Saturday, March 18, 2006

"WE WANT TO FILL DOLPHIN STADIUM"


Can you imagine a church sooooo big that you would need to have a professional football stadium to hold your church services ? I heard a preacher say that one Sunday morning.

WOW ! Imagine that. You almost get giddy thinking about that.

For so long people have just been coming to church totally bored out of their minds. No wonder why people just kind of fade away, never to return again. There are so many other things out there competing for their attention that we have GOT to figure out a way to get MORE people into the door of the church.

We've got to find ways to bring more people into the church... gotta get those numbers up. I mean we've got to do WHATEVER IT TAKES.

I guess the next question would be... How do we do this ? How do we fill Dolphin stadium ?

Let's see what technique the apostle Paul used in the New Testament to grow the church, because after all we can't imagine the church today using a method which is not found in the bible.

1 Cor. 2:1-5:

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

Oh, wait...the techniques Paul used were weakness, fear, trembling.

What about Jesus Christ and him crucified ? Yeah that's going to get a lot of people in the door. Somebody should have told Paul about seeker sensitive.

What about the techniques Paul did NOT use–He did not use eloquence or superior wisdom (except maybe the wisdom that comes from knowing about Christ crucified).
What else did he not use–he did not use wise words or persuasive words. Gosh that is so not post-modern or intellectual.
Oh boy lookie here, Paul says that his PREACHING was with a demonstration of the Spirit's power. Why would he use such a method ? Oh yes the answer's right there...so that the christian's faith might not rest on MEN'S wisdom but on God's power.

I guess after all Paul did not actually use ANY techniques, methods or experiments. He allowed the Holy Spirit to do the work. All that Paul did was to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified.

So go ahead pastors and keep coming up with new techniques, new methods and the latest trends to try to get those numbers up but when your congregations rely on your wisdom instead of God's power don't complain about spiritual immaturity, shallow superficiality and doctrinal ignorance rampant among your church members. They're getting what they're being fed.

If God decides to increase the church enough to fill up a professional football stadium or not makes no difference. That should not be our goal. That is His decision to make. Our responsibility is to be guided by his Word in obedience and rely upon His methods which are to trust his Holy Spirit for the increase if He desires to do so. Our goal should be to pursue holiness through the process of santification surrendering each day to His guidance and direction as found through his holy Word.

If your church has the philosophy of "do whatever it takes" I hope that does not include neglecting the Word of God.

-KTO

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

63'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV)

This scripture is the great commission, and part of this calling is teaching them to observe all things Jesus has commanded us to do. Do you see the word (COMMANDED) that is not a should it is a Shall. Christ gave us this command so we might teach his followers to obey him.John 14:
15If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. 25These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Do you see if we love God we will obey him and he will make his home in us, that is when we will see many come to the kingdom, here again it takes an act of obedience. If we want to see the world changed we must follow in obedience and when we know him we will naturally become contageous in our walk and others will want what we have because we are different not the same as the world,then maybe we will see the stadium filled with the body of Christand our world turned upside down living for righteousness instead of worldly pleasures.

8:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

63'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV)

This scripture is the great commission, and part of this calling is teaching them to observe all things Jesus has commanded us to do. Do you see the word (COMMANDED) that is not a should it is a Shall. Christ gave us this command so we might teach his followers to obey him.John 14:
15If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. 25These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Do you see if we love God we will obey him and he will make his home in us, that is when we will see many come to the kingdom, here again it takes an act of obedience. If we want to see the world changed we must follow in obedience and when we know him we will naturally become contageous in our walk and others will want what we have because we are different not the same as the world,then maybe we will see the stadium filled with the body of Christand our world turned upside down living for righteousness instead of worldly pleasures.
Dave

8:53 AM  

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