Why Church plant? Why not just jump right into the social injustices that have been overtaking the world since the very beginning of its existence? Poverty, caste systems, human trafficking and diseases…why not try to “solve” or “fix” those problems first? What is the real issue??
The Root of the Issue
What is the longterm, self-sustainable, and most importantly the only way to remedy depravity? A life centered and dependent on Jesus is the only way kill sin. Sin is simply when we choose our way of living over God’s way. God desires our longing and affection for him to increase. We do that by seeking Him, delighting in Him, training ourselves in righteousness and to renounce ungodliness, speaking of Jesus organically in the everyday spaces and places of life, and living incarnationly, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The root of the sin is unbelief. The root of the problem is the lack of the presence of Jesus. Jesus changes hearts. Jesus makes people new. Jesus changes the affections of our hearts—what we long for and desire most. The real issue is a lack and absence of evangelism and discipleship. There are many who never heard of Jesus and there is also a great number of people, both churched and unchurched, who don’t want to follow Jesus.
Biblical Definition of Church Planting
In his book, Discovering Church Planting, J.D. Payne writes “There is no command in the Bible to go into all the world and plant churches. The church is never told to plant churches until the end of the age or search out all people groups and plant churches among them.” He is correct. Even though there isn’t a command to plant churches, Jesus did command us to make disciples.
Biblical church planting is evangelism that results in new churches. It begins with evangelism and disciple making and ends in believers gathering today as the Church and obeying all that God has commanded them to do. The expectation is that new communities of believers will become reproducing, leader raising churches that go into the harvest.
So…Why Plant Churches?
To be true to the Great Commission
As Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave all of His followers a mandate, The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). This command does not end with making disciples, but to baptize and to teach all that Jesus commanded. In the book of Acts (2:41-47), we see groups of believers who aren’t going out rogue. They have accountability, leadership and boundaries. Planting new churches is the most effective evangelistic methodology because worshippers who are being evangelized and discipled in ongoing worship are becoming more like Christ increasingly in their pursuit of His holiness and in obedience to His Great Commission.
To reach the unchurched
Jesus commanded us to be His witnesses to our hometown and to our world (Acts 1:8). God desires worshippers. He wants men, women and children from every tribe, nation and tongue, from generation to generation to worship Him and His name (2 Peter 3:9, Revelation 7:9). Jesus’ church does not grow nor does it please Him by members going from church to church displeased and disgruntled hoping for more fulfillment in the next church they attend. Jesus is our pleasure. He is our fulfillment. Jesus’ church is meant to grow by people coming to faith, by hearts of stone changing to hearts of flesh that have new affections for the things of God as they tell everyone the unique and powerful stories of what God has done in their lives. How will they call on the name of Jesus if they don’t believe in Him? How will they believe in Him if they haven’t heard of Him? (Romans 10:14-16). Planting new churches by evangelism reaches out to the unchurched while growing the harvest.
To proclaim the Kingdom has come
Jesus proclaimed that the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1:14). Yes, followers of Jesus do have a future hope in Jesus. Our sins are forgiven, our debt is paid and we will spend eternity worshipping God. However, we also have a current, daily, “right now” hope in Jesus. We can know and experience the hope we have in Christ today because of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. This isn’t talking about our best life now, and its much deeper than a moral renewal. Its a spiritual awakening where today we can live totally dependent on God, trusting Him at His Word regardless of what happens because we can rest in Jesus. Planting new churches and proclaiming, “the Kingdom has come” provides a sustainable hope that Jesus is on the throne today despite what is happening in my life.
To bring fame to His glorious name
No matter we look, the Old or New Testament, we see over and over again God’s desire for the supremacy and fame of His name to cover the entire earth (Habakuk 2:14). The ultimate foundation for our passion to see God glorified comes from His own passion to be glorified. “The Biblical vision of man without grace is that he suppresses God’s truth and by this nature finds more joy in his own glory than he does God’s glory” (John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad). God exists to be worshiped, and man worships the work of his own hand. This two-fold reality creates the critical need for evangelism and disciple making. Within the crisis is the solution. Planting new churches displays the fame of Jesus’ glorious name by people coming to faith, bowing both knees to King Jesus, and living out His intended ways so the world can see the glory of God.
