Church Growth - Jesus' way is not like ours

Here is a great message we heard recently from John McArthur - he touches on the lack of church discipline in most churches today while for Jesus this was of utmost importance.

Could it be that many of us today have a rather off-kilter view of what the church actually is? Too often I hear of churches preaching motivational messages rather than the gospel. Too often I hear the word gospel, but the contents of it remain lacking.

Could it be that too often business principles are running our churches rather than Jesus? Could it be that we have substituted holiness for numbers and growth?

Applying church discipline is never easy, as I've learned while church planting in Italy, but it is necessary. We are to fear God, not man. There are times when all of us must be confronted in love for our sin. The Lord Jesus commands, actually that we do this in Matthew 18, a chapter that is too often taken out of context for man's interest. How often, for example, have you heard it quoted that where 2 or 3 are gathered there Christ is in your midst?... Those who quote this verse out of context in effect are saying Christ is not omnipresent. **The reality of the verse is that when you must confront a brother in sin, which is one of the hardest things in the world, Christ is with you in your midst because He has commanded you to do just that and He is greatly concerned about the holy living of His people in our fallen world. We are to be a light to the world, not be extinguished by the darkness of the world.

His ways of growing His church are not always like our ways...

Enjoy! And God bless!