We must never mistake quantity for quality. Neither must we confuse physical prosperity with success and happiness. A wise grandfather once asked his grandson when a man was rich enough. The grandson replied, “When he has a million dollars!” “No “. “Ten million?” “No.” “A hundred million?” “No”. And on and on the little boy raised the ante. When he finally gave up the old gentleman gravely said, “”When he has a little more than he has, and that is never!”
The Bible clearly expands upon the error of the principle of pursuing prosperity, pleasure or popularity as our primary purpose in life. In the Old Testament, God chose the small despised nation of Israel for his special people and special channel of blessing to the world. He then chose the small town of Bethlehem and a manger as the cradle for His Incarnation. In the New Testament He chose what some would see as a motley collection of common folk as the first witnesses of His glorious gospel. And then a diminutive disciple named Paul was chosen to be the powerful and peerless preacher of His gospel.
God is not always the God of the crowd or the majority. If you recall a unanimous vote called for His crucifixion. God is more often than not interested in the dedicated two or three. He looks on the inward man. He’s a heart-reader, not a head-counter. Success achieved at the cost of compromise is no success at all. Conscripts can scarcely be classed as converts nor draftees as devotees; no matter how many may swell the ranks of popular religion. When the pressure is applied by Satan, they too will turn back in the day of battle.
At the crucial moment of crisis many would be disciples are willing to slide along on the coat tails of those who are prepared to pay the price. They sometimes decide it is just all too much. They turn back in the time of trouble. Evidently their possession doesn’t measure up to their profession. They put on a good show until the testing time comes. They construct an impressive facade, even to the point of being outwardly indistinguishable from genuine disciples.
They are of the same sort John spoke of in his first letter, “They went our from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” They are of the same caliber and character Jesus spoke of on another occasion when He said, “No man having placed his hand to the plough; and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” They are of the sort often called, “On again, off again, Fennigan types.”
Gypsy Smith once asked such a man in an after-meeting, “Are you a Christian?” “Yes,” the man replied, “For twenty-eight years, on and off.” “More off than on, I guess,” replied the evangelist.
The Master was fully aware of the inevitable decrease in His popularity with those who were pseudo-disciples. The waning popularity of His heaven sent ministry and message would culminate at the cross. Is it any wonder He once said, “Woe be unto you when all men speak well of you.”? Numbers are not always a correct criterion for claims of spiritual success or is a crowd of people a perfect gauge of powerful preaching. Let us never be caught up into the contemporary pseudo- Christian movements that clearly seem to mistake quantity for quality and size for success!
The Bible clearly expands upon the error of the principle of pursuing prosperity, pleasure or popularity as our primary purpose in life. In the Old Testament, God chose the small despised nation of Israel for his special people and special channel of blessing to the world. He then chose the small town of Bethlehem and a manger as the cradle for His Incarnation. In the New Testament He chose what some would see as a motley collection of common folk as the first witnesses of His glorious gospel. And then a diminutive disciple named Paul was chosen to be the powerful and peerless preacher of His gospel.
God is not always the God of the crowd or the majority. If you recall a unanimous vote called for His crucifixion. God is more often than not interested in the dedicated two or three. He looks on the inward man. He’s a heart-reader, not a head-counter. Success achieved at the cost of compromise is no success at all. Conscripts can scarcely be classed as converts nor draftees as devotees; no matter how many may swell the ranks of popular religion. When the pressure is applied by Satan, they too will turn back in the day of battle.
At the crucial moment of crisis many would be disciples are willing to slide along on the coat tails of those who are prepared to pay the price. They sometimes decide it is just all too much. They turn back in the time of trouble. Evidently their possession doesn’t measure up to their profession. They put on a good show until the testing time comes. They construct an impressive facade, even to the point of being outwardly indistinguishable from genuine disciples.
They are of the same sort John spoke of in his first letter, “They went our from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” They are of the same caliber and character Jesus spoke of on another occasion when He said, “No man having placed his hand to the plough; and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” They are of the sort often called, “On again, off again, Fennigan types.”
Gypsy Smith once asked such a man in an after-meeting, “Are you a Christian?” “Yes,” the man replied, “For twenty-eight years, on and off.” “More off than on, I guess,” replied the evangelist.
The Master was fully aware of the inevitable decrease in His popularity with those who were pseudo-disciples. The waning popularity of His heaven sent ministry and message would culminate at the cross. Is it any wonder He once said, “Woe be unto you when all men speak well of you.”? Numbers are not always a correct criterion for claims of spiritual success or is a crowd of people a perfect gauge of powerful preaching. Let us never be caught up into the contemporary pseudo- Christian movements that clearly seem to mistake quantity for quality and size for success!
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