into words-too indifferent and unconcerned to articulate his/her spiritual state. “I don’t know” is their prevailing mood. “I don’t know” often means “I don’t care.

These should alarm us as a people of God. For a denomination that stresses missions and taking the gospel throughout the world, something must be missing in the people that make up this vast denomination. Could it be that the excitement for the work of God is missing? Has tradition and apathy taken such a hold in our local churches that we are not being witnesses in our own community? Have we come to the place where the bondage of tradition has given away to apathy and the results are that we are no longer sensing and seeing the power of God manifested in our local churches? How sad it is for a people of God to be lulled to sleep and not experience the wonderful, full blessings of the power of God in their lives and the churches across this land. In Revelation 3:14-22, there is a message delivered to the church at Laodicea. Laodicea was a wealthy area. The people of God had a church in this great place. What a time to be a witness for the Lord. Yet the Lord brought charges against this church in verses 15-17, I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Warren Wiersbe makes an interesting statement in his book, The Bible Exposition Commentary. He states, In the Christian life, there are three “spiritual temperatures”: a burning heart, on fire for God (Luke 24:32), a cold heart (Matt. 24.12), and a lukewarm heart (Rev. 3:16). The lukewarm Christian is comfortable, complacent, and does not realize his need. If he were cold, at least he would feel it. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have every reason to be “fervent in spirit” (Rom. 12:11). The second law of thermodynamics requires that a “closed system” eventually moderates so that no more energy is being produced. Unless something is added from the outside, the system decays and dies. Without added fuel, the hot water in the boiler becomes cool; without electricity, the refrigerant in the freezer becomes warm. The church cannot be a “closed system.” Jesus said, “Without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). The Laodicean church was independent, self-satisfied, and secure. “We have nothing to need!” But all the while, their spiritual power had been decaying; their material wealth and glowing statistics were but shrouds hiding a rotting corpse. Their Lord was outside the church, trying to get in. (Rev.3:20) When churches become complacent, giving may be easy because it does not require a person to go into the world and witness or to move out of his or her comfort zone. They give and hope that someone will be provided for. Tradition may be a great cause of churches plateau and decline. The apathy that it breeds is far more dangerous to the Body of Christ.

2.3.4. BUILDING SPACE

Another possible cause for compromising and not growing churches today could be found in the need to increase the building size to handle the number of people that attend. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, 2 vols. (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1989). When the church facilities do not keep up with the growth, it can cause churches to compromise and not growing. In a recent article in Facts and Trends, an article was written by Charles Willis who attended the “National Conference for Church Leadership” that was held at Ridgecrest Conference Center, North Carolina. At this conference, David Byrd spoke to pastors and church staff. In Willis’ article he quotes Byrd as saying, the purpose of the church is not a building. Building church facilities is a problem of purpose long before it is an architectural or financial problem. Too many churches see property and facility planning as if there were no connection between the one kind of space provided and church growth. Others plan a new building with a vague hope that just constructing a building will lead to growth. Willis also notes that Byrd observed that in a study of growing churches “consistently show that property, building, and space are major factors in sustaining growth patterns. “Buildings do not Cause Growth, Architect Tells Church Leaders,” Facts and trends that their great problem in growth is the space in which they have to grow. Robert Steawart, the North Carolina Baptist Sunday School Director, stated that even though there has never been a formula adopted to gauge the need for building, the general rule is, that if a church is 50% full, it should begin to pray about possibly beginning to plan to expand. Also, churches will very rarely grow beyond 80% of their facility. This information can be confirmed and built upon by calling the North Carolina Baptist Robert Steawart. One must remember that space allows the congregation to grow, but the church must also keep in mind the words of Greg Ogden, ministry is not confined to the church building. We are just beginning to see the church as a base of operations called to support and equip people to live out their Christian witness in the work environment. While space may be a problem, the church can still minister the things of the Lord outside the walls of the building in which they worship. Greg Ogden, The New Reformation. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1990),

2.3.6. LACK OF WORSHIP

Another possible reason that churches may not grow and compromise is because of the lack of worship that is offered to a Holy God. In the passage where Jesus speaks with the woman at the well in John 4, the woman asks a question about worship. She said, “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men shall worship.” (John 4:20) Jesus responded in John 4:23-24 with these words, “but the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father In spirit and truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” In this one passage, Jesus reveals several things about worship that should be noted. First, we are living in a time of true worship. (John 4:23). Second, Jesus said that true worship is energized by the Holy Spirit. In John 4:23, Jesus said, “true worshippers shall worship in spirit and truth. ” the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” (John 4:23) Lastly He states that God is a Spirit. ” Whoever worships God must do so in the power of the Spirit and truth of God. In this passage of Scripture, we see that God has a great desire to be worshipped by man. God’s desire is so strong that He is seeking out true worshippers that will come into His presence and acknowledge His glory and splendor.

In Elmer Town’s book, putting an End to Worship Wars, he writes, Worship is a face-to-face encounter with the living God based on a regeneration experience, prompted by the Holy Spirit, and resulting in the exaltation of God’s glory. Simply speaking, worship is giving the worthy ship to God that He deserves because He is God. Therefore, worship should be an emotional, intellectual, and volitional response to God. A vast majority of churches today are not experiencing the face-to-face encounter with God. They come to church to seek and encounter God, yet what they encounter many times is a couple of songs that are sung, a choir special, and a brief message. They go home empty with no life-giving changes. Elmer Towns writes, that Christians are experiencing a growing thirst for God. There seems to be a desire to know God-not to know about Him, but to know Him. More and more people want to bless God-not just to get Him to bless them. He seems to be a growing focus of more and more Christians. They are carrying out the passion of Paul. “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection.” (Phil.3:10) Christians are experiencing a growing thirst for worship. There seems to be a growing hunger on the part of the Christians to encounter God and revel in His presence. If Christians are looking for that face-to-face encounter with God and they feel bound when they come together for corporate worship, their spiritual needs are not being met. If their spiritual needs are not being met, then they leave the worship service feeling frustrated. Eventually, if that need is not met, they will either stop attending or will find another church that will lead them into the presence of God. If God’s people are thirsty for God and to encounter Him in worship, then why aren’t the people experiencing His power and presence? Are they doing something wrong? Is there a formula to follow? In an attempt to offer a possible answer to this, note that in God’s word, basically three kinds of worship are mentioned. First, the Bible speaks about true worship. John 4:23-24 says, “But the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” Secondly, the Bible speaks of false worship. False worship is worshipping gods that are manmade or man-imaged. Isaiah writes in Isaiah 40:1-19, “To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold and casteth silver chains.” Isaiah reminds his readers that even though man may attempt to make a god with his hands or with his mind. God cannot and will not be reduced to such. The Apostle Paul writes that the great sin of mankind is that man has, changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like the corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beast, and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their hearts. (Romans 1:23-24) While false worship is worshipping a god made with the hand or the mind, the church of today does not appear to be guilty of this kind of worship. the church is guilty of another kind of worship mentioned in the Bible. This is the third type,

2.3.7. VAIN WORSHIP.

Vain worship appears to be when a people of God worship the right God, but with the wrong motives. They assemble together, sing, offer praise, and preach the Word of God, yet it is in vain (Isaiah 1:10- 13). Several things make worship vain in the eyes of God. Jesus tells us that when traditions take the place of God’s direct and divine instructions, then one’s worship is in vain. In His conversation with the religious leaders in Matthew 15, Jesus rebuked the leaders for making the traditions of their fathers the way of worship while they transgressed the way of God. Jesus then concluded with these words, “But in vain they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:9) Just as the Pharisees’ worshipped in vain, so does the church of today when traditions are held above the true teaching and directing of the Holy Spirit of God. While churches, today, may gather in Jesus’ name, many gather in the name of their traditions, and will not allow the divine instructions of God to lead them. Thus they worship in vain. The Bible also tells us that worship is vain when sin is tolerated inside the people of God. God brought an indictment against His people through Isaiah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? Saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with, it is iniquity, even a solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feast, my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea I will not hear: (Isaiah 1:11-15) It appears that dealing with Sin inside the Church of Christ, today, is a thing of the past. Yet God tells us that when sin is tolerated, and not confessed and confronted, then he refuses to accept our worship and hear our prayers. Not only do tradition and sin in the midst of God’s people cause worship to be vain, but when people assemble together with the wrong motives, it can cause vain worship. In the gospel account of Mark 11, there is the story of Jesus entering into the temple, cleansing the temple. Mark 11:15 states, and they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of moneychangers, and the seat of them that sold doves. In this account the people were in the temple supposedly gathering in the Father’s name, yet Jesus cleansed the temple and ran the people out because even though they were in the “house of God,” they were there for selfish gain and their own motives, not that of the Father.

