Myth, 47

~ Additional Programs Will Bring Church Growth ~

The Myth  ~  The more varied and numerous programs our church offers the greater our church growth will be. 

Reality  ~  A sage has remarked “programs are great servants but lousy masters.”  One of the inherent dangers is that often more programs add more workload to servants in the church but have little lasting spiritual impact.  Often we find that there is a huge difference between activity and desired results.  In business smart leaders know the difference between efficiency and effectiveness (your organization can be very efficient in doing the wrong thing).  If not well thought out additional programs can accomplish nothing other than burn-out of good Christian servants.  Sometimes they can produce damaging results—opposite of their intention.

Solution   ~  “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”  Additional programs can be beneficial.  An absolute key before adding programs is to be in earnest prayer about the potential plans.  Remember all spiritual growth always comes from the working of the Holy Spirit. 

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

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

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

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Myth, 41

~ If You Build It, They Will Come ~

Myth  ~  If you have a larger more impressive building your church will grow.

Reality  ~  Sometimes yes!  Sometimes no!  God has never promised results based upon external factors.  In fact, the early Church had no buildings, yet it grew very rapidly.  Church growth is dependent upon many factors, but by far the most important is the Holy Spirit working in the lives of individuals.  The most important thing that local church leaders can do to increase growth is to spend time on their knees before God. 

Comment  ~  In our “civilized” societies we often measure church growth based on numbers—primarily attendance numbers.  But God measures growth based upon the spiritual reality of the inner man.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him.  For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .