A True Story to Start:
I was sitting in a room just off the lobby of my hotel in Accra, Ghana. Gathered with me were a group of men who were recognized as leaders in the Church of the City of Accra. I was sharing with them some principles from the Scriptures.
In response to one of those principles, a man directly across the room from me said, “No, that cannot be correct.”
I asked him, “Why do you say it cannot be correct ?”
“It cannot be correct because that is not what Bishop Jones teaches.”
“Oh, and who is Bishop Jones ?”I asked.
“He has a congregation of ten thousand — the largest congregation in Accra.”
“So, you believe that because he has the largest congregation, he must be right. “
“Absolutely !” my friend replied.
Jesus lived for about 33 years on the Earth. He spent only about 10% of that time doing anything we would recognize as “ministry.” As His life ended: He was rejected and abandoned by His closest friends; He was publicly mocked, rejected, and executed like a common criminal; and, He was such a failure socially and financially that He needed to entrust the care of His biological mother to a man who had run away and abandoned Him. After His burial and His resurrection, when we the people were without excuse; when we already had proof that He is God; after He had walked through a door, cooked fish on a beach, and ascended bodily into heaven, there was a morning prayer meeting in Jerusalem where He had promised to fill us with His Holy Spirit. Of the tens of thousands of people whom he had healed or fed or taught, only about 120 could be bothered to show up for this amazing opportunity to receive power like His. By every modern standard of popularity, business, or ministry, Jesus was an abject failure.
Even an average local congregation leader can get about 200 people to come. The great names that come to mind in the leadership of the modern church — Billy Graham, Dwight L. Moody, John Lake, inter alia — they all are associated with huge crowds and tremendous publicity. But Jesus, for the most important meeting of all, could only get 120 to come.
Jesus once was asked about who is really important in the Kingdom. In Matthew 18:1-6 He responds:
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Sadly, many of us are not choosing for our leaders the ones who humble themselves like a child. Rather we look to the ones who are powerful, popular, and wealthy. We tend to look for large groups. But Jesus told the large groups parables so they would not understand. He built His disciples in one on one meetings or in small groups.
His, thus Yours,
Stuart
His-Family 
Praise The LORD!!! What a Blessed gift for you and us.
LikeLike
This is so true. I suspect a lot of people will be surprised