We cannot use shortcuts when it comes to understanding spiritual truth, building Christian character, or building the local church. The emphasis in the church today seems to be on methods and goals. There is nothing essentially sinful about either of these, provided they are not manmade shortcuts to achieve man-exalting goals. Some methods are unworthy of the gospel; in fact, they cheapen the gospel. Some goals are only the carnal projection of some leader's ego and have nothing to do with the work of God or the glory of God.

Jesus told a parable about two builders, one of whom was in a hurry and built his house without a solid foundation. Needless to say, the structure did not last. The other man took more time. He laid a foundation and built a house that withstood the storms. The shortcut approach was disastrous, not only to the house but also to the people in the house! This impatient builder learned the hard way the high cost of shortcuts.

Where there is life, there is growth; and the church ought to increase in both quality and quantity. But churches do not grow by addition; they grow by nutrition. True growth is from the inside out - at least the kind of growth that lasts. During more than forty years of ministry in many parts of the world, I have seen all sorts of schemes for building the church; and some of them, unfortunately, have worked - only to the detriment of the ministry. George Macdonald was right: "In whatever man does without God, he must either fail miserably, [i]or succeed more miserably.[/i]"

If you are interested in the praise of men, then use the shortcuts and publicize your statistics. But if you are interested in the glory of God, stick with God's methods - the Word, prayer, witnessing, sacrifice, and suffering - and leave the results with him. After all, it is "God who gives the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:7).

Warren Wiersbe, [i]God Isn't in a Hurry[/i](Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1994), 12-13.

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Olan Strickland