We want people to grow. We want people to learn how to read the Bible. We want people to learn
how to pray. We want people to learn how to go and preach the gospel. We want them to learn how
to be godly. This is spiritual growth. And let me say this, I prefer to have a church of 10 people
who are growing spiritually than have a church of 500 people of people who are just not saved,
don't care about the Bible. They just see church as a social club. So I'm assuming you know that
as I'm preaching this that spiritual growth is far more superior than numerical growth.
Third John chapter one, verse one, excuse me, says, the elder unto the well-beloved Gaius,
whom I love in the truth. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in
health, even as thy soul prosper. For I rejoice greatly when the brethren came and testify to
the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in truth. I have no greater joy than to hear
that my children walk in truth. John is saying the greatest joy that I have is to know that
people are growing spiritually. You know what the joy and the rejoicing of my heart is as a pastor
is seeing people change. I love to see that. There's people in our church that have been
in our church since the beginning or maybe they've come within the last year or two years
and I can point people out. I'm not gonna do it right now because I don't want to embarrass
them. I don't feel like doing that tonight. I typically, you know, I'm in the mood but not
tonight. And, you know, you see them and it's like, man, this person has changed dramatically.
They've grown so much. You can tell that they're reading their Bible based upon
their conversation, the words that come out of their mouth. You know, you can tell
that they are being sanctified, so to speak, because, you know, the way they dress changes,
the way they act changes, the way they think and talk and carry themselves. There's a
transformation there. You know what that does? That rejoices my heart because it shows this
person is not just being a Christian when they come on Sundays or on Thursdays. They're obviously
working on their Christianity Monday through Saturday. They're obviously walking with God.
They're praying. They're walking with the Lord. They're trying to live a life that's pleasing
unto God. That is spiritual growth and that's far more important than numerical growth. But let me
say this, I want both. Right? So I'd rather have 10 spiritual people than 500 carnal people,
worldly people, fleshly driven people. But hey, if we could get 500 spiritual people,
all the better. But if I had to choose, obviously, I'd go with the 10 rather than the 500. Okay.
Assumption number three, I'm assuming you know that numerical growth is not the end game.
Okay. Now there's a lot of pastors out there that want to make numerical growth the end game. And
what happens when they have that as a goal? They compromise. They bring out the purple lights and
the smoke and the CCM music and all the gayness and all that. They start doing all these things
that appeals to the flesh. It appeals to the world. And they try to push that instead because
they want to reach people just for the sake of reaching them. Okay.