When Good Things Are Not Good Enough

Recently I listened to a sermon that was delivered by a minister in a church that televises their worship services from the previous Sunday on Sunday mornings. In the message, the minister alluded to a ten-year long-range plan in which the church is currently engaged. Spiritual development is one of the key areas being worked on. In presenting the challenge of spiritual growth and development, the church will utilize four key words. Gather, grow, give and go are the four words.

All four of these words are very important in spiritual growth and development and certainly they are biblical concepts that are vital to Christian growth. Hebrews 10:25 speaks about not forsaking the assembling together so that we can exhort and encourage each other. In 1 Peter 2:1-3 Peter exhorted believers to seek the sincere milk of the word in order to facilitate spiritual growth. Even though church members may not appreciate the minister spending lots of time on money matters, the Bible certainly teaches us to give. Paul wrote about giving in a generous, cheerful manner in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. No one knowledgeable of the word of God can deny that we have a responsibility to go. The passage we call the great commission found in Matthew 28:19,20 begins with the word go.

As biblical as gathering, growing, giving and going are, as I listened to the pastor's message, I felt that something was missing. What was missing? The missing part is the part the part that only God can do through His redemptive plan, through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, through the work of His grace and through the demonstrating of His love. Without the indispensable part that God must do, our plans, short term or long range, will not succeed. Our words which may help us to focus will be hollowed out and striped of their power if God's part does not happen.

In the many years I have had the glorious privilege of serving God in the pastoral ministry, I have watched numerous programs come down the pipe. I've listened to the words and examined the slogans. The churches I have served have engaged in many of these programs. As I look back, it was never the words or the programs that made the difference or had the impact. It was God redemptive work, His amazing grace and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. These are the things we desperate need today.

I have seen God do some amazing things during the years of my ministry. I saw an adult man be gloriously and wondrously saved as an adult. That's not unusual, but this same man when he was a young boy had thrown tomatoes at students from New Orleans Baptist Seminary who came to Delacroix Island to preach the gospel. After that adult man was saved, he was called to preach the gospel himself. He became the pastor of Delacroix Hope Baptist Church on Delacroix Island. How is that for a God thing! There are no words or programs that can accomplish that miracle. It was a work of the Spirit of God.

Words and programs can be good things, but there are times when good things are not good enough. We need to realize the limitations of our words, our programs and our plans, and seek that part which only God can do. Dear God, do that good thing that only you can do, that good thing which will surpass all our good things! Amen.