Myth, 26

~ Good Preaching Equals A Growing Church ~

False  ~  “Preach the word!  Be ready in season and out of season.  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:2-4).  In other words great preaching does not always result in numerical growth. 

Kernel of Truth  ~  Good Biblical teaching will usually produce meaningful spiritual growth in some.  We must remember that as Christ’s ambassadors and servants on earth we are never guaranteed results—that responsibility is with God.  We are held to account for faithfulness to our calling. 

Reality  ~  If you are a good Biblical preacher the heavy odds are that some will turn away.  Even Jesus saw crowds leave Him and His teaching. 

Personal Comment  ~  I believe that a problem with many local Christian churches today is a focus on numbers.  Some go far as to attempt to draw people by an almost nightclub atmosphere with loud contemporary music, repetitive singing, colored lights, and other attempts to be like the world system in order to gain (or keep) numbers. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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