In Lynn Anderson’s book, In Search of Wonder, he writes, the heart of worship is worship from the heart. Jesus’ sober warning still rings in our ears, “These people honor with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Matt. 15:8) God doesn’t want our torrent of words unless they come from our hearts: hearts warmed by the love of God. hearts transfixed by the majesty of God. hearts falling in a holy hush at the awesome holiness of God. hearts bursting with jubilant praise for the goodness of God. hearts hungry to know God and willing to be broken over the things that break the heart of God. This brings us back to the conversation at the Samaritan well. Like many of us, this woman was confused. Our questions echo hers: “Where do I go to find God? In what holy place? Which group is made of true worshippers? If I find the right temple-the Holy House- will I find God there? Or do I need to find the correct mountain Hallowed Hill? Jesus looked into the heart of this woman.

Despite the way she had been misused by man, and human beings, and even though she had wandered into a chain of destructive choices, Jesus knew that deep down in her heart, she had never lost the hunger for God, never given up the search. Worship is not finding Hallowed Hill or the Holy house or the Heavenly Hocus Pocus. It is not even in achieving Moral Order or in building a Happy Home. Those things won’t get you to God. Genuine worship of God begins with a hungry heart! God is a spirit, and those who worship him, worship Him with their spirits, or with their hearts, and in truth in spirit, meaning a real spiritual connection with God; and in truth, meaning authentic, real worship, not some kind of external hocus pocus conducted at the right place, while trying to look like the right people. People are thirsty for God. They desire to experience and to sense His power and presence. Yet so many of the churches are bound by man-made worship, apathy, and tradition and are not willing to let go of these things to be able to experience God. Several years ago, (Circa 1996) National Geographic had a television presentation on how tribes in the third world would go out weeks at a time on hunting trips.

The amazing thing that stood out about the show was the way these tribal people would find water. They would look for a monkey. Once they spotted a monkey, they would hold out a banana and make sure the monkey saw it. Once the monkey saw this banana, they would dig a hole just large enough to place the banana in several inches below the surface.  Max Lucado, Lynn Anderson, Rubel Shelly, Mike Cope, Randall Harris, Jack Reese, Harold Shank, In Search of Wonder. (West Monroe, Louisiana: Howard Publishing Company, 1995), These tribal people, knowing that monkeys never stay far from water, would then move about a hundred yards away and sit, waiting for the monkey to come to the hole. When the monkey came to the hole, it would reach its hand down into the hole, grasp the banana, and attempt to pull it out. Because his hand was grasped around the banana, he could not pull his hand out of the hole without letting go of the banana. The monkey screamed, kicked, and attempted to do everything in his power to be set free. It is even said that a monkey would die holding on to the banana. The amazing thing is that to be free all the monkey had to do was let go of the banana. This illustration, used by many pastors in sermons, was viewed. The amazing thing is that it seems to fit the church of today. People are crying out for an experience and an encounter with God. Yet the church seems to be dying because it is not willing to let go of vain worship and start true and genuine worship. In a book written by George Barna, he writes, Indisputably, worship is among the highest priorities of God. The weekly worship service is, for most churches the focal point of each week and, for most pastors, the personal highlight of their ministry because they get to preach. Churches have excelled in providing people with a greater variety of worship experiences and delivering learning aids (e.g. study notes, audiotapes) that are designed to help capture some of the information provided during the teaching time. Yet, we also know that each weekend, millions come but few understand. Two-thirds of regular churchgoers cannot describe what worship means. The majority of those who attend worship services in any given week (more than three quarters of adults’ attendance) do not experience the presence of God during worship. In fact, half of all churchgoers admit that they have not felt connected to God or in His presence at any time in the past month, despite regular attendance at the church.

These statistics are not shocking if one listens to the average Christian that he or she comes in contact with. The larger portions do not seem satisfied, and they desire to experience more of God in worship. Among those who are concerned about their worship events, energy is being put into determining the best style of music, the appropriate forms of technology (e.g. video screens, PowerPoint presentation), and how to pack out the worship center. George Barna and Mark Hatch, Boiling Point. (Ventura, California: Regal Books, 2001). The danger of powerless, meaningless worship will cause a church to plateau or even decline. Churches must realize that God is the reason for their existence and that He has given us the Holy Spirit that desires to lead us into the presence of God. If churches do not open their doors to God, invite Him in, and worship Him, death is certain. Worship is about God. In another article found in Facts and Trends, Terry Lackey writes, Churchgoers today seem to have misplaced the true meaning of worship. Robert Wagoner told the church leaders attending the Church Music Leadership Conference at Lifeway Glorieta Conference Center.

One reason I think Churches have trouble worshipping is because they are afraid of what somebody else is going to think about them. Real worship means I’m focused on Jesus. I’ve come into complete God consciousness and I’m praising Him. God is not seeking worship, He’s seeking worshipers. Satan is pretty good at distorting the true meaning of worship. Some of the ways Satan distorts worship, he said, that through the traditions, words, and persuasions and pleadings of men. The call for worship seems to be the ringing words throughout the churches of today. While people are thirsty for God and to have an encounter with Him, our churches are plateauing and dying. Unless our churches realize that, “God Seeks Worshippers, Not Worship, Consultant Says,” Facts and Trends (2001). No change will occur in the absent of true worshippers of God, they will never change, nor experience the power and presence of God. When God is worshipped, there is a visitation of God. In every worship service there are two kinds of people: lost and saved. It is in the presence of God through worship that the lost person is faced with a decision to call upon the Name of the Lord and be saved, or to walk away and remain lost. The saved person will be faced with having to examine self. He will say as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:5, ” Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips. ” When Isaiah encountered God and entered into His presence, Isaiah understood just how much in need of being clean he was. Could it be that the church no longer likes to be reminded that they are unclean in the eyes of God? It is time for the church of Jesus Christ to connect again with God, to come into His presence, and allow the fire of God to purge us in His presence. When the people of God Experience God’s presence and power in worship, not only will they see the need to be cleansed, but will also see the need of telling others of the love of God. After Isaiah came into the presence of God, he realized his sinfulness. He went on to say, ” and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of host.” (Isaiah 6:5b) Having this understanding he heard the heavenly voice, ” Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8a) Isaiah’s response was, ” Here I am; send me.” (Isaiah 6: 8b) Just in this one encounter with God’s presence, a life was changed and in turn would change other lives around him.

The church needs to come back to true worship, seeing the Lord on His throne, high and lifted up. When we do this, lives will be changed inside the church, and thus the church will change lives outside of the church. In closing this section, the words of Dr. James P. Gills from his book, The Dynamics of Worship, are timely and appropriate. Effective Christian service flows from a heart that acknowledges the glory, majesty and power of One who is King, yet who came to serve. As we understand this and learn to love Him deeply, we won’t have to “drum up” motivation. Dead obedience will fall by the wayside. Rather, our spirits will radiate the joy of the salvation of our work. The king of servanthood will empower us to worship in everything we do, which in turn, leads to a greater desire to continue serving. When we ripen into such spiritual maturity, we experience new freedom. Cold ritualistic religion with its infamous “good deed-doing” melts under a heart aflame. Fiery worship gives birth to genuine service that springs out of a purified heart.

