(The following is the May 25 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Acts 14 and pay close attention to verses 21-22.)
What you attract people to church with is what you must continue doing to keep them. This can lead to questionable tactics and unwanted results. For example, if a youth minister attracts teenagers through fun experiences with little gospel content, what happens if those events lessen in frequency? What about one who comes to Christ for the promised joy and peace faith brings? Will people remain in dark times if they come for promised brighter times? Will those attracted by a music style remain if the style changes? What about those attracted to a health and wealth prosperity gospel? Will believers who are wrongly taught that lack of funds and poor health are always consequences of weak faith remain when facing poverty and sickness?
Paul and Barnabas did not attract new believers with health, wealth, good times, joy, positive thinking, or promises to live one’s best life now. They appealed to them with gospel truth. That is why they could later strengthen them “by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, ‘It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God’” (v. 22). Early believers knew what they were getting into in those challenging times, and they readily faced what might have caused nominal believers to turn away.
Praise God that joy and blessings come with knowing Christ and faithfully participating in his church. But our testimonies and teaching, especially to prospective believers, should not center around the benefits gained from faith. Instead, we should focus on the gospel truth of our need for Christ for the forgiveness of sins and how glorious Christ is. As John Piper said, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” *
Next Step:
If you are a Christian, why are you a believer? What attracted you to the faith? What drew you to your current church? Why do you remain a Christian and a member of your church?
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* John Piper, “God Is Most Glorified in Us When We Are Most Satisfied in Him,” Desiring God, October 13, 2012, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/god-is-most-glorified-in-us-when-we-are-most-satisfied-in-him.
