True Church Growth

There was a city and there was a mountain. The Jews worshipped at the city. The Samaritans worshipped on the mountain. Jesus met a certain lady by the well of Jacob, between the mountain and the city. She was a Samaritan. She recognised Jesus as a prophet and asked which was the right place to worship—at the place of her ancestors or of his. Jesus told her that the time was coming when true worshippers would worship neither in Jerusalem nor on the mountain but would worship the Father “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23).

That time is now. I don't like it when people ask at which church you worship. To me it shows that they don't know what it is to be a true worshipper. On the judgment day after the resurrection when the books shall be opened, people will still claim to Jesus that they did go to church. But he will say, “I don't know you.” Jesus is not just concerned about ordinary Christians or the church-goers—he wants disciples. That is what I want here, not Christians but thoroughly taught disciples.

I went to a pastors' meeting last week and everyone there was very concerned with church growth. When I came out of that pastors' meeting I had a different spirit. I am not so concerned about great numbers. It is God who can trust me or us with great numbers. I think it is high time for us to focus on the concept of discipleship. That is our greatest commission. The idea of us wanting to have great numbers in our churches can sometimes bring us the spirit of pride and fame as well as greediness and power hunger. Greediness is the sense that we will focus on people's tithing and money. I like what the apostle Paul said in Acts 20:33-35: “I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

True worshippers—they worship God in spirit and in truth. My prayer is that God must trust us with great numbers in our churches after he has searched our hearts and found out that we are hungry for souls, not money. I am of the idea that pastors' hearts be conformed to that of Jesus to look after the flock. John 6:60-71 is another scripture that supports the idea in my mind. Jesus is left by many followers and is only left with twelve disciples. Even in that twelve, the money keeper, Judas Iscariot, is known by Jesus to be not just a disciple but a traitor, a betrayer. The spirit does not die. That spirit of Judas is still here today catching up with many of the pastors. In this regard, I would say that God must help us to discern his will and follow it—not our own will.

Steve Mthethiseni Ntapo is Pastor of Harvest Time Church in Mandela Park, Mthatha

(The following was an excerpt from a Sermon preached Sunday July 25, 2010 at Harvest Time Church, in Mandela Park, Mthatha)