{"id":1265,"date":"2017-02-09T04:04:26","date_gmt":"2017-02-09T04:04:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/takingeverythoughtcaptivetoobeychrist.wordpress.com\/?p=1265"},"modified":"2017-02-09T04:04:26","modified_gmt":"2017-02-09T04:04:26","slug":"a-small-church-in-a-mega-church-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/a-small-church-in-a-mega-church-world\/","title":{"rendered":"A Small Church in a Mega-Church World"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are times when pastors and members of small churches can feel discouraged simply by looking at their numbers. The people of God long to see their churches full as souls are being saved and shepherded. It can be tempting to look online at your favorite preacher\u2019s church and see scores of people pouring into his church\u2019s services. Our culture is consumed with results and numbers as a way of validation. There <\/span>are many<\/span> small time pastor<\/span>s<\/span> who are faithful to preach the gospel and in a moment of despair ask, \u201cWhy are our pews so empty? Does God not bless faithful preaching?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Friend, don\u2019t fixate upon your numbers as a means of validation. This is not to say that numbers don\u2019t matter. Numbers represent souls, and souls matter. However, when we gather together on the <\/span>Lord\u2019s day<\/span>, it is not a time to look to our numbers, but<\/span> to<\/span> lift our gaze and look to Christ. When you observe the numerical success of your favorite preacher, be encouraged that God is at work in bringing the hearts of men to Himself, rather than being discouraged that it is not you who God is doing it through. When the temptation to question God arises, remember that God is not obligated<\/span> to<\/span> bless your preaching with numbers. All that our churches have is grace, whether great or little.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Let me encourage you that while the Luther\u2019s, Calvin\u2019s, and Spurgeon\u2019s of the world have been vital to church history, they are the exception, not the norm (in terms of numbers). The <\/span>Church of Jesus Christ has been grown and carried throughout history by millions of little people in a million little places. God delights to work through weak vessels that are small in the world\u2019s eyes. The greatest preacher who ever lived is probably someone that only fifty people have ever had the pleasure of hearing preach. You may be small, but the gospel is not. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Stay faithful, my friends. Shepherd the flock of God among you.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are times when pastors and members of small churches can feel discouraged simply by looking at their numbers. The people of God long to see their churches full as souls are being saved and shepherded. It can be tempting to look online at your favorite preacher\u2019s church and see scores of people pouring into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[274,281,433,476,557,562,567,678,679,698,699,811,973,975,1153,1365],"class_list":{"0":"post-1265","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized","7":"tag-christ","8":"tag-church","9":"tag-encouragement","10":"tag-faithfulness","11":"tag-god","12":"tag-gospel","13":"tag-grace","14":"tag-jenkins","15":"tag-jesus","16":"tag-josh","17":"tag-joshua","18":"tag-mega","19":"tag-preacher","20":"tag-preaching","21":"tag-small","22":"tag-world","23":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3914,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/female-pastors-a-lost-vision-of-the-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":1265,"position":0},"title":"Female Pastors: A Lost Vision of the Home","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"October 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\"I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.\" - 1 Timothy 2:12 When Paul tells Timothy, concerning the churches, that he does \"not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man,\" I take\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Culture","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/10\/img_0405.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/10\/img_0405.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/10\/img_0405.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/10\/img_0405.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2186,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/four-marks-of-gospel-centered-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":1265,"position":1},"title":"Four Marks of a Gospel-Centered Church","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"June 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\"When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. And let our people learn to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "theology"","block_context":{"text":"theology","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/theology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/architect-church-photo3-l-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/architect-church-photo3-l-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/architect-church-photo3-l-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/architect-church-photo3-l-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/architect-church-photo3-l-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/architect-church-photo3-l-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1072,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-economy-of-preaching\/","url_meta":{"origin":1265,"position":2},"title":"The Economy of Preaching","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"July 14, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"If you\u2019re anything like me, you might have a mild interest in government and economics, which is good and fine. A Christian biblical worldview in fact has a bit to say on those matters. So it is right that pastors should be informed to one degree or another on those\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Government"","block_context":{"text":"Government","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/government\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":848,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/preaching-a-real-gospel\/","url_meta":{"origin":1265,"position":3},"title":"Preaching A Real Gospel","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"April 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Perhaps one of the best things about the gospel is that it is real. This has profound significance for preachers. Jesus Christ of Nazareth was a real man. He died a real death - a Roman crucifixion. He then rose back from the dead to a real life. When we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"A\"","block_context":{"text":"A","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/tag\/a\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4429,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/for-the-diaconate\/","url_meta":{"origin":1265,"position":4},"title":"For the Diaconate","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"April 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Now in these days\u00a0when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists[a]\u00a0arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in\u00a0the daily distribution.\u00a02\u00a0And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, \u201cIt is not right that we should give up preaching the word\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Preaching"","block_context":{"text":"Preaching","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/preaching\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/04\/deacons.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3518,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-life-and-ministry-of-dr-martyn-lloyd-jones-lessons-for-the-christian-minister\/","url_meta":{"origin":1265,"position":5},"title":"The Life and Ministry of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: Lessons for the Christian Minister","author":"Joshua Mills","date":"April 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"INTRODUCTION The greatest need for the church today is to have faithful men who will proclaim the whole counsel of God. Instead of feeding the sheep, preachers today have simply sought to entertain them. 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