John MacArthur preached a powerful opening message on church growth at last week’s Shepherd’s Conference. Below is an excerpt:

The question for us is this: as the Lord builds his church, by what means does he do it? And secondly, has He revealed the means to us? If we undershepherds of Jesus Christ are to be the human instruments to build His church, we need to understand how He does it. We need to get in line with the divine pattern. There are many ways to build the “first church of the tares,” behind which Satan is the real power. It can be done very effectively; it can be big and enduring. The gnostics did it, and it’s still around. The Roman Catholics have done it, the liberals, the cults. They’re all still around.

The church of the tares is actually bigger than the church of the wheat. Even those who call themselves evangelicals today are busy doing it. There are a number of places called “churches,” where tares gather in increasing numbers. The successful assemblies of tares will eagerly market their skills as “tare development.” It can be very seductive to those motivated by pride, numbers, popularity.

If you want to compete with other “tare pastors,” there is ample information, seminars, data on the internet, to work on building your church of the tares with a smattering of wheat. However, if you serve Christ and recognize him as the head and builder of the church, then all you want to know is, “How can I be useful to him in the building of his church?”

May we stay faithful to God’s ordained means of growing His church – through prayer, perseverance, purity, and gospel proclamation.

Thanks to Evers Ding for providing the liveblog for last week’s conference. Seminar notes should be posted in the next few weeks, and all general sessions and seminars are available for purchase here.

Have you ever wondered why some churches emphasize membership? Here are nine reasons I believe church membership is important:

• The early church kept track of its members (Ac. 2:41; 5:14)
• Church leaders need to know who the members are (Acts 20:28, 31; John 10:14)
• Members need to know who their fellow members are (Rom. 12:4-8; Heb. 10:24-25)
• The community needs to know who the members are (Ac. 5:13)
• It protects the concept of a regenerate church membership (2 Cor. 6:14)
  
• It provides clear boundaries and consistent requirements for all members
• It makes church discipline possible (Mt. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 5:12-13)
• It has historical precedent. By the beginning of the second century, churches required new believers to become “catechumens” before they could be baptized and become full members. During this time, they were taught doctrine and Christian living. This period lasted up to three years!
• It just makes good sense (compare any business, hobby club, or any other organization which keeps track of its members).

As Mark Dever explains, “A recovered practice of careful church membership will have many benefits. It will make our witness to non-Christians more clear. It will make it more difficult for weaker sheep to go straying from the fold, while still considering themselves sheep. It will help to give shape and focus to the discipleship of more mature Christians. It will aid our church leaders in knowing exactly who they are responsible for. In all of this, God will be glorified” (Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, 38)