2.3.8. LACK OF LEADERSHIP

Lack of Leadership in this section, the lack of leadership will be offered as a possible problem for the maintaining of church growth in holiness without compromise. In J. Oswald Sanders’ book, Spiritual Leadership, he writes, Real leaders are in short supply. Constantly people and groups search for them. Throughout the Bible, God searches for leaders, too. The Bible shows us that when God does find a person who is ready to lead, to commit to full discipleship and take on responsibility for others, that person is used to the limit. Such leaders still have shortcomings and flaws, but despite them, they become spiritual leaders. Such were Moses, Gideon, and David. And in the history of the church, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Adoniram Judson, William Carey, and many others.

To be a leader in the church has always required strength and faith beyond merely human. Why is our need for leaders so great, and the candidates so few? Every generation faces the stringent demands of spiritual leadership, and welcomes the few who come forward to serve. If the world is to hear the church’s voice today, leaders are needed who are authoritative, spiritual, and sacrificial. Authoritative, because people desire leaders who know where they are going and are confident in getting there. Spiritual, because without a strong relationship to God, even the most attractive and competent persons cannot lead people to God. Because this follows the model of Jesus, who gave himself for the whole world and who calls us to follow his steps. James P. Gills, M. D., The Dynamics of Worship. (Tarpon Springs, Florida: Love Press). Churches grow in every way when they are guided by strong, spiritual leaders, with the touch of supernatural radiating in their service. The church sinks into confusion and malaise without such leadership. It was the conviction of Sanders that leaders were men of God that were made by God. Sanders said, “God alone makes them.” In today’s church there is still a search for leadership. People are looking for that person that can lead them and connect them to a heavenly realm. They are looking for that person to take charge and to lead by example. They desire to see the authority and develop confidence in the leader, along with seeing that he is connected to the Supreme God whom we are to follow. The trouble today in many churches is that the pastors are not the leaders in the church. They have been called into a church that has existed for fifty or one hundred years. The bond of family and friendship, along J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1994), with the bondage of tradition many times places the pastor in the back seat of leadership instead of the front seat where he needs to be. Many of the normal churches actually call their pastor, leader, but refuse to allow him to lead. This seems to result in frustration on the behalf of the pastor. He attempts to lead the people of God in a way in which God directs, but many times the people refuse to follow.

Over a period of time, the frustration will normally turn into discouragement and disappointment. When the leader’s expectation is shattered, normally he will step back and begin going with the flow of the people instead of being the agent of change and become hardened to God’s voice of leadership. In Bill Lawrence’s book, Effective Pastoring, he calls this the “Dreaded Leader’s Disease.” In his book he talks about Jesus arriving in Caesarea Philippi. After months of ministry, teaching, and showing miracle after miracle, Jesus now asked the question in Mark 8:27, “Who do men say that I am?” The disciples would respond that some thought that He was ” prophets.” (Mark 8:28). Eli’as and others, Jesus would then narrow the question down to His disciples in Mark 8:29 when he asks ” But whom say ye that I am.” It would be Peter that said, “Thou are the Christ.” (Mark 8:29) Jesus would then begin to reveal to them that He would be crucified. Peter, the one who had just spoke a tremendous theological truth, began to say that this was not so. Jesus said to Peter in Mark 8:33, “Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” A thought that should be noted is that Peter and the disciples were the ones who had walked closest to Jesus. They talked with Him daily, saw His great power displayed, and felt the power of God next to them. Certainly these were the called men of God. If anyone should be able to lead, it should be these men. says, In Bill Lawrence’s book, Effective Pastoring, he How can a man who was privately tutored by God in Christology be called Satan? What does this mean?

This is the dreaded Leader’s Disease and shows that it takes more than an accurate theology to have an accurate faith. Our Lord identifies Peter’s core problem; he was pursuing man’s interest rather than God’s (8:33). Peter’s expectation conflicted with God’s purposes. He was looking for position and power, while God was looking for sacrifice and humility. He was afflicted with the dreaded Leader’s Disease. While pastors may be accurate in their theology and love the Lord, if not careful, they could become mindful of the things of men and not the call and purpose of God. In the time in which we minister, every day threat of forced resignation comes to the mind of many leaders. Barna writes, Leadership, for most pastors, is just one of those unfortunate duties they must endure as part of the deal that allows them to do that which really turns them on-preaching and teaching. Highly effective churches, on the other hand, have placed a true leader in position of leadership. Leadership is an issue that must be dealt with by pastors if they are to advance the kingdom of God. Leadership is a skill that must be developed by men of God in order to serve the people of God to the highest extent and to fulfill God’s purpose for His people. A vast majority of pastors depend upon the church for their source of income; an income that they must have to support their family. This certainly can George Barna, The Habits of Highly Effective Churches. (Ventura, California: Regal, 1999), add to leader having their mind-set on the purposes of man and not God. The words of Barna would serve well to close this section: While this is not one of the six pillars of the local church, we have found that the presence or absence of strong leadership is one of the traits that distinguishes the highly effective churches of America from those that are doing well-intentioned religious activity. One of the most significant findings of our research is that most churches have a mismatch between the expectations the church has of their Senior pastor and his/her gifts and skills. By their own admission, most senior pastors are neither gifted in nor excited about leadership. Fewer than out of every senior pastors can identify the unique vision that God will entrust to His leader on behalf of the churches they pastor. Less than out of every claim to have the gift of spiritual leadership. May God stir in the hearts of His leaders that we will fall on our knees, seek Him, and develop our skills to lead His people. For without leaders, the ruts of tradition, the lull of apathy, and dead, dry worship will continue to dominate our churches. If this happens, there will be no need for building programs because we will never fill the buildings that we have. M George Barna and Mark Hatch, Boiling Point. (Ventura, California: Regal, 2001).

Churches are called to grow. While it is understood that poor location, past tradition, and many other hurdles stand in the way, God still requires the people of God to carry His message to those around them. If the church is not a light unto the community, the salt of the community, then it has lost its purpose and call from God (Matthew 5:13-16). Too many churches major on the minor. For example, they will get upset and ready to split over whether the church needs painting. Yet when the pastor has special prayer meetings or visitation programs, they are barely supported by the people. God has called His people to move forward and to grow.  When a church is no longer accomplishing the purpose and plan of God, could that church not become a stumbling block for those seeking God?

Rick Warren makes an interesting illustration and statement about the need for strategy in the church. Warren writes, my dad is the best fisherman I’ve met. If there is only one fish in the lake or stream he will catch it. This always amazed me growing up. Ten of us could be fishing the same lake and my dad would catch all the fish. How did he do it? Was it magic? Did God just like him better? As I got older I realized his secret: My dad understood fish. He would “read” a lake and figure out exactly where the fish were; he knew what time of day they liked to eat; he knew what bait or lure to use depending on the type of fish; he knew when to change the bait as the temperature changed; he even seemed to know exactly how deep to drop the line into the water.

He made it as easy and attractive as possible for fish to swallow his hook-so they did! He caught fish on their terms. In contrast, I never had a strategy when I went fishing, I’d cast out anywhere in the lake hoping something might bite. Fish rarely went for my hook because I fished with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. I was always more interested in enjoying the outdoors than actually catching anything. While my dad would crawl through the brush or get wet up to his waist in order to get to where the fish were, my fishing spots were usually determined by what was most comfortable to me. I had no strategy, and my results showed it. Unfortunately, many churches have this same lackadaisical attitude toward fishing for men and women. They don’t want to take the time to understand the people they want to reach, and they don’t have a strategy. They want to win people to Christ as long as it can be done in a comfortable way. Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995), Unfortunately, this is the mindset of many leaders in the church today. They are not interested in catching the fish, therefore they are not willing to get out of the boat and get wet going to where the spot is to catch the fish. After all, this causes a certain amount of discomfort. People, in general, do not like to do that which makes them uncomfortable. Leaders must have a strategy. A strategy gives the leader a plan, a direction, and a new set of eyes with which to see. It is a systematic way to lead. When a leader has a strategy, he has looked at all the areas, seen where the best place is to start, and begins to systematically work through a process that will bring about results. To develop a strategy, requires a price to be paid. The price to pay is moving out of your comfort zone into a new level of leadership. It should be noted that the strategy that is offered in the next section is not guaranteed to work for every pastor and it is not a guarantee that every church will become a mega-church. It is a successful personal plan that this writer has developed over the years.  

