Sunday May 4
“The
new wine is found in the cluster.” Isa 65:8 NKJV
DO
YOU WANT YOUR CHURCH TO GROW? (4)
The fourth, and perhaps the most frustrating
challenge we face when it comes to church growth, is to involve them.
Why is that? A message on a bulletin board outside a church gives us a clue.
The top line says, “We care about you,” and the line underneath reads:
“Sundays. 10 a.m. only.” A cartoon by Erik Johnson puts it another way. At the
top in big bold letters is a sign that reads: “The challenge of starting a
men’s ministry.” Standing directly under the sign is a group of bored-looking
guys. To the right of the group is the pastor, who quips: “So far, the only
thing we have in common is an aversion to singing, socializing, and sharing.”
People can feel lost and lonely in a crowd, even if it’s in church. Sitting in
a pew looking at the back of somebody’s head for an hour and a half doesn’t
meet anyone’s emotional, relational, or spiritual needs. As a member of
Christ’s body, the church, it’s your job to take the first step and initiate
contact with those around you. Jesus went out of His way to love the fallen,
the fraudulent, and the faithless-people others wouldn’t have anything to do
with. When someone comes into your church and finds Christ, your job has only
begun. They are called to serve, and you are called to show them how, when, and
where. “The new wine is found in the cluster.” Wine speaks of joy. But you
can’t get it out of a single grape, you’ve got to have a “cluster.” Are you
getting the idea?
Taken from the Word for You Today Devotional
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