Success?
What do we do when our sermons don't produce the desired result? When we are, by some accounts, unsuccessful? I suppose it is an opportunity to check our life and our doctrine--are we making the Gospel clear, preaching the text, and so forth. It is also a wonderful opportunity to be humbled. Still, it raises the question, where is the fruit?
Samuel Stillman pastored the First Baptist Church of Boston beginning in 1765. It was said of him that "his praise was in all the churches; and wherever his name has been heard, an uncommon degree of sanctity has been connected with it." In 1790 he preached a series of sermon on preaching later published under the title Apostolic Preaching in which he addressed the question of success:
True indeed, it sometimes happens, that the faithful ministers of the gospel are for a season unsuccessful; yet they ought not to be discouraged, for in due time they shall reap if they faint not. They who go forth weeping bearing precious seed, shall finally return rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them.--But suppose they should not see the fruit of their labors in this life, they will have the testimony of conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, they have had their conversation in the world.--Let them who sow, sow in hope:--The word shall not return void, but it shall accomplish that which God pleaseth, and prosper in the thing whereto he sent it.
For me, an encouraging reminder.
Thanks for the post. It is encouraging in a world where we are always looking for immediate "results." We must remain humble, and we must remain faithful.
Posted by: Randy Alston | Jun 28, 2007 9:09:48 PM
A pastor's success can not be measured by the pastor's feelings of success nor by his feelings of failure. What appears to the God-called pastor to be poor response by his flock may be the very response he should have. We can not tell what our people are thinking by how they respond and we can not tell what God is doing in their hearts by their response to our preaching. Our faithfulness to the rightly dividing of His Word week after week is how the "fruit" is reaped, whether we see it now or not. A response that is less than desirable as the writer said above, should move us to examine our work and apply ourselves more diligently to that task. It is like blogging the gospel and seeing no comments posted by readers though our "blog map" shows readers around the globe.
We want to see fruit, of course, it is extremely discouraging when we don't. And occassionally we hear from some in our congregation and we are encouraged. Pray for our Lord of the harvest to give us fruit that He may be glorified and the body of Christ where we serve, edified.
Posted by: Johnny T. Helms | Jun 29, 2007 7:18:38 AM
Aaron -
Thanks for the encouraging post. We all need to be reminded of this truth often.
Posted by: John Meade | Jun 29, 2007 9:07:44 AM
One thing that has been helpful is to remember God's sovereignty in the sanctification process. A good read with an emphasis on sanctification as a process in redemptive relationships is Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul Tripp.
Posted by: Chris | Jun 29, 2007 12:48:11 PM