Ministry and Numbers, by Lon Alderman

Mark 4:14-20
The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.

The world teaches us to measure our success. Efforts that demonstrate an increase in numerical strength are deemed worthy/successful. Declining numbers are viewed as failure. Somehow this mentality has slithered into the church. Those churches that are growing are viewed as good ministries. All the rest are bad ministries.

When I read this passage from Mark I get the impression that the sower is not evaluated as good or bad based on the success of the seed. Yes, some of those seeds produce, but some also die. Regardless of the production, or lack there of, the sower is not seen as having succeeded or failed. His job appears to be sowing, not productivity.

I understand that there really are unhealthy churches, but to determine health based on numbers alone is misguided.

Oswald Chambers spells it out this way: I cannot save and sanctify myself; I cannot make atonement for sin; I cannot redeem the world; I cannot right what is wrong, purify what is impure, or make holy what is unholy. That is all the sovereign work of God.

Let's count less and throw more seed.
Lon