Jump Start # 1070
Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the world.”
We continue our series based upon an article entitled, “Ten reasons small churches tend to stay small.” That title implies something is holding those churches back. Something is keeping them from growing. It’s certainly not God. It’s not His word. His word does just the opposite. It increases faith and changes lives. God wants congregations to grow.
We need to mention that the expression, “small churches” and “large churches” is something made up by man and no one knows at what point a small church becomes a large church. Is 100 members small? It maybe in some places. In other places that may seem huge. So we are not talking so much about a specific number, but more so, an attitude or mindset. Small church thinking is what we could call it. Some have it. Some like it. Some want it to stay that way. There is comfort in knowing everyone. There is safety in feeling secure with everyone. Small church thinking likes that. I knew a congregation that was in a college town. Some folks told me that they really didn’t want any of the college kids coming there? Really? Sure college kids are generally late. They are loud. Many look like they just rolled out of bed and that probably is pretty close to reality. They are full of fun and energy. They have lots of questions. College students are amazing. They have amazing faith. We don’t want any coming here? That is small church thinking.
What drives this thinking is fear. New people means I must move out of my comfort zone. New people come with baggage, a past and are likely very different than I am. It’s easy to develop a “we” and “them” spirit within a congregation. “We” are the ones who have been around for years. “We” have weathered and experienced the coming and goings of preachers. “We” are the backbone of the church. “We” have a history here. “Them” are new. “Them” do not have the time in this place as we do. “Them” do not know what “we” have gone through. “Them” are not “we.”
When there is a “we” and “them” spirit within a congregation, it is easy for the “we” to ignore and not include the “them.” This quickly leads to snobbery, stuffiness, and arrogance. The “them” do not feel welcome. The “them” sometimes leave and that makes the “we” very happy. “We” can get along fine without “them.”
Small church thinking. It really stinks. It is a killer to evangelism. Small church thinking is content for everything to stay just the way it is. Small church thinking doesn’t want to get big. They have dozens of reasons why we shouldn’t get any bigger. They fear big. They are certain that big is not the direction that we ought to go. Big cannot be right. Big cannot be faithful. Most of those reasons surrounds fear. Small church thinking fears changes. It fears new people. It fears what might happen. Small church thinking tends to think the worst rather than the best. It doesn’t see the value of more people. We tend to forget that the first church had 3,000 members. It grew even more from that. The apostles didn’t seem to think that was bad. They didn’t seem to have a problem with that. They certainly were not soft on things. Our thinking reveals our fears.
Our verse today, spoken before the ascension of Jesus, shows the spread of the Gospel. A person could draw circles on a map, identifying the places that Jesus mentioned. Jerusalem, that’s where the apostles were when those words were spoken. Judea, that’s the region that includes Jerusalem. Then Samaria. Jesus intended the disciples to go to Samaria. You are going to Samaria to be my witnesses. Samaritans were not liked by Jews. They were different. They worshipped differently. They were not in the “we” group. Samaritans were definitely the “them.” Jesus wanted Samaritans. He used Samaritans as heroes of His lessons. He died for Samaritans. The kingdom would include Samaritans. That was God’s plan. That was the desire of Jesus. We have to go to Samaria. That was tough for the disciples.
How does a person, or even, how does a congregation get over small church thinking? How do they conquer the fears that come with growth? New people. New problems. New demands. Change. New converts need classes to help them grow. New pages to add to the directory. New names to learn. Some of those new people may not know how “we” do things. They may even sit in our seats. They may park in our parking spaces. They may sing too loud. They may ask questions in a Bible class. They may volunteer to do things. All those new people seem to be taking over things. We just don’t like it. We don’t like these things. We wish it was the way it was before the new people came. Do you find yourself saying those things? That’s small church thinking. You may have it and not even recognize it. You may be part of the prevailing atmosphere that resists getting bigger. Sometimes new people come in with an excitement and a zeal. They do things that the rest of us haven’t. Maybe they expose our attitude of being lukewarm.
What helps defeat small church thinking is thinking like Jesus. That’s the answer. Philippians tells us to let the mind of Christ dwell within us. The Colossians were told to let the word of Christ richly dwell within them. That mind and those words would include treating others as they ought to be treated. It would include loving them because God loves them. The trick to getting over the small church mentality is to walk in the shoes of Jesus. We do well to cross the railroad tracks once in a while and go to Samaria. Sure new people bring all kinds of challenges. It’s not our job to straighten them out. God does that. New people also bring bright ideas, new talent and a fresh spirit that can be so up lifting.
No person, period, ought to not feel welcome in any of our assemblies. It doesn’t matter their color, their sin, their problem, their history, their divorces, their nationality, their Biblical ignorance, or where they have been before. I have worshipped with ex-con’s, former gang members, former drug pushes and just about every ugly sin you can imagine. They are welcome. The Gospel is for all. It’s time we believe that. It’s time we started practicing that. We are not a country club that is open only to a select few. Our doors, as well as our hearts, must be open for every person. The single mom. The homosexual. The person with mental challenges. The person who is different. The person who wears dirty clothes. The person who has been withdrawn from. Every person welcome. Their only hope is to hear the Gospel. We want them to hear. The apostles went to Samaria. Never forget that.
Small church thinking runs people off. It gives the wrong message. It distorts the Gospel. It is not from God. It’s time to see once and for all, that small church thinking is WRONG. It’s not Christ like. The people that are banned from coming often have a greater love for Christ than those within the doors who are so smug in their attitudes. Many people have been run off and hurt for generations because of small church thinking. It’s time to repent of those things. It’s time to start walking like Christ. It’s time to see that every person, EVERY person, is a soul that God loves. It’s time to realize that God does not love us more than others. It’s time to see that right doctrine doesn’t excuse wrong attitudes. It’s not a choice—right doctrine or right attitude. God expects us to have them both. When we don’t we are wrong. Plain and simple.
Can a person get over small church thinking? Could the apostles go to Samaria? They did. So can we. Lead the way. Be an inviter. Include others. Show new people that they are welcome. Love them. Help them. Learn from them. Do what you can to show the spirit of Jesus.
Fear not—that is the most repeated command in the Bible. Fear keeps our boat at the dock and it closes the door of our hearts to others. FEAR NOT—that’s the answer. The Gospel is for all.
Roger