One of the first things that a leader must do to maintain church growth in holiness without compromise is to be willing to make changes. We live in a world that is ever changing and change is something we all must do to survive. Tom Peters is considered to be one of the foremost leaders in the business world. In this book, The Circle of Innovation, he discusses what businesses need to do to survive in the world in which they exist. Peters believes that it is easier to kill an organization that it is to change it, and in order to successfully change an organization, one must increase the number of attempts to change it. Peters writes, most business people think and think and think and think, plan and plan, and seldom get around to “just doing it.” But unless we’re launching new tries, creating “available diversity” all the time, we won’t have much to select from, in order to quickly adapt to a fast-changing world. The same principle applies to churches today. It is easier for them to die than it is to bring about change that is so desperately needed.

Change is a must for Tom Peters, The Circle of Innovation. (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 2000), churches to move from not growing in order to be productive, growing and maintaining holiness. using Peters’ concept, the way to successfully change is to have many different attempts. If you change not, you die. In the book Boiling Point, George Barna and Mark Hatch write, you can avoid the flu, you can outrun your past, you can ignore your in-laws, you can outsmart your adversaries, and you can deny your imperfections. One thing you cannot get around, however, is change. Change will happen whether you are ready or not. Change will happen whether you like it or not. Change is inevitable. America’s national motto may as well be “No change? No chance!” Biologists provide us with a simple but powerful equation: the absence of change is death. In other words, the presence of change is a sign of life, a necessary component to being alive. You may gauge the state of a plant by ascertaining whether it is experiencing some type of transition, be it for the better or for the worse. If there is no change taking place, then the plant is dead. There is no such thing as stasis for living entities-including human being. Intellectually, emotionally and spiritually we must either be changing or dead; there is no in-between. Perhaps the most central of all vital signs, change is an interesting phenomenon. Visit a church meeting, a corporate stockholders’ meeting, a public political forum or a family dinner where change will be discussed.

The one thing that all of the players in these varied environments will share is a distaste for change. Even when a proposed change is in our best interest, people will often fight it, simply because it means the familiar will be replaced by the unknown. Change is uncomfortable, no matter how beneficial it may be or how minimal its magnitude. Sustained progress may well be the driving force behind the American system, but the old adage “we prefer the problem we know to the solution we don’t” is just as true today as ever. So, we can predict one thing about the future: You won’t always like the progress of getting there. Sometimes change will be a positive experience: exciting, energizing, fun, productive, interesting or astounding. Other times you will bemoan progress because of the uncertainty and insecurities that change will introduce into your life. If past experience is any guide, millions of Americans will go kicking and screaming into the future, no matter how enticing the promises may be. But merely enduring change is not the only challenge. Not only must we look at the future existence in which curveballs and unknowns will be the norm, but we must also keep in mind that the pace of that change is fast-really fast! Some say that our world is changing faster than ever before. Just like driving an automobile at faster and faster speeds, negotiating change these days means your reaction time must be quicker, your skill level more extensive and your self-confidence more stable. Change is something that very few people like. It is something that will forever keep people resisting it. Yet it is a necessity for the people of God. If churches refuse to change, adapt, and move on in this ever-changing world, then death will certainly come. The very thing that many of our churches need is a good dose of change that will bring about life and a stirring of the people. Change has got to be the first step in turning from not growing and compromising church around.

Change will be fought, resented, and many times will make the leader some enemies, George Barna and Mark Hatch, Boiling Point. (Ventura, California: Regal Books, 2001). The leader must be willing to risk leading those he serves into change. The people may not want change. They may think they do not need it, yet just like a little child that does not want a vaccination shot or an antibiotic, one must give it to them for their own good. The church members may not want the change, but to turn around, one must be willing to risk making changes. In Darrel W. Robinson’s book, Total Church Life – How To Be A First Century Church In The Twenty-first Century, he writes about how the church of today needs to be a first century church in the twenty first century world. Robinson believes that a church goes through stages and when a cycle is complete, the church will end up becoming a plateaued or declining church. Robinson calls this the “Ephesus Tendency.” Robinson writes, a church may be at one of three growth stages. It may be at the growing, plateaued, or compromising stage. Your church may be growing today, but eventually it will begin to compromise. Every church is moving toward compromise unless it comes to grips with making necessary adjustments to grow again.

The planting of the church in Ephesus in Acts 19 is a fantastic story. Paul came to Ephesus and preached Christ at the Jewish synagogue for three months. Some believed, but others were obstinate and “maligned the Way.” Paul left the synagogue and went downtown Ephesus to the school of Tyrannus. There he had daily dialogues with residents of the town as he shared the gospel. As far as we know, he did not leave the city for two years. Yet Acts 19:10 says, “And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus.” How did this happen? The answer is: Paul implemented the strategy of Jesus of total penetration of the area through total participation of the believers. He led people to Christ, equipped them, and they led others to Christ. Thus, within two years, the gospel penetrated all Asia. The church of Asia was filled with the power of God and grew like wildfire. However, within a few short years, by the end of the century, you hear Jesus saying to John in Revelation 2:1-7, “Tell Ephesus I have something against them.” The church had left their first work of getting the gospel to every person and their first love was gone.

Jesus counseled them to, “remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works.” Church not growing and compromising is not unusual. Here, one of the greatest churches in all of history had come to the point of plateau and was in danger of decline. Churches today, as did Ephesus in the New Testament times, tend to plateau and decline after they have grown to strength and affluence. Our nation is full of formally growing churches, churches that are experiencing the Ephesus Tendency can be charted on a bell curve as follows: -Struggle, as the church is planted and begins its ministry. -Surrender, as the church is driven by its struggle to depend on the Lord and obey Him in its life and mission. It is characterized by vitality. -Success, as the church becomes fruitful and grows in maturity and in number. -Satisfaction, as the church enjoys the blessings of growth and vitality. -Self-centeredness, as the church turns its attention inward instead of keeping its mission primary and continuing to focus on loving Jesus and reaching people. They like what has been happening and attempt to reinforce to keep things as they are. -Stagnation, as the church continues to focus on their own comfort and turns the ministry inward instead of outward. Plateau has begun. -Stress, as the church loses its vitality and faces stress of no vision and disobedience.

The stress sets the stage for blame, cliques, and disrupted fellowship. Robinson believes that churches that have experienced the “Ephesus Tendency” can be revived and restored. He believes that they must repent and return to the things they did at first. Robinson says that repentance is change. “Repent” means more than an emotional response of sorrow and regret for the church’s condition. It means “to change.” The church that reinforces its current status and resists change will continue in compromise and eventually decline to the world. Change is essential. It is true with the human physical growth. As a baby grows, its diet and manner of dress changes. The adult does not eat strained spinach and wear diapers. As a church grows, it must also make adjustments. It will need to change procedurally to take care of the need of the people as the number grows. If it refuses, the number will stop growing. The study of church growth very clearly reveals that if churches refuse to change, then the end is plateau and eventually decline. Therefore the leader must be Darrell W. Robinson, Total Church Life. (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1985), willing to risk making changes in the congregation he serves. Since change is necessary, the question that needs to be answered is, “How can a leader institute change effectively and still lead his congregation?” First, the leader must be willing to make changes that will be slow, but effective. When an organization that has not changed in a long time is introduced to change, normally change is resisted. Yet as the leader introduces new changes and sees the positive effectiveness they have, the church will most likely accept other changes with less resistance. John Maxwell writes, the longer the organization has gone without change, the more effort introducing it will require. Also, when change is implemented and the results are negative, people within the organization will be leery of embracing future changes. The opposite is also true. Successful changes in the past prepare people to readily accept more changes. Since a negative response and outcome of change can create problems for future change, the leader must spend time considering whether the change will work or not. It has been a personal rule of this writer that introducing change should be slow.

