As long as quick numerical growth remains the primary indicator of church health, the truth will be compromised. Instead, churches must once again begin measuring success not in terms of numbers but in terms of fidelity to the Scriptures.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes that true success in a church should be measured by adherence to Scripture rather than an increase in numbers.
Mark Dever argues that the prevailing focus on numerical growth within churches can lead to compromising the fundamental truths of the faith. He suggests that instead of measuring church success by the number of attendees or conversions, churches should evaluate their health based on how faithfully they adhere to the teachings of Scripture, thus prioritizing spiritual integrity over mere statistics.
In practice
During a sermon discussing church values, a pastor might quote this to emphasize the importance of spiritual integrity.
A healthy church is not a church that's perfect and without sin. It has not figured everything out. Rather, it's a church that continually strives to take God's side in the battle against the ungodly desires and deceits of the world, our flesh, and the devil. It's a church that continually seeks to conform itself to God's Word.
We do not fail in our evangelism if we faithfully tell the gospel to someone who is not subsequently converted; we fail only if we do not faithfully tell the gospel at all.
I am not unaware of the saying that more tears have been shed over wishes granted than wishes denied.
The recognition of the law of the cause and effect, also known as karma, is a fundamental key to understand how you've created your world, with actions of your body, speech and mind. When you truly understand karma, then you realize you are responsible for everything in your life. It is incredibly empowering to know that your future is in your hands.
RUMOR, n. A favorite weapon of the assassins of character.
It is impossible for someone to lie unless he thinks he knows the truth. Producing bullshit requires no such conviction.
When I was writing The Satanic Verses, if you had asked me about the phenomenon that we all now know as radical Islam, I wouldn't have had much to say. As recently as the mid-1980s, it didn't seem to be a big deal.
As liberty of thought is absolute, so is liberty of speech, which is 'inseparable' from the liberty of thought. Liberty of speech, moreover, is essential not only for its own sake but for the sake of truth, which requires absolute liberty for the utterance of unpopular and even demonstrably false opinions.
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