Spiritual Obstacles to Church Growth

Excerpted from Balanced Church Growth by Dr. Ebbie Smith                                                                                                  Vol. X, No. 5, May 1997

I) Defeatism

One spiritual obstacle to church growth, defeatism, involves the lack of belief or faith that growth can or will take place. Defeatism often develops in regions where mission work faces long-term resistance to the gospel. Little growth easily becomes the norm, expectation decreases, and results tend to conform to these lowered expectations.

The Christian movement, however, must avoid the defeatism that accepts little growth as the norm and remains satisfied with little growth when the harvest remains ungathered. Overcoming defeatism demands a renewed belief that God desires growth and the Holy Spirit provides power for harvest. Discouragement stems from considering the waves; victory comes through contemplating the Christ who can still the storm. Accepting God's assurance of power helps dispel defeatism (Mat. 28:18). New vision can often cure defeatism.

Defeatism can be overcome by commitment to growth. Growth in numbers saved and churches planted remains the first priority.

II) Materialism

A devastating spiritual obstacle to balanced church growth, materialism, refers simply to any self-centered, self-serving, self-seeking tendency in churches, denominations, or church leaders. Materialism has become the problem when churches or denominations are more concerned with advancing their own group than with the progress of God's kingdom. Materialism obstructs church growth anytime God’s churches and God's people become self-centered and seek personal or corporate advance at the expense of servant activity. The only cure for materialism is repentance. Repentance carries the idea of leaving the old, self-seeking pattern and turning to the new, servant pattern.

III) Nominalism (a.k.a... "a rut")

Nominalism, the listless attitude of routine faith and church life, obstructs church growth. Nominalism not only results in limited efforts toward outreach but also the lukewarm church attracts few people. The causes and results of nominalism are obvious in the accounts of the churches at Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7) and Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22). Nominalism had invaded the Ephesian church because it had left its first love (Rev. 2:4). This church had demonstrated internal stability and growth. It remained nominal because it had left the first love of commitment to evangelism.

How was the nominalism (whatever its source) to be overcome. The apostle John simply instructed the church to remember, repent, and return (Rev. 2:5). Churches today that have allowed nominalism to obstruct growth must remember the days of growth and commitment, repent of the failures, turn away from the unproductive, and return to the first love which I believe is evangelism and church planting.

Nominalism remains an enemy of balanced church growth. Churches and denominations easily fall victims to nominalism, growth declines, leading to still further nominalism. Christians stop growing spiritually, soul-winning is neglected, nominalism increases, spiritual progress further declines. Nominalism is overcome by continued commitment to spiritual growth and evangelistic outreach. Neglecting either growth or outreach leads to trouble. Keeping both in balance defeats nominalism and allows growth to continue.

[This article reprinted from The Mustard Seed, newsletter of the Blue Ridge Conservative Fellowship.]