Michael Spencer has some interesting comments about evangelism from a missional perspective. Here are a few that resonate with me.
When a large church pastor starts lecturing small churches about their lack of evangelism, you should change the channel, because the guy is mainly being a jerk toward a lot of faithful ministers and Christians in more difficult situations.
How many faithful, talented, sacrificial church planters and pastors find they can't go on? And some places are just hard. Where did we get the idea that every community can have a great church if church planter Bob will just do the right things?
Small churches have a tough time seeing converts. So does any church these days. We aren't in a time when people are joining Christianity. We're in a time when tens of millions are walking away from it. We're in a time when thousands of Christians are going from this church to that. The faithful pastor may be seeing converts or not. You're going to have to look deeper.
God builds the church and God counts the fruit.
Then K.W. Leslie makes the following comment:
This all goes back to the fact that pastors and evangelists are seeking a worldly model of success rather than a Kingdom model: They're looking at numbers, size, and influence. They're not looking at Jesus.
If they asked Him what He wanted in their ministry, they'd be a success in His eyes, but they don't want that—they want numbers, size, and influence. Supposedly once you have that, you can further the Kingdom, even though Jesus told us to seek the Kingdom first, and then you get the other things.
Amen.
Pastor Rod
"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"
4 comments:
I'd just like to add my amen to yours. It occurs to me though, that it isn't necessarily arrogance on the part of these pastors (which was my first reaction). It might be insecurity. Now that's still not something you want on your resume, but the solution to it might be a little different.
Ben,
Good observation.
Rod
I was thinking about missionaries who go to countries and don't have any 'converts' or see any 'results' for years. Should they think that they aren't doing anything worthwhile? Doesn't salvation happen in God's time and not in ours? I think there is a verse that say's that but I can't find it.
sewer
Lynette,
Thanks for stopping by.
There are several different theological views on conversion. Some think it is totally up to God. Others think that it is primarily dependent upon our efforts at evangelism. I tend to think that the truth is somewhere in the middle.
In any case, we tend to define results too narrowly.
Rod
Post a Comment