PUTTING AN END TO WORSHIP WARS - Elmer Towns

outwardly committed to the process of soul-winning, evangelism does take place in each of the
other expressions of worship.
In the process of bringing believers to maturity, each worship expression makes its
contribution. Obviously, the Bible Expositional Church is committed to the process of building
up believers by teaching the Word of God to them. They teach the Word of God in obedience to
the command, "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ" (II Peter
3:18 NIV). But the Renewal Church is also committed to maturity when it seeks to stir each
believer to a daily renewed commitment to Jesus Christ. The Body Life Church is committed to
the growth of believers through fellowship, support, and encouragement of one with another.
"The whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament (of the believers) grows
and builds itself up" (Ephesians 4:18 NIV). The Liturgical Church brings believers to maturity as
each one worships God, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord" (Psalm 150:6 NIV).
And as believers lift up the Lord in their life, they grow thereby becoming a better disciple of
Jesus Christ. The Congregational Church focuses on the involvement of every believer, "Just as
you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continued to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him,
strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness" (Colossians
2:6,7 NIV). Whereas certain of the worship expressions may focus more on maturity, no one can
say that the Evangelistic Church does not cause every believer to grow in Jesus Christ as each
pray for the lost, share their faith, sing the gospel songs to attract the lost, and then grow as each
become totally involved in a church that reaches out to the unsaved.
The church has its existence apart from believers, but is made up of many believers, each
of them different. "The body is a unit, and though it is made up of many parts; and though all its
parts are many, they form one body" (I Corinthians 12:12 NIV). Just as each Christian has his
unique spiritual gift, calling, and cultural background; so each local church is an expression of
the total gifts in that body. "God has arranged the parts of the body, everyone of them just as He
wanted them to be" (I Corinthians 12:18 NIV).
Just as God has given some people the gift of evangelism, others are teachers, some have
the gift of serving, while others have the gift of mercy showing. Just as Christians are different,
so churches are different; each carrying out the unique calling that God has given them. From
the reading of the Epistles written to churches (Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi), we see that each
church had unique strengths, weaknesses, and passions; however within the Great Commission,
the churches had a unity of passion, purpose and fellowship.
If God has made Christians different, as well as making churches different; who can say
that an Evangelistic Church is better than a worshipping Liturgical Church? Who can say that a
Bible Expositional Church is better than one than the Congregational Church?
III. CHURCH GROWTH AS A DISCIPLINE
The growth in understanding and acceptance of the various expressions of worship has
paralleled the growth of Church Growth as a discipline. Both of these have emerged into public
view since World War II. I do not think there is a cause-effect relationship between the two, i.e.
one gives birth to the other. It's just that our changing culture has forced the church to apply its