Myth, 21

~ Lack Of Church Growth Is The Pastor’s Fault ~

Background  ~  Some Christians blame others for their problems, including lack of personal spiritual maturity or lack of numerical spiritual growth—and the easiest individuals to blame are their spiritual leaders.

First Reality  ~  Christians, including Christian leaders are responsible before God for their actions—not the result of those actions (God is the One who determines results). 

“But why do you judge your brother?  Or why do you show contempt for your brother?  For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’  So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:10-12).

Second Reality  ~  Numerical growth does not equate directly with pleasing God (in some cases it might).  Noah was ridiculed by his contemporaries as he built an ark as a means of salvation from the coming flood.  He had no converts during that period of building the ark. 

Third Reality  ~  The Church is compared in Scripture to a human body—with each part functioning as the Creator intended.  The Pastor may well be functioning in the center of God’s will but other members of that local body are not fulfilling their God-assigned tasks.  “For in fact the body is not one member but many.  If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body?  And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body?  If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing?  If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?  But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.  And if they were all one member, where would the body be?  But now indeed there are many members, yet one body” (1 Corinthians 12:14-20).

Conclusion  ~  Is lack of growth a problem with the Pastor?  Possibly, but probably not!  God holds each us accountable for faithfulness and obedience.  Results are His responsibility—not the Pastor’s, or yours.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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