Key Verse: Verse 2 - “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."
Key Words: Preach the word
Some time back a young pastor asked me how to go about evaluating the church, its ministry, and even how to go about evaluating himself. The following is a portion of the letter I sent to him.
Have definite goals for your church. The achieving of these goals will be an indication that you are making progress. The pastor who simply lives from week to week will always stay discouraged because he doesn’t know where he is going.
II Corinthians 10:7-13 is a clear warning against the wrong kind of self-evaluation. It is easy for a church to become a mutual admiration society. The true measure of a church’s success is not what it is doing compared to other churches, but is it fulfilling its own potential?
Don’t forget that churches go through stages of growth, not unlike the human body. The babyhood stage of the church is new and exciting, much like having a newborn baby in the house. But then things settle down and you reach the childhood stage. This is the stage when people seem to manufacture problems. Next is the spiritual maturity stage. This is when the church as a whole sees the importance of soul-winning, faithfulness to God’s house, and they come for God’s glory.
One word of encouragement: the Lord rarely lets a pastor see how much good he is doing. When you feel the most discouraged, God is probably using you in the greatest way. Be faithful!! God will take care of the rest (I Corinthians 4:2). Always remember, it’s not a popularity contest.
- Preach the Word.,
- Be instant in season and out of season,
- Reprove,
- Rebuke, and
- Exhort...with all longsuffering.
What to do:
✞ Apply the above spiritual principles.
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