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If we love in the truth,
And are faithful to one another in the truth
And walk together in the truth
We will work together for the truth.
What we measure determines what we think success is.
Most churches still tend to measure by the ABCs:
ATTENDANCE, BUILDINGS and CASH (Offerings)
These are useful, but not optimal – or even biblical!
Being BIG, WEALTHY and INFLUENTIAL does not necessarily mean a church is healthy (as we have seen so graphically and too in recent years).
HOW Does God measure success?
We are not meant to come to church and have the pastor tell us what to do.
We are to come and tell the Pastor what God is doing!
Will we have bottlenecks, or wildfire?!
The leaders are necessary if they are there to provide guidance and support and discernment- but all through the week God should be breaking out through everyone. We need the Holy Spirit most of all!
The commission was directly given to the apostles but indirectly given to the ecclesia in every generation. After the early apostles died, the commission remained – and so does the authority, until it is fulfilled it will remain in force.
So they had a commission and were sent to fulfil it. In their generation the church grew like crazy and changed everything, everywhere. We have the same commission and we are sent to do it. That’s the key, they went, because they were sent. That’s an apostolic church.