In one of John Maxwell’s leadership John C. Maxwell, Developing the Leader Within You. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993). Conferences he talked about “never make too many changes at one time and be slow to introduce change.” The thought that Maxwell offered is that too many changes at one time cause great concern to those that are not accustomed to it. Therefore, when change is offered slowly, it gives the congregation time to adjust to the change process. This would be a good place to use an illustration of how to introduces change. When coming to serve this present congregation, as already stated, it was a plateaued church and on the verge of becoming a declining church. The service was very traditional. You need to move from a traditional service to a blended style of worship. Make changes slowly, consistently, and positively. Slow in the concept that it does not hit them in the face like a glass of ice water. Consistent in that one never stops looking for new things that will help the church life. positive in that when the change is in place, the people see the good that the change has brought.

The Power of Prayer, the church needs to go through prayer. In Richard J. Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline, he writes, to pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives. The closer we come to the heartbeat of God the more we see our need and the more we desire to be conformed to Christ.  If the church is going to follow God, it must seek God and His direction and purpose, not their own. Prayer is essential because it is the process that, as we seek God, He in turn reveals His will for us.  Jim Cymbala believes that it is and was through the power of prayer that God transformed a church that not only had stopped growing but was completely dead. The church had everything working against it, yet through the calling out to God in prayer, God not only revived and restored this person, In his book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Cymbala shares how God took a small inner city church that had lost its passion and purpose and through the power of prayer revitalized this church to become one of the most exciting churches in America. Cymbala writes, Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline. (San Francisco: Harper Collins Publishers, 1998). We must face the fact that for our churches and ministries to be all God wants them to be, they must be saturated with prayer. No new revelation or church-growth technique will change the fact that spiritual power is always linked to communion with God. If you and I are prayer-less, if our churches have no appetite for God’s presence, we will never reach our full potential in him. Prayer is what brings the people of God into understanding of God’s agenda, not their own. While certainly the church should be ever-changing in a changing world, there is one principle that never changes. This principle is that we must bend our knees to seek Divine guidance and what changes need to be made.

Thom Rainer is considered to be a foremost authority on church growth. He is the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Evangelism and Church Growth of the Southern Baptist Seminary. Rainer researched 576 of the most evangelistic churches in America. These churches ranged from small to large churches. In his survey of these churches he found that, Prayer was mentioned as the second most important methodology for reaching people for Christ in these evangelistic churches. But even that statistic may be understated. In every methodology-preaching, Sunday School, ministries, etc.-prayer was the underlying strength to the methodology. If, as Wagner believes, a great prayer movement began in churches in the “Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997)” the twenty-first century church may see the fruit of that prayer as millions accept Christ through the ministry of the local churches. If a church refuses to pray, then it most likely finds itself stuck, plateaued, or in complete compromise.

How can a church grow and change if it refuses to seek the One in whom true change comes? The Power of Vision The power of change and the power of prayer will give birth to the power of vision. Every church should have a vision, direction that comes from God. Robert E. Logan writes, “visioning faith and prayer is the single most important principle that a Christian leader can employ. As the people of God pray and change, God reveals His vision for the people. Vision is that call of God that moves a people into a direction together. Without vision, “Robert E. Logan, Beyond Church Growth. (Tarrytown, New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1989)”, churches will become confused about their call and purpose from God. The end result is that they die. In Ken Hemphill’s book, Revitalizing the Sunday Morning Dinosaur, he writes, most churches that come to life after a period of virtual inactivity point to a supernatural awakening with the accompanying renewal of vision for fulfilling the Great Commission. Recent church growth authors have reminded us of the power of vision to ignite growth. Yet, this is clearly not a new discovery. Almost every evangelical church today began because someone had a vision for building a community of people who could fulfill the Great Commission. Vision led them to buy land and to build buildings. Vision led to purposeful evangelistic activity and to sacrificial giving and service. However, once the church realized their potential dream, they often become complacent and even forget that they were once a visionary people. They then tend to live in the glow of past greatness rather than to look for new opportunities. When church conversation focuses on the greatness of the past more than the potential of the future, the church is destined for further compromise. If you are in an established church, you must first lead your church to renew its vision to move toward effective growth. You must connect them with the vision of the past, then help your people “renew the dream. According to Hemphill, when people lose Vision, they lose their purpose. Churches that have no purpose then become churches that just exist without any measuring sticks except the past. Hemphill truly believes that all Ken Hemphill is revitalizing the Sunday Morning Dinosaur. (Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1996).

Great works of God begin with a vision from God. To keep God’s work alive, the church must continue to keep its passion for God alive. Hemphill goes on to write, The Bible is replete with examples of great works that began as God communicated his vision to a willing and obedient people. It is not an exaggeration to state that no great movement of God has ever begun without a vision from God received and implemented by a willing people. The first step to resurrecting the dinosaur of church growth potential latent in your church is to develop a Great Commission vision. Vision, however, does not develop in a vacuum. There are churches that had adopted vision statements, had shared through preaching and announcement in their printed materials, but had seen few results. Vision that ignites growth must emerge from renewed passion. This passion motivates people to act. Passion fuels church growth. Once the church has renewed its passion, a clearly articulated vision statement can focus the power of passion the way a laser beam focuses the power of light. Passion is reborn when there is an authentic encounter with the living God. Since visions come from God and are the fuel that kindles the passion for the work of God, then the question needs to be answered, “Why does a church begin with a great vision and then level off and eventually plateau?” Habakkuk writes. “write the vision, and make it plain upon the tables, that he may run that readeth it.” (Habakkuk 2:2), Could it be that the churches today have not made their visions clear? The church must rewrite the vision from time to time so plain and understandable that all see it, hear it, and know what to do with it.

The possible reason so many churches lose their vision is because they have not rewritten and expanded their vision, and therefore the vision dies, along with the growth and excitement that it generated. The responsibility of the vision rests upon the shoulders of the pastor, who is the leader of the church. He is the one who should be able to communicate the vision of God to his people. In Bill Lawrence’s book, Effective Pastoring, he writes, it takes pastors of vision to guide a church off the treadmill and onto the pathway of impact. What is needed to replace a vacuum in the church with a vision from God? Three things: a proper understanding of what the vision is, including the distinction between vision and visionary; a proper understanding of the pastor’s role in developing and implementing vision; a proper understanding of how to implement a vision, which includes patience, timing, and persistence. When a church does not have a vision, it simply does not have a purpose. Too many churches started out with a passionate vision, but were short-sighted. They only saw what to do for their generation, and not for future generations. In Richard A Swenson’s book, Margin, he writes, Americans are notoriously shortsighted. We live in a state of myopic mania that blurs the future. The horizon is never visible in the middle of a dust storm. But we must have vision that extends beyond tomorrow. Living only from week to week is like a dot-to-dot life. It is good to have five-year plans, even ten-year plans. For many these plans will be vague, for other specific. Our goals should be flexible to the redirecting God so often asks of us. If there is a fire built in the people of God through encountering God, then they in turn will develop a passion Bill Lawrence, Effective Pastoring. (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1999), Richard A. Swenson, M.D., Margin. (Colorado Springs: NavPress Publishing Group, 1992), to know God. Knowing God brings about a greater passion to serve God, thus a passion is born or reborn in that person. For a pastor to move a church off of a plateau, he must have a vision from God. Since this writer has been in the ministry, he has discovered that “except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it, Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. (Psalm 127:1), Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby. It was noted that those gifted to teach were used to facilitate this course throughout our church.

Too many people tend to just do something and never really see where God is at work. In Blackaby’s book he writes, God has tried, at times, to get our attention by revealing where He is at work. We see it, but we do not immediately identify it as God’s work. We say to ourselves, Well, I don’t know if God wants me to get involved here or not. I had better pray about it. By the time we leave that situation and pray, the opportunity to join God may pass us by. A tender and sensitive heart will be ready to respond to God at the slightest prompting. God makes your heart tender and sensitive in the love relationship. If you are going to join God in His work, you need to know where he is working. From this statement it is remindful that God’s work is the vision of the church. Therefore, leaders need to see where God is at and what He is doing and join Him in His vision and not create their own. Blackaby’s is the philosophy that this writer has adopted in turning plateaued churches around. First, come to the church and see where God has been and what work God has been doing and then point the people in that direction and lead them into an encounter with God. Vision is God’s work. We are to join God in His effort, not create our own. When a church finds God’s heartbeat, God’s hand will be on that people and the natural results will be life. Life brings about change, prayer gives contact with God, and a vision is the result. The only way to break the bond of tradition and apathy and to create growth is to join God in His work with God’s vision. Leaders need to remember that it is God alone that can bring back the life into a body that has died. God. Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King, Experiencing (Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1994), God alone has the power to resurrect and restore a people that have drifted. What we leaders need to realize is that it is only through the power of change (repentance), prayer, and vision that the life of God is ushered into a people.

