“A Giant Step Forward”

“A Giant Step Forward”

Recently an evaluation report was given concerning the facilities in one of our church projects. It was described as “a giant step forward.” The first reaction to this report was somewhat shocking, in the light of what was involved—bigger, more modern buildings, more comfortable and convenient facilities, more attractive décor and surroundings, more up to date correspondence and record keeping equipment.

Of course, almost everyone enjoys comfortable and convenient furnishings and facilities, but should these things be the focus of determining our progress? Which is more important, a padded pew with carpet underneath with nobody on it, or a plain hard-back bench filled with new converts? If you had to make an evaluation between the two, which would you call progress in the light of our mission? It would be nice to have both, but where a distinction has to be made, one is progress and the other isn’t. If we keep the same mind-set that many of us have, we will soon have excellent, comfortable, convenient, up-to-date facilities with nobody to enjoy them. The Church will still be around—it cannot fail its eternal rendezvous; it will be everything it is destined to be, and even greater than many of our imaginations—but unless some of us change our mind-sets to conform to the Great Commission we will not be around to see its glory.

There is the danger of becoming overly critical and abjectly negative about some of the conditions existing among us and we should guard against acquiring and harboring these attitudes, but at the same time it would be equally wrong to ignore and be silent on subtle conditions and issues which are a departure from our avowed purpose. Paul wrote to Titus (and us), “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority...” (Titus 2:15).

To ignore and fail to correct false and misleading ideas, trends, and actions is precisely what the devil wants us to do.  We have done so much of that he dances with glee every time we “stick our heads in the sand.” What a tragedy to be more influenced by diabolical schemes than by divine direction!
We must correct our course; we must let our thinking be redirected by Holy Spirit’s influence.  Otherwise, Jesus will say to us what He said to Peter in one of the most severe reprimands recorded in Scripture, “…Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men” (Matt. 16:23).

To elevate and rejoice over things unrelated to the Great Commission indicates misdirected purpose. The facilities and trappings of our mission are so inconsequential to the importance of the mission itself that they should be relegated to a place of minimal importance. Are we still trying to impress the world at large with materially impressive things? This is not a consideration with most of our brothers and sisters in the universal Church at large, but in countries where the economy lends itself to plenty and affluence there is a tendency to drift toward an emphasis on the material and with it there is a spirit which is not of God.

A loving warning is appropriate here. We must remember that the only things that will go in the rapture of the Church will be the souls we have won for the Master. Everything else will be left behind. If our “giant steps forward” have been buildings and equipment rather than souls, the harvest is going to be extremely displeasing to God. In these days of scant harvest we must be careful not to allow our lack of rejoicing over souls and gathered harvest to be made up in rejoicing over a new building or a new organ in the sanctuary. Remember, we are laboring in the same harvest as Christ, Paul, John the Baptist, Peter and all the progenitors of this wonderfully divine endeavor. Would they join in rejoicing over some of the things we do? Think on these things. This message was written at a time the Church was drifting. Soon afterward the Holy Ghost called for a re-organization of the Church. Something to think about!
Former General Overseer Robert J. Pruitt