Do you really want the church to grow? Church growth is not about money, buildings, our plans, or our dreams. It is about sinners coming to Christ. The growth of any church is determined by the mindset of the people within the body of Christ about the lost. Congregations burdened with pride, apathy, laziness, negativity or critical attitude will never grow. These were some of the attitudes that the churches John addressed in Asia (Revelations 2-3) were dealing with.
Probably all of us could quote Matthew 28:19-20, “Go into all the world and preach…” But how determined are we to get them to Jesus? We read of some amazing followers of Christ that understood the urgency of the message and the power of Christ in Luke 5.
These were the men who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus. They serve as an example of the right attitude leading to the right action, resulting in great changes in lives – in their case a sinner is forgiven.
They knew that Jesus had the power to save, heal, repair, or forgive. That knowledge led them to some pretty decisive action that didn’t seem to be hampered by obstacles. Unfortunately, the smallest of obstacles cause many believers to sin by failing “to do the good they know they ought to do” (James 4:17). Luke 5:19 says that they couldn’t get their friend through the door because of the crowd. Think about the “crowds” who will keep many people from getting to Jesus. Sadly, a large percentage of the crowds will be those within the walls of a church.
Brennan Manning, a priest, made this statement, “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
Within the walls of that house where Jesus shared the words of life, Pharisees and scribes stood soaking in the words but hardening their heart. However, the friends of the paralyzed man were on the outside and they recognized just how important it was to be in the presence of Jesus. They overcame obstacles and got to work, making a hole in the roof to lower their friend through.
How do you suppose those inside felt about the noisy mess the men on the roof were making? The friends knew that getting them in was more important than finding excuses. Luke 5:20, “Seeing the faith of his friends, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘Young man, your sins are forgiven.’” Will there be people that get to hear the invitation into heaven because of the efforts of Christ’s followers? Absolutely – think about Matthew 5:16, 1 Peter 2:12. In fact, most of the people reading this were heavily influenced by someone who “brought them to Jesus”. It’s still a choice they must make, but what can we do to bring them in?
The church is God’s pride and joy. It’s time we see the church the way God sees it. The way God knows it can be when people truly trust Him, follow the Spirit, and genuinely care for those that haven’t been to Christ yet. Seeking and saving the lost was the reason Jesus came to earth; what’s our purpose on earth?
Consider who you can bring to Jesus.
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