2.3.9. DEEPER LIFE BIBLE CHURCH: IT’S FOUNDATION.

As the name implies, deeper life bible church is indeed a bible church, that is built on the word of God. The foundation of a building begins with the man having the idea/vision. The foundation determines both the size and the strength of a building. You can never build larger than a foundation can handle. The same is true for the church. A church built on an inadequate or faulty foundation will never reach the height that God intends for it to reach, it will topple over once it outgrows its base. If you want to build a healthy, strong, and growing church, you must spend time laying on a solid foundation. (Rick Warren) the purpose-driven church.)

2.3.10. MARCH INTO MINISTRY

In the early 1970s, following his postgraduate program at the University of Lagos, kumuyi received a strong conviction that he would need to pursue the divine purpose for his life. According to him, he had gone to an open field, in the Lawn Tennis Court at the university of Lagos to pray. Suddenly, it just occurred to him that he should not go back to Mayflower school after his postgraduate work but that he should seek a teaching appointment at the College of Education, University of Lagos, kumuyi says the message was so clear and definite that he believed this was what God wanted him to do. (Copied from kumuyi the defender of the faith.) This singular, divinely inspired decision was the precursor to the establishment of the bible study group that was held at kumuyi apartment on the campus of the University of Lagos.

Kumuyi had for the first time in life surrendered his heart to Jesus Christ on April 5, 1964. He made Him the Lord and Saviour of his life from then on, he was possessed of an unusual quest and passion for God. The more he learned of God, the more he wanted to know Him intimately.  Without many people he could consciously turn for teaching and mentorship, he embarked on a seemingly insatiable hunger for God. He engaged in intense study of the scripture and cultivated a habit of ceaseless and fervent prayers.

He poured endlessly over Christian books written by such great authors as John Wesly, chiefly alongside Charls G. Finny, Charles Spurgeon and many others. He devoured their books, held tightly to their words and learned from their lives and ministry. Soon, his devotion and consecration to God becomes infectious. to all who had dealt with him. Copied from (kumuyi defender of the faith.) This is done by clarifying in the minds of everyone involved. Exactly why the church exists and what it is supposed to do. There is incredible power in having a clearly defined purpose. (Rick Warren: the purpose-driven church.)

2.3.11. BIBLE DOCTRINE

Kumuyi streamlined his message based on the 22 bible doctrine, he specifically prepared it to deal with the broad spectrum of the teaching of the bible. The bible doctrine is the pillar and principles of maintaining church growth in holiness without compromise. This section summarizes the 22 doctrines we believe and teach. This was possible by the help of the Holy Spirit and through intense study of the scriptures. Established by the Deeper Christian Life Ministry                                                              

God’s infallible WORD teaches and we believe:

1. The Holy Bible: The Holy Bible, consisting of 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament is the inspired Word of God. We take the Bible as the final authority in all matters concerning Christian conduct and work. II Timothy3:16,17; Proverbs30:5,6; Revelation22:18,19.

• The Godhead: The Godhead consists of three separate, distinct and recognizable personalities and qualities, perfectly united in one. The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are different Persons in the Godhead, not merely three names for one Person. Matthew 3:16,17; II Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19,20.

• The virgin birth of Jesus Christ:  The virgin birth of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God.

• The crucifixion, death, burial and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Romans 1:4; I Corinthians 15:3,4.

• The total depravity, sinfulness and guilt of all men: The total depravity, sinfulness and guilt of all men since the Fall, rendering them subject to God’s wrath and condemnation. Psalm 51:5; Job 14:4; Romans 3:23; 5:1217; Mark 7:21 23; Ephesians 2:1.

• That Repentance is a complete turning away from all sin and its deceitful pleasures, and that it is required of every sinner before he can truly and effectively believe in Jesus with saving faith. Proverbs28:13; Isaiah 55:7; Ezekiel 18:21-23; Mark 1:15; Luke 24:46,47; Acts 2:38; 3:19,21; II Corinthians 7:10; Heb. 6:13.

• The Restitution: The Restitution is making amends for wrongs done against our fellowmen, restoring stolen things to their rightful owners, paying debts, giving back where one has defrauded, making confessions to the offended and apologizing to those slandered, so as to have a conscience void of offence toward God and man. Gen. 20:1-8,14-18; Exodus 22:1-7; Leviticus6:1-17; Num. 5:68; II Samuel12:16; Proverbs6:31; Ezekiel 33:1416; Matthew 5:23,24; Luke 19: 8,9; Acts 23:15; 24:16; James 4:175:6.

• The Justification (or Regeneration): The Justification (or Regeneration) is the act of God’s grace whereby one receives forgiveness and remission of sins, and is counted righteous before God, through faith in the atoning blood of Jesus, standing before God as though he had never sinned. Psalm 32:1,2; Isaiah 1:18; Micah 7:29; John 3:38; Acts 13:38,39; Romans 3:2430; 4:616; 5:1,2; II Corinthians 5:1721; Galatians2:16; Ephesians2:8,9; Titus 3:5; I Peter 1:23.

• The Water Baptism: The Water Baptism is essential to our obedience after reconciliation with God. Water Baptism is one immersion (not three), “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” as Jesus commanded. Matthew 28:19; 3:13-17; Mark 16:15; Acts 2:38,39; 19:16; Romans 6:4,5.

1. The Lord’s Supper: The the Lord’s Supper was constituted by Jesus Christ so that all believers (all members of the family of God) might partake thereof regularly, to “shew the Lord’s death till He comes.” The emblems used are “unleavened bread” and the juice of the “fruit of the vine”. Anyone who eats and drinks unworthily brings “damnation”, punishment and chastisement upon himself. Matthew 26:2629; Luke 22:1720; I Corinthians 11:2330.

1. The Entire Sanctification: The Entire Sanctification is a definite act of God’s grace, subsequent to the New Birth, by which the believer’s heart is purified and made holy. It cannot be attained progressively by works, struggle or suppression, but it is obtained by faith in the sanctifying blood of Jesus Christ. Holiness of life and purity of heart are central to Christian living. Luke 1:74,75; John 17:1517; I Thessalonians 4:3,7,8; 5:2224; Ephesians 5:2527; Heb. 2:11; 10:10,14; 13:11; Titus 2:11-14; I John 1:7; Heb. 12:14; I Peter 1:14-16.

1. The Baptism in the Holy Ghost:  The Baptism in the Holy Ghost is the endowment with power from on high upon the sanctified believer. It is the “promise of the Father” and when one receives this “gift of the Holy Ghost”, it is accompanied by the initial evidence of speaking a language unlearned previously, referred to as speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:8; Luke 3:16; 24:49; John 1:20-33; 7:37-39; 14:16,17,26; 15:26; 16:12-15; Acts 1:5-8; Mark 16:17; Acts 2:1-18; 10:44-46; 19:1-6.

We do not teach or instruct people on how to speak in tongues: The Holy Spirit gives the utterance. We also stress the necessity of Purity before Power.

1. The Redemption: The Redemption from the curse of the law, Healing of sickness and disease as well as continued Health are provided for all people through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Exodus 15:26; Deut. 7:15; Psalm 103:1-5; Proverbs4:20-22; Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:16,17; I Peter 2:24; Mark 16:1518; Luke 13:16; John 15:1214; 10:10; Acts 10:38; James 5:14-16; I John 3:8; III John 2; Galatians3:13,14.

1. The Personal Evangelism: The Personal Evangelism is a God-given and God-ordained ministry for every believer. Jesus commanded, and God requires every believer to be a compassionate and faithful soul winner, bringing others to Christ. Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-49; John 17:18; Acts 1:8; 8:14; Psalm 126:5,6; Proverbs11:30; Daniel12:3; Ezekiel 13:1721.

