Subject: A pastor who is there? |
Bible Note: What you say, Janet, about heaven being really a big "church" makes sense. When all the saints of all the ages are gathered together, it will surely make a sizeable crowd.... While we're still on the Big Church, Little Church theme, I'd like to mention that right in our community are a couple of churches that are withering on the vine. In one of them especially the gospel of Christ is not really being preached, and in both of them there is an air of exclusiveness. They are more like a private club with select members who are happy as they are and don't want any new imposters to upset their status quo..... When a Little Church remains little year after year, there must be a reason. It isn't always the location of the the church building or the demographics of the area surrounding it, though this has been cited as an excuse for not growing. The church we attend, for example, is located near the downtown area and much of the area around it is old and decaying. But the church is large (6,000 members), vibrant, spiritually very much alive, and shows a consistent pattern of growth. Other churches around town enjoy a much more favorable location, but they are stagnant and limping along trying to get their hands on enough money to keep their doors open..... There is always a reason why some churches stay little and why many of them eventually fall apart. And there's a reason why churches become big and continue to flourish and get bigger. And I submit that, no matter whatever other reasons or excuses may be offered, the real reason is that the growing churches are being nourished by the word of God and His Son is being exalted above all things. The puny, limping, dying churches may well be following a different drummer. --Hank |