Sizing Up the Church

From the Issacharites, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their relatives under their command. - 1 Chronicles 12:32

I was irritated when I once read the words of a Christian leader and saw where he had multiple times used the terms "small" and "little" to describe a local church. While the term might have been descriptive of it's numerical size, he used these terms to imply that the church was also insignificant in terms of its impact.

In the list of all those who rallied to King David after Saul's death, we find the Issacharites who (unlike the other tribes) only sent 200 chiefs (with their relatives); however, the biblical record also tells us that the ones who were sent "understood the times and knew what Israel should do." Their impact was not measured by their numbers, but by their leadership.

In the USA we have a fascination with all things "large," but spiritually-speaking there is no such thing as a "small" church. There may be small numbers, small buildings, small programs, and small budgets, even small (or nonexistent) modern technology, but the true "size" of a church is best determined by its heart for God and His purposes.

Remember this, Jesus had a "small" band of followers. Yet, once they were empowered by the Spirit of God, they changed the world.

We do not want a church that will move with the world. We want a church that will move the world. - G.K. Chesterton