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MINISTRY #9 YOUTH MINISTER...2B OR NOT 2B |
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MINISTRY #8 WHAT ABOUT NUMBERS |
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THE CHURCH ON HIGHER GROUND |
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HOMEPAGE |
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SERMON NETS HOMEPAGE |
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SERMON NETS MENU |
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SERMON NETS ON MINISTRY |
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MINISTRY #1 |
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MINISTRY #2 MINISTRY OR INDUSTRY? |
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MINISTRY #3 personal and corporate |
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MINISTRY #4 personal and corporate |
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MINISTRY #5 personal and corporate |
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MINISTRY #6 personal and corporarte |
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MINISTRY #7 WEB MINISTRY |
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MINISTRY #8 WHAT ABOUT NUMBERS
Feb.21 2003
This is not to be an excuse for small numbers but an explanation for them. It is true that too often people go through the motions of serving God but their lack of God's calling, leading and anointing results in failure. However, numbers are not the criteria by which we determine the validity of an individual or a ministry.
To judge by numbers is to judge in the flesh. Large numbers can be the result of the flesh just as small numbers can be the result of the flesh. There are millions of cultists in the world and there are billions who follow false religions. There will be some who stand before God and claim that they did His work based on numbers and He will say,
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"Depart from me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you."
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We are not responsible for other's responses, we are only responsible for our faithfulness.
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"Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (1Corinthians 4:2).
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HOW BIG IS YOUR MINISTRY?
Let's settle something from the beginning. Numbers are neither inherently good nor bad. If there is one thing that a statistitian knows, it is that you can make the numbers say anything you want them to say. So, it may be legitimate to ask how big a ministry is or how many people attend, or how many members an organization has. But it may be from pride or condemnation that the question is asked. And it can be from ignorance that we evaluate a ministry by its numbers.
GOD WANTS NUMBERS
It can be argued that numbers represent people. While this is true, it does not necessarily follow that numbers of people represent success in ministry. Nor does it mean that lack of numbers means failure. Remember, the Bible says that we sow and we water and we harvest, but it is God who gives the increase. God Himself is interested in large numbers of people;
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"For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
(Jn.3:16)
And He is, "...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
(2 Pe.3:9)
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In these verses God loves the whole WORLD, and WHOESOEVER believes on Him shall live. He is not willing that ANY should perish but that ALL should repent. God's love and provision of salvation is ALL INCLUSIVE, God cares about numbers of people.
GOD DOES NOT EXPECT NUMBERS
However, in the scheme of things, numbers do not prove the validity of the work or effort expended. Jesus told us that
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"many are called and few are chosen" (Mt.22:14).
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Jesus pointed out that,
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"broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:" He also said, "narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Mt.7:13-14)
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Jesus loved and ministered to the masses but He only drew the few.
120 YEARS OF FAILURE?
The goal is to reach as many as we can, but small numbers do not always mean failure on the part of the minister or ministry. The history of God's dealing with wicked men is full of small numbers.
The number of those who followed God fully diminished at one point to only one man. It could be that his wife and children were also faithful followers of God, but we are only told that Noah was righteous. In the whole world there was only one man who had the testimony that he was righteous. He became a preacher of holiness for 120 years and there is no record that he had any converts in that entire time. Yes, his wife and three sons and their three wives were saved from the judgment of God, but that may have been because of Noah's relationship with God more than their own. All we know is that Noah was a righteous man and he found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
His lack of numbers was not due to God's indifference or his own slackness, it was due to the great wickedness of the society around him. The entire history of God reaching for man is reflected in small numbers. Yes there have been exceptions to the norm, but those exceptions are not to be held up as the norm.
ANYONE CAN FIND FAULT
It is so easy for someone who is enjoying the blessing of a repenting community, to fault ministries in the midst of rebellious communities. To blame the lack of response on faithful servants who are laboring in difficult fields is neither wise nor loving any more than it is wise or loving to glorify the faithful servant who is experiencing great success. Of course, those who are in the Spirit do not judge according to the flesh.
