Roots Before Fruits
A Word from Charles Spurgeon
A Word from Charles Spurgeon
Just because a church is large doesn’t mean it’s healthy; it could just mean it’s swollen.
— Charles Spurgeon
Every Christian must wrestle with what it means to be successful until they land upon a faithful definition. We live in a world that pours its own definition on us, tempting us to live lives characterized by the external markers of success: money, looks, reputation… the usual suspects. When we are convinced that success falls under these categories, we are likely to pursue them, thinking we are doing the Lord’s work.
When I was a pastor in Columbus, OH, my small church of about 50 people was located 5 miles away from a colossal church. One year, as Easter Sunday approached, the Colossus ran a marketing campaign that was sure to help them break attendance records that year.
“3 worshippers will have their lives changed this Easter Sunday. Attend worship and fill out a connection card for a chance to win a brand new car.”
That strategy is sure to get butts in the seat. Indeed, if my small church adopted and adapted that strategy, we would’ve grown numerically, too. But church health, as Spurgeon said, is not primarily measured by size. The size might reveal a symptom of something that needs to be cured. Healthy churches, filled with healthy Christians, are measured by the fruit they bear. They ask questions like:
Are we producing people and deeds that emerge from hearts filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?
Do we prioritize listening to and obeying God?
Does our worship lead people to discover the beauty of God, causing them to want to know him more?
Questions like these reveal hearts that have been transformed and made healthy by the Spirit of Jesus. After all, was it not he who said, “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.” (Matthew 12:33)
How does one make a tree good? Is it by attaching many beautiful leaves and fruit to it, carefully tying them on so passersby won’t know they’re fake? No, to make a tree good requires one to tend to the inner life of the tree. As the inner life is healed and made whole, it will naturally produce fruit after its kind.
Time and time again, Spurgeon’s quote has come to me as a warning and reminder to avoid being drawn away by what seems good. It reminds me to avoid pursuing the external markers and instead pursue the real thing. This helps me stay on the faithful path, the path where I am sure to meet God.
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These words from Spurgeon and you are so true.