1. The Marriage: The Marriage is binding for life. Monogamy is the uniform teaching of the Bible. Polygamy is contrary to the New Testament dispensation. No one has a right to divorce and remarry while the first companion lives. When a person becomes converted, the necessary restitution, on this line, must be done without delay, if he has married wrongly. Gen. 2:24; Deut. 7:14; Jos. 23:1113; II Corinthians 6:1418; Proverbs31:1031; Mal. 2:14,15; Romans 7:2,3; Ephesians 5:31-33; Matthew 5:31,32; 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12; Luke 16:18; John 4:15-19; Gen. 20:3,7.

1. The Rapture: The Rapture (commonly referred to as the first phase or stage of the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST) is the catching away from the earth of all living saints and all who died in the Lord. The Rapture will take place before the Great Tribulation, and it can happen any time from now. “In a twinkling of an eye,” without a moment’s warning, “the trumpet shall sound.” “…and the dead in Christ shall rise first. then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” John 14:1-3; Luke 21:34-36; I Corinthians 15:51-58; I Thessalonians 4:1318; 5:49; II Thessalonians 2:57; Philippians3:11,20,21; I John 3:13.

1. The Resurrection: The Resurrection of the dead is taught in the Bible as clearly as the immortality of the soul. Every individual who has ever lived will be resurrected, some to honor and glory, and others to everlasting shame and contempt. Job 19:25-27; Psalm 71:20; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel12:2; John 5:28,29; I Corinthians 15:12-57; I Thessalonians 4:13-16; Heb. 6:1,2; Philippians3:811; Revelation20:4,6,12,13.

1. The Great Tribulation: The Great Tribulation will occur after the rapture, and will be a time of terrible suffering on earth. It is also referred to as the time of Jacob’s trouble. Matthew 24:21,22,29; Revelation9:16; Mark 13:19; II Thessalonians 2:3-12; Revelation13. During this time, the Antichrist will take possession of this world for a reign of terror. He will not be a system or organization, but a person a supernatural, diabolical being, in the form of a man who will blaspheme and proclaim himself to be God. Daniel6:23-25; II Thessalonians 2:7-12; Revelation13:1-10.

1. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb: The Marriage Supper of the Lamb will take place above while the Tribulation continues on earth. Revelation19:1-10.

• The Second Coming of Christ: The Second Coming of Christ will just be as literal as His going, and He is coming to execute judgment upon the ungodly. He will also, then, set up His kingdom and reign on this present earth for a thousand years. Zech. 14:3,4; Matthew 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 13:24-37; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:8; Jude 14,15.

• The Christ’s Millennial Reign: The Christ’s Millennial Reign is the 1,000 years‟ literal reign of Jesus on earth, which will be ushered in by the coming of Jesus back to earth with ten thousand of His saints. At this time, He will judge the nations that dwell upon the face of the earth. Jude 14,15; II Thessalonians 1:7-10. During this time the devil will be bound. Revelation20:2,3.

• Hell fire.

You can affirm that kumuyi dug deeper and studied harder through the help of the holy spirit, and was able to build a strong doctrinal foundation that the deeper life bible church is running on today. Kumuyi is completely sentenced to the Davidic doctrine of laborious service, he reciprocates His great love by surrendering his service to Him knowing that he cannot fully pay God back for the mercy he has received from Him (kumuyi: the defender of the faith)

2.3.12. COMMUNICATING YOUR PURPOSES.

Proverbs 13:17 says that a wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health. In Nehemiah’s story of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, the people got discouraged and wanted to give up. Like many churches, they lost their sense of purpose and as a result, became overwhelmed with fatigue, frustration, and fear. Nehemiah rallied the people back to work by reorganizing the project and recasting the vision. He reminded them of the importance of their work and reassured them that God would help them fulfill his purpose (Neh 4:6-15). The wall took only fifty-two days to complete, the people became discouraged at the halfway point: Just twenty-six days into the project! Nehemiah had to renew their vision. From this story, we get the “Nehemiah principle”. Vision and purpose must be restated every twenty-six days to keep the church moving in the right direction. (Rick Warren: the purpose-driven church.) 

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

I used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work, the choice of this research was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study sought to examine the effectiveness of faith in the life of a Christian in DEEPER LIFE BIBLE CHURCH, LUGBE REGION FCT ABUJA NIGERIA.

3.1.2. Sources of data collection

Data were collected from two main sources namely:

Primary source.

Secondary source.

1. Primary source:

These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire, or as an experiment, the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.

1. Secondary sources

These are data from textbook journal handsets etc. they arise as byproduct of the same other purpose. For example, administration, various other unpublished works, and write ups will be also used.

3.1.3. POPULATION OF THE STUDY

The population of the study is a group of persons or aggregate items; things the researcher is interested in getting information on the study and investigation into the effectiveness of faith in the life of a Christian. 200 Christians across various churches were randomly selected by the researcher as the population of the study.

3.1.4. AREA OF THE STUDY

The area of the study is put in map location Lugbe, FCT Abuja.

3.1.5. SAMPLE AND SAMPLING PROCEDURE

The sample is the set of people or items which constitute part of a given population sampling. Due to large size of the target population, I used the Taro Yamani formula to arrive at the sample population of the study.

3.1.6. INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION

The major research instrument that was used was the questionnaires. This was appropriately moderated. The managers will be administered the questionnaires to complete, with or without disclosing their identities. The questionnaire was to obtain information extracted from the questionnaires in which the respondents were required to give specific answers to a question by ticking in front of an appropriate answer and administering the same to workers of the same company. The questionnaires will contain about 16 structured questions which will be divided into sections A and B

3.1.7. VALIDATION OF DATA ANALYSIS

The collected will not be an end in itself but will serve as a means to an end. The end being the use of the required data to understand the various situations it is with a view to making valuable recommendations and contributions. To this end, the data collected has to be analyzed for any meaningful interpretation to come out with some results. It is for this reasons that the following methods will be adopted in the research project for the analysis of the data that will be collected. For a comprehensive analyses of the data that would be collected emphases will be laid on the use of absolute numbers frequencies of responses and percentages. The answer to the research question was provided through the comparisons of the percentage of workers’ responses to each statement in the questionnaire related to any specified question that will be considered.

Frequency in this study refers to the arrangement of responses in order of magnitude or occurrence while percentage refers to the arrangements of the responses in order of their proportion.

The sampling percentage methods is believed to be straight forward easy to interpret and understand method. The researcher therefore chooses the simple percentage as the method to use.

principles to growing and guiding a plateaued and sanctified church from compromise and corruption. TURNING PLATEUAED AND DECLINING CHURCHES AROUND David M. Odom Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Mentor: Dr. Jack Deans The purpose of this project is to reveal that there is a danger of churches being lulled to sleep and becoming plateaued or in a declining state. The project also offers several reasons why churches stop growing and possible solutions to turn a non-growing church into a growing church.

CHAPTER FOUR

• DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Table .1. Here is structured data, based on the sample answers provided to the questionnaire.

Section	Question	Response
Demographic Information	Age	31-45
	Gender	Male
	Position in Church	Pastor
	Years of Membership	11-20 years
Core Principles of Holiness	Importance of holiness in guiding growth strategies	Very Important
	Principles of holiness emphasized (select all that apply)	Scriptural Obedience, Moral Purity, Spiritual Disciplines
Balancing Growth and Doctrine	Effectiveness of balancing numerical growth and doctrinal beliefs	Moderately Effective
	Challenges faced in maintaining this balance (select all that apply)	Pressure to increase membership, Cultural Influences
Risks and Mitigation	Greatest risks of compromising holiness for growth	Loss of spiritual integrity, Dilution of doctrinal beliefs
	Strategies implemented to mitigate these risks (select all that apply)	Regular doctrinal teachings, Accountability structures, Leadership training
Successful Models and Case Studies	Awareness of churches ministry that achieved growth without compromising holiness	Yes
	Church / Ministry mentioned	Living seed
	Practices that could be adapted	Discipleship training, Holiness in leadership roles
Communication and Implementation	Effectiveness of church leaders in communicating growth strategies	Effective
	Methods most commonly used by church leaders (select all that apply)	Sermons, Bible Studies, Leadership Meetings
	Confidence in leadership to implement growth strategies that uphold holiness	Very Confident
Additional Comments	Suggestions on maintaining growth in holiness	More community outreach while staying true to beliefs, Modern leadership training required

4.1.1. Analysis and Discussion of Findings

The structured data provided offers insight into the perspectives of a church pastor regarding the importance of balancing church growth with the core principles of holiness. Several key themes are identified and discussed based on the responses.

