I want to continue the line of thought from the previous post. I think it is essential to have a firm grasp on what it means to succeed and what success should look like in the Church of God. I will probably be camped out here for a few days, so consider this your only warning

If the definition of success, as Merriam-Webster on line puts it, is a “degree or measure of succeeding“, and succeeding is defined as “1.) coming next after a person in office or position… inheriting sovereignty, rank or title… following in order” OR 2″.) turning out well…attaining a desired object or end” then we need to examine true success on more than one front.

We need to consider building up those who will succeed us and we need to be encouraging those who are striving to attain their God given goals, while we strive to attain our own.

Its like this. Jesus is the Bishop of all bishops, Lord of all lords, King of all kings…but His physical ministry on earth only lasted for three years. In those three years He touched the lives of thousands, but He knew there were some who were only along for what they could get (John 6:26). Once His true mission came into focus, most of His flock fled.

At the same time, Jesus had intentionally poured Himself into twelve disciples. Eleven of them stuck with Him. One of them turned Him in to the religious gestapo to have His credentials revoked (which in the CoG would have been Licensed Exhorter or Licensed Ordained since He didn’t have enough active ministerial experience to advance to Bishop…BUT I DIGRESS.)

After the resurrected Christ ascended, He left behind a church of 500 people. In the process of choosing the replacement for the treasurer that church fell to 120. At this point, most of us would want to jump ship. But then the disciples, those whom Christ had encouraged to succeed in what He gave them, along with the small flock that remained, prayed until the mission that Christ had planted within them took over. Then after one single sermon from Peter, the disciple who seemed to have been the biggest failure among the remaining disciples 53 days before, 3000 people went public with a faith in Christ!

If Christ had focused only on the big events, then the Church would not be here today. But because He added intentional discipleship into His ministry, the true Church has been able to succeed for nearly 2000 years! Disciples don’t just succeed us, they build upon our own success…A disciple of Christ should therefore succeed for Him.

So how long will our churches last? How long will the Church of God last? The answer: for as long as we continue to make disciples of Christ.

In Him,

Darrell