Holy Wars

“But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (II Tim 3:13 MKJV)

Many growth advocates will deny the biblical admonishments regarding growth to tell you that what was good enough for the Early Church isn’t adequate for us today. They will claim that we live in a very advanced society and that’s why we need to rely on new-sophisticated methodologies. We need to keep up with the times. That is why you must listen to their call if you want to survive in this new age.

Though Church Growth proponents promote speculative theories and projections, they ignore the simple biblical facts. In promoting everything new they fail to acknowledge the veracity of Scripture that assures us that there is nothing new under the sun. (Ecc 1:9) And many of those who depend on your money continue to propagate their dogma rather than the Scriptures that would put them out of business. And with each year that passes more churches take the bait of instant success.

In spite of the call to become “contemporary” in order to meet “contemporary” needs, in some of the most important ways “contemporary” American culture is very similar to the ancient Roman society that the first Christians ministered in. Indeed we live in a modern Roman society. [1]

And you know what they say about those who live in Rome: “Do as the Romans do.”

And when you do, remember that those Christians who lived in Rome saw the church grow daily, not through manipulative strategies and marketing techniques. They witnessed the church grow because they ministered to God and one another. Music, therefore, should be utilized for ministry rather than marketing.

[1] Ancient Rome where the Early Church witnessed church growth in an unprecedented fashion was one of the most sophisticated societies that has ever been raised up on the face of the earth. In many ways their arts and philosophies were perhaps more developed and prestigious than what we have around us today. The city of Rome itself was an architectural wonder that has yet to be matched by any society. Greco-Roman theater arts excelled. Their visual arts still stand out as a marvel to the modern world. Romans were surrounded by musical culture. As America is, Rome was a free republic. Their system of law and government was very similar to ours mainly because we have derived so much of ours from them. They practiced freedom of religion in the same manner that the United States views it today so that all were free to worship as they desired. That is with the exception of Christians, which sounds very familiar. Their society was originally founded on a strong family structure and they were a very religious people. Like Americans, Romans were a proud and independent people who were as delighted with their empire and heritage as we are of ours. They were a violent society as we are today and their passion for sports was no less aggressive than ours is. And like us, sports were one of their primary sources of entertainment. Romans were very practical and inventive people and would conquer through their ingenuity as we do today. Their system of commerce was very advanced with roads throughout the empire to carry the Gospel as our advancements do today. As in America today, Rome stood as the undisputed military force of the ancient world with the express purpose of bringing peace to the world. They were a cosmopolitan society that encompassed many nationalities under one roof. The fabric of the empire created an environment that facilitated communication between people of all backgrounds. The empire was a very safe place to dwell as America is today, which brought people together with great freedom to openly express views.

America is not unlike Ancient Rome. With that in mind, the Church today ought to pay close attention to how the Early Church won so much of the ancient Roman World to Christ during the greatest evangelical explosion in world history.

Praise and Worship and Today's Church

As the Romans Do

Tags: Church Growth, Church Growth Movement, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, Early Church, Ancient Rome

As the Romans Do

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Praise and Worship Songs to bless God. . .