4.1.2. Demographic Information

Age: The respondent falls into the 31-45 age bracket, indicating someone likely in a mid-career phase with both leadership experience and potential for continued long-term influence.

Gender: Male

Position in Church: Pastor, suggesting the respondent has a leadership role with direct influence on doctrinal teachings, church strategy, and evangelical outreach.

Years of Membership: 11-20 years, indicating a deep familiarity with the church’s history, values, and growth patterns.

Implication: The respondent is likely a seasoned leader with substantial insight into church operations and theological frameworks. His views may reflect a combination of traditional values and modern leadership perspectives.

4.1.3. Core Principles of Holiness

Importance of holiness in guiding growth strategies: indicated as “Very Important,” which reflects a strong commitment to maintaining biblical principles and Godly standards in the face of growth.

Principles of holiness emphasized:

• Scriptural Obedience
• Moral Purity
• Spiritual Disciplines

Discussion: The emphasis on these principles indicates a scriptural approach to holiness, focusing on adherence to biblical principle, and consistent spiritual practices. This suggests that the respondent values a framework where spiritual depth is not compromised by pragmatic growth strategies.

4.1.4. Balancing Growth and Doctrine

Effectiveness of balancing numerical growth and doctrinal beliefs: indicated as “Moderately Effective.”

Challenges faced: Pressure to increase membership

Cultural influences

Analysis: The pastor acknowledges challenges in maintaining doctrinal purity while pursuing numerical growth. Pressures to expand the congregation often come with the risk of relaxing doctrinal standards. Cultural influences may also introduce competing values that could dilute the church’s theological stance.

Implication: The church likely experiences tension between traditional teachings and the external pressures of a changing society, where numerical growth might sometimes conflict with doctrinal rigidity.

4.1.5. Risks and Mitigation

Greatest risks of compromising holiness for growth:

• Compromise
• Dilution of doctrinal beliefs

Strategies implemented to mitigate these risks:

• Regular doctrinal teachings
• Accountability structures
• Leadership training

Discussion: The pastor identifies a clear awareness of the risks associated with growth at the expense of holiness. The mitigation strategies reflect a proactive approach, where consistent doctrinal reinforcement, leadership oversight, and training are key to preventing erosion of core values.

Effectiveness of Mitigation: The focus on doctrinal teachings and accountability is a solid approach to safeguarding biblical principles, although balancing this with flexibility for growth may still present challenges, as indicated by the previous response of only “Moderate” effectiveness.

4.1.6. Successful Models and Case Studies

Awareness of churches / ministry that achieved growth without compromising holiness: Yes

Church mentioned: Living seed

Practices that could be adapted:

• Discipleship training
• Holiness in leadership roles

Discussion: The respondent cites the Living seed as a successful example, implying an international awareness of best practices. The church’s emphasis on discipleship training and maintaining holiness in leadership reflects a model that integrates growth with spiritual depth.

Implication: The respondent recognizes the importance of training and leadership integrity in fostering a culture of holiness, which could be implemented in their church context to achieve similar outcomes.

4.1.7. Communication and Implementation

Effectiveness of church leaders in communicating growth strategies: indicated as “Effective.”

Methods most commonly used by church leaders:

• Sermons
• Bible Studies
• Leadership Meetings

Confidence in leadership to implement growth strategies that uphold holiness: indicated as “Very Confident.”

Analysis: Communication within the church seems to be functioning well, with a reliance on Direct methods such as sermons, Bible studies, and leadership meetings/workers meetings. The high confidence in leadership to maintain holiness alongside growth indicates trust in the church’s current leadership and strategic direction.

Implication: Strong communication channels and leadership confidence suggest the church is well-positioned to navigate the challenges of growth, though continuous effort will be needed to balance biblical principles with expansion.

4.1.9. Additional Comments

Suggestions on maintaining growth in holiness:

• More community outreach while staying true to beliefs
• Modern leadership training required

Discussion: The pastor advocates for greater community outreach, which could help with numerical growth while reinforcing the church’s role in society. However, the insistence on “staying true to beliefs” shows that this outreach must align with doctrinal purity. The mention of modern leadership training reflects an awareness that leadership approaches may need to evolve in order to navigate contemporary challenges.

Implication: The respondent is forward-looking, recognizing the need for modern tools and approaches, but remains rooted in a strong desire to uphold holiness. This balance will likely be key to the church’s future success.

FIG 2. A bar chart that visualizes the effectiveness of various aspects of church growth and holiness.

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendation

5.1.1. Summary

The data collected from a church pastor in Deeper Life Bible Church. Lugbe Region reflects a strong commitment to balancing church growth with the core principles of holiness. The pastor is in the 31-45 age range, has served for 11-20 years, and places a high value on holiness in guiding growth strategies. Key principles emphasized include Scriptural Obedience, Biblical/Doctrinal principles, and Spiritual Disciplines. However, the pastor notes moderate effectiveness in balancing numerical growth and doctrinal beliefs, citing challenges such as pressure to increase membership and cultural influences.

The pastor highlights the risks of losing biblical principles and diluting doctrinal beliefs in the pursuit of growth. To mitigate these risks, the church implements strategies like regular doctrinal teachings, accountability structures, and leadership training. Living seed ministry cited as a successful model, with a focus on discipleship training and maintaining holiness in leadership roles.

Communication within the church is deemed effective, with sermons, Bible studies, and leadership meetings as the primary methods. The pastor is very confident in the leadership’s ability to implement growth strategies while upholding holiness. Additionally, there are calls for more community outreach, coupled with modern leadership training to adapt to contemporary challenges.

5.1.2. Conclusion

The analysis highlights a deep commitment within the church in Deeper Life Bible Church. Lugbe Region to safeguard its core doctrinal and holiness standards even as it seeks numerical growth. While there are challenges in balancing external pressures with faithfulness to Gods word, the church’s proactive approach through regular doctrinal reinforcement, strong leadership structures, and an emphasis on holiness positions it to navigate these challenges effectively.

There is a recognition that while traditional methods of communication and growth have served the church well, evolving cultural dynamics and growth pressures require innovative solutions, particularly in leadership and outreach. The church’s awareness of successful external models like the Church of Pentecost shows an openness to learning and adapting from other contexts.

5.1.3. Recommendations

Expand Community Outreach Efforts:

Increase engagement with the broader community through targeted outreach programs that align with the church’s core beliefs. This will help increase growth without compromising biblical principles.

Continue Doctrinal Education and Reinforcement:

Regular doctrinal teachings should remain a priority to ensure that members are well-grounded in church beliefs. This can counteract cultural influences and prevent the dilution of biblical principles.

Invest in Modern Leadership Training:

Implement leadership development programs that combine traditional values with modern management and communication techniques. This can help leaders navigate contemporary challenges while upholding holiness.

Address Growth Challenges Through Strategic Planning:

The moderate effectiveness in balancing growth and doctrine suggests a need for more strategic planning. Creating a formal growth strategy that integrates both numerical expansion and doctrinal reinforcement could enhance overall effectiveness.

Adopt Best Practices from Successful Models:            

Adapt practices from successful churches, such as discipleship training and leadership standards, from models like the Living Seed, to ensure that growth is sustainable and aligned with holiness.

Strengthen Accountability Structures:

Expand and strengthen accountability mechanisms to ensure that the leadership and congregation remain aligned with the church’s holiness principles during times of growth.

By following these recommendations, the church can continue to grow while maintaining its commitment to spiritual integrity and doctrinal purity.