The Scriptures tell us,
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"It is not by power nor by might, but by My Spirit, says the Lord" (Zech.4:6).
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The success of a ministry is due to the Lord, and God will not share His glory with anyone else. It does not show more grace, faith or anointing to have numbers than it does to have lack of numbers.
ANOTHER FLOOD OF SMALL NUMBERS
As a matter of fact, we are told by Jesus that the end times would be like it was in the days of Noah. It is reasonable to believe that there will be a falling away in the end times. Yes, there may be ministries with great numbers, but not all of them are doing God's work nor are they doing it in God's way. Numbers do not mean success nor failure. The Bible says that in the end times men would be following after false teachers. A large following is not the proof of Christian following. Large numbers do not prove God's anointing any more than small numbers refute God's anointing.
CHURCH HISTORY TESTIFIES
The history of the church is filled with small, faithful bands of believers following fully. Many times there have been God called and Spirit anointed servants who have labored for years without any outward success. Read your history and missions accounts. I am fully persuaded that it takes at least as much grace to be faithful in the midst of the draught as it is to be faithful during the outpouring. Job was faithful and he didn't have the numbers to prove his anointing.
OUR RESPONSE TO THE TIMES
This lack of response and numbers should not make us complacent. If we are doing God's work, we must do it in His way. We must be called by God, led by God and anointed by God. We must seek Him fervently in prayer, and follow fully. We must work hard and trust God for the outcome.
Someone has said that we should work as if it depends on us and pray as if it depends on God. We are God's workers, we are co-workers with Him. But He is the One Who gives the increase. As the Word says,
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"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it."
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We should passionately desire the saving of souls and changing of lives, but we should not judge our obedience and faith by the way others respond. Neither should we judge other ministries by numbers.
GOD'S FINAL WORD ON THIS
In the Book of Revelation (chapters 2-3), God's final authoritative revelation to the Church, we are told that there would be seven periods of Church history, beginning with the first century church. During those years of the Church, there would be falling away (Ephesus), persecution (Smyrna), false doctrine (Pergamos), corruption (Thyatira), dead formalism (Sardis), great growth (Philadelphia) and luke warmness resulting in few converts (Laodicea)
In our lifetime we have moved from the Philadelphian Church period of the open door and great growth to the Laodicean Church period of self satisfaction and carnality. While it is true that each of the seven periods had smatterings of the other kinds of churches, each period was earmarked by it's own character. In the Laodicean period, the present time, there are churches of great growth, but the general characteristic is that of lukewarmness and few converts.
This is in agreement with all of Biblical prophecy. Jesus had said that the last days would be like it was in the days of Noah. We must be prapared to work as hard as Noah and be rejected as blatantly as Noah was rejected.
When Samuel was trying to find the man of God's choosing he looked on the outward appearance to which God said, "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (ISa.16:7)
Paul said,
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"Be not weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not" (Ga.6:9).
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But always keep in mind, we do not always reap in the now, for our works follow us (Re.14:13).
We should never excuse our failure to trust and obey God fully. We should never excuse our lack of zeal. We should not use the end times to excuse our own failures, but we should realize that we are living in a time when few converts is the product of the times and not always the failure of God's servants.
Never settle for other people's resistance. Live as if God will give you the victory and send His Spirit of conviction. Minister as if He is going to give you fruit for your labor. You may be in the right place at the right time and it would be a shame to excuse your failure because of a wicked world. And even if you do not experience the Philadelphian growth, you may win the one that will.
Always remember, Jesus died for the individual person and He said,
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"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)
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Jesus did not just die for the world, He died for the individual. He gave His all for you and you should give your all to Him and for others.
Finally,
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"... whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" (Col.3:23).
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Do not let those who criticize you and your work deter you. As someone has said, "You can tell how hot something is, by how warm it is after someone throws cold water on it." We should serve in faith, believing God for the victory.
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