Success?

There are such temptations as a pastor when it comes to church. Most of these are connected to our insecurities and pride. We can so quickly wander from keeping the main thing the main thing. We begin to redefine what success is; the number people on any given sunday, how many people are involved in ‘ministry’ as if ministry was something that happened only on church time, did people find the sermon entertaining and practical (although the call to follow Christ never promised to be practical but it has been called foolish!), were people happy and energetic when the service was over....again sarcastically we assume that when God moves we feel all warm and fuzzy...I’m not sure that is what Isaiah felt when we saw Christ. You get my point...we make common assumptions as to what success is that have absolutely zilch to do with Jesus and the display of the Glory of God. Usually it is more about making me feel better that someone took the time to come so that I could feel my time in the bible was not a waste this week....after all I only read the bible to write a sermon anyways....more sarcasm.

Where did we get so bent out of shape about success, I mean really think about it....We have been called to preach a foolish message to dead people in hopes that they would hear it....the last time I checked I didn’t get a response from the dead guy...and not only hear it but embrace it, respond to it and rejoice in it. We have fallen into the pattern of the world: bigger is better, speaking your mind and believing in absolute truth is arrogant and we better set goals and make sure that they are measurable so that we can recognize success when it happens but again it is measuring success according to what we think it is.

Have you ever thought about it, we are the body of Christ because of a supernatural work of the Grace of God. It is impossible to put God’s grace in a box like some quantifiable substance. God is infinite and His grace is infinite. God is all powerful and His grace is All powerful. Once we had not received mercy and now we have received mercy. What is impossible with man is possible with God. Instead of running around trying to measure and define success I wonder if we could take a lesson from the Apostles and devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4).

Sometimes I think that we are so insecure that we want to create success so that we will not feel insignificant. We desire to have the praise of men....I mean we wouldn’t say that...like someone would admit that they are insecure... but in reality it might be the admission of it that shows that we really aren’t insecure...what was I saying...Oh yah...like it is a big deal to have some sinner think that another sinner is good because they did something that was tainted with sin. Unless the Lord builds His Church the laborers labour in vain. Now is that not refreshing that the success of the church is not about me but it is all about God. We have been called to be faithful in believing in Christ. We have been called to proclaim the word of God because we believe that it can actually change people...’so faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ’ (Romans 10:17). ‘For the God who said, ‘Let there be light,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Anyways you get the gist...I better stop or this will turn into a sermon!!! Blessings [From Success?]