The number one problem in evaluating whether the ministry of a church is successful are the standards they are using in their evaluation.  Many church leaders are using the same standards the world uses to define success.

 

Four False Standards

 

1.  Size.  Mega churches who have thousands of people coming are considered the most successful churches.

·    Jeremiah preached forty years, but did not have one convert (Jeremiah 1:4-5, 18-19).  Was the prophet a failure?

·    Jesus ministered three and a half years and there were only 120 believers in Jerusalem (Acts 1:15).  But, after His ascension, the church exploded by the thousands through the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

How do these mega churches attract so many people?  The same way the world does.  They draw new people by (1) removing anything offensive and (2) by finding out what people want and giving it to them.  The Lord wants us to be faithful to what He has called us to do and let Him build His church (Matthew 16:18).

 

2.  Wealth.   Churches with the largest budgets and most impressive campuses are considered successful ministries.  But, the Lord God looks at ministry from a spiritual perspective, not a material perspective.

·    One of the largest and wealthiest religious denominations in the world propagates a false gospel that God’s Word condemns (Galatians 1:6-10).

·    The Lord Jesus said that even though the church at Smyrna was a poor church, they were rich in His sight (Revelation 2:9).

 

3.  Programs.  These churches have many programs that meet people’s “felt needs.”  The danger is the ministry can easily become man-centered when our focus must be the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).  People will begin to view the church as just another social institution and the church loses its true identify.

 

4.  Entertainment.  “Gimme that Showtime Religion.”  Instead of a pulpit, the focus is a stage.  These churches hire media specialists, creative art directors, and special effects experts.  They plan their services like TV shows.  Paul says these things are “carnal weapons” that do absolutely nothing in spiritual warfare (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

 

A successful ministry is one that faithfully does the will of God regardless of the consequences.  That certainly was the priority of Jesus’ ministry and it should be the priority of every church that identifies with Him.