Myth, 44

~ Church Growth Comes From An Anointed Leader ~

Introduction  ~  This is a somewhat more complicated issue than some of the myths we have looked at. 

Issue One  ~  The word “anointed” can have various meanings in different groups.  For example, how closely related is “anointed” to “called by God”?

Issue Two  ~  What do we mean by “Church Growth”?  This also can have multiple meanings.  Often this term means numerical numbers in attendance at a local church (small “c”).  Others including myself think of Church (upper case “C” as in the Church universal) growth as a spiritual issue. 

Issue Three  ~  Regardless of our definition of the word anointed we must recognize that all true spiritual growth comes from the Holy Spirit of God working in individual lives.  Unredeemed man is spiritually blind and cannot see the truth unless the Spirit opens his or her eyes.  Spiritual blindness is just as real as physical blindness!

The Reality  ~  Christian leaders are ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  They are conduits.  They are vessels.  They are messengers.  They may be pastors, teachers, evangelists, or laymen.  At times God chooses to use certain individuals to be mighty preachers: Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Billy Sunday, Billy Graham, etc.  God has used others as great missionaries: Hudson Taylor, Jim Elliot, Mother Teresa, etc.  But it is always God who brings others into His Church.  Side Note: fully understanding this will cause questioning of my use of the words “mighty” and “great” in this paragraph!  Perhaps in God’s view an unknown faithful Sunday School teacher is pleasing God more than the more visible members of His body. 

Key Scripture  ~  “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.  So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.  Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:5-8).

The Bottom Line  ~  The Christian is responsible before God for faithfulness in what God has given him/her to do where God has placed them.  They are not responsible for the results—that is God’s sovereign role!  Our problem is that our pride (a root of all sin) wants to feel that “I” accomplished something good. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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