Stop Growing the Church

The church was and is being built by the Lord Jesus Christ and the gates of Hell will not overpower it. Yet, it can remain in-effective as long as we use worldy gimmicks and models to try and prop up God's work.

The Lord has called every church to be a sold-out and surrendered church for His use. If we add anything other than that, we prostitute the church for the world's pleasure. When pastors preach sermons based on media hype or based on some wild e-mail forward making its rounds we deny the people of God true pure milk of the Word of God. When we apply worldly models of bigger and better, more shiny, new model, faster, happier, prettier, better results, all we do is deny God His place in His church. This is why many churches are sick.

Pastor, stop trying to grow the church. Preach the Word, disciple believers, discipline the wayward, make prayer a vital part of all that your church does. Go back to Acts and count up the number of verses that reveal that "God was adding to their number daily those who are being saved." The early church had no slick campaigns, no million dollar facilities, no sermonettes. They had one another and the apostles teaching. Pastors, ministers, leaders, if you are not drawing upon God and His Word to feed the sheep, protect the sheep, and nurture the sheep, then you have no business this Sunday trying to fake your way through the service or teaching hour. If you aren't prepared to be an honorable vessel for the Master's use, then step away. You are called to shepherd the Lord's flock until He returns. Be a faithful steward, not a slick salesman trying to sale your Jesus product to one more potential customer.

Church members, go to church to meet with God. Pray all week long that you will anticipate and expect to hear from God at worship. Pray for the leadership--musicians, Pastor, and other ministers that they will have had adequate prayer and preparation time so that they can HELP you come into the throne room and worship your God. If your Pastor does not teach the Word, go where it is. If the musicians sing for their glory and not for God's, go somewhere else. But, go to be fed, nourished, challenged, and encouraged. Do not go to see how the staff beefs up Jesus to make Him more interesting or culturally relevant.

The church is the body of Jesus. Do not pollute it with the world's standards or idealogies. Don't make Him come in there with a whip and overturn tables. His house is a house of prayer, a place of communicating with your Savior and God, Jesus Christ.