How Big is Your Church?
How Big is Your Church?
"What is in your hand?" Exodus 4:2
Your church may not be as small as you think it is. The key to determining the size of your church is this -- in whose hands is it? Is it in your hands, or have you truly put it in God’s hands?
When God asked Moses, “What is in your hand?” He was confronting Moses’ control issues. The rod of Moses needed to become the rod of God. Similarly, how many of us are holding our church so tightly in our hands that God has no room to move.
If you are afraid to yield the control of your church to God the Holy Spirit, then your church may still be in your hands. If your church is in your hands, then it will never get any bigger than you are. On the other hand, if you renounce control and truly put your church in God’s hands, then your church can get as big as Christ and His Kingdom.
The spirit of control prevents more churches from experiencing the manifest presence of Christ than all the debates over doctrine put together. Church leaders tend to build a pneumatology, or theology of the Holy Spirit, to suit their own control issues.
God never told anyone to control the church. He told us to lead, shepherd, love, and build the church, yes. But control, no. The control of the church needs to be in Christ’s hands, not ours. Don’t hinder the growth of your church according to your unbelief. Put your church in God’s hands and watch it grow.
Father God, today I place my church in Your hands. I don’t want to limit the size of my church by the size of my faith. I want my church to truly become the church of God.
YEAR ON FIRE
© Fred A. Hartley, III
All rights reserved
Unless otherwise indicated, the English Standard Bible (ESV) is used.
This daily Christ-encountering, fire-starter is not intended to replace your daily Bible reading and prayer time, but rather to motivate you to spend extended time in His presence.
"What is in your hand?" Exodus 4:2
Your church may not be as small as you think it is. The key to determining the size of your church is this -- in whose hands is it? Is it in your hands, or have you truly put it in God’s hands?
When God asked Moses, “What is in your hand?” He was confronting Moses’ control issues. The rod of Moses needed to become the rod of God. Similarly, how many of us are holding our church so tightly in our hands that God has no room to move.
If you are afraid to yield the control of your church to God the Holy Spirit, then your church may still be in your hands. If your church is in your hands, then it will never get any bigger than you are. On the other hand, if you renounce control and truly put your church in God’s hands, then your church can get as big as Christ and His Kingdom.
The spirit of control prevents more churches from experiencing the manifest presence of Christ than all the debates over doctrine put together. Church leaders tend to build a pneumatology, or theology of the Holy Spirit, to suit their own control issues.
God never told anyone to control the church. He told us to lead, shepherd, love, and build the church, yes. But control, no. The control of the church needs to be in Christ’s hands, not ours. Don’t hinder the growth of your church according to your unbelief. Put your church in God’s hands and watch it grow.
Father God, today I place my church in Your hands. I don’t want to limit the size of my church by the size of my faith. I want my church to truly become the church of God.
YEAR ON FIRE
© Fred A. Hartley, III
All rights reserved
Unless otherwise indicated, the English Standard Bible (ESV) is used.
This daily Christ-encountering, fire-starter is not intended to replace your daily Bible reading and prayer time, but rather to motivate you to spend extended time in His presence.
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