Success = Fulfilling the Great Commission

I came across this title this morning. Sounds great doesn't it? We have to fulfill the Great commission, that's how we can be successuful.


When I read the title, I was like ''That's right! Our main priority is to share the Gospel of Jesus-Christ with everyone around us!''


Then... I read the complete post... http://www.pastors.com/blogs/ministrytoolbox/archive/2010/03/10/success-fulfilling-the-great-commission.aspx


Then... I realized that what Pastor Warren meant was ''Success = Large church'' Or better ''If you do not draw a crowd, you're not faithful to God''


First thing I notice, is that the Great commission is redefine as a mandate to ''Grow'' a church. Nowhere, we see a reference to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus-Christ, to repentance or to the cross.


He goes on saying: ''Jesus defined faithfulness in terms of behavior - it is a willingness to take risks that require faith in order to be fruitful.''


He quotes Matthew 25:14-30, the Parable of the Talents to ''prove'' his point. Questionnable, of course. Let's see why we cannot use it as an argument for Church-Growth movement.

We need to understand that conversion is not we control. It is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the truth of the Word of God. It has nothing to do with methods or cleverness. We're never ask to ''convert'' people. Our focus is to be faithful to the Word of God. The Apostles in the book of acts, then in the Epistles are always focusing on the preaching, living and defending the Word of God. The focus is never on growing in number.

''Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season...'' - 2 Tim. 4:2

According to Rick Warren, in order to be faithful, we need to ''learn new methods that work''. By reading his post, we understand that working, here, means to draw crowds. If we study the Word of God carefully, we notice that ''anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God'', we see that we'll be persecuted, that the World doesn't understand the things of God.

Considering that, we need to ask ourselves what is bringing people into our church by the hundreds, if not thousands. Are we flirting with the world in order to suck them in? Are we toning down our message so that we do not offend the World? Are they coming to a social club to meet their friends or to learn God's word and obey it? Is it the ''Purpose-driven hype'' that convinced them to ''come in''?

Church-growth is clearly not something commanded by God...

Please, do not let the questions at the end of Pastor Warren's post trouble you... Be faithful... To the Word of God, not of man...




A couple of verses to finish...

''Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God'' - James 4:4

''Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.'' 1 Peter 4:12

''If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first'' - John 15:18