Would it bother you to know your children weren’t being fed?
Would you be okay seeing your children depressed, addicted to drugs, constantly
sick, and in danger of losing their lives? Would it be okay with you if your
children were neglected? What if you discovered the reason your children were
in these conditions was because of you?
This is precisely what’s happening in today’s churches. Those
who are entrusted with the care of a flock are tending to people outside the
church; at the expense of their own congregation. The emphasis is often “the
great commission”; saving lost souls. However, Pastors (and the other 4 offices
in Ephesians 4) are a gift to the body of Christ; not to
non-believers. Pastors are a gift to the body of Christ; they are called to equip
the saints.
Because of the unhealthy focus to reach the lost, their own members are in dire
conditions, and in desperate need of a Shepherd.
If you want to know the quality of leadership in a church,
look at the condition of the flock; the condition of their hearts, souls, and
lives. Churches today are driven by numbers; how many people they can sign as
members, how many people they can record as being saved, and how far they can extend
their territory. The very essence of spiritual parenting has been lost, and God’s
own children are suffering.
Some search for a church where the teachings match what they
believe, where they can volunteer in a ministry or a church where they suspect
they’ll be left alone; to simply fulfill their “Christian duty”. If you are
genuinely seeking the Lord and a church home that will feed you, water you, and
truly care for the condition of your heart; ask the Lord where He wants you. You
cannot grow when you’re being neglected.
Would you rather be in a place with 40 people who are strong
in the Lord, living by faith, in the will of God and walking in His promises;
or in a place with 15,000 people who are anemic?
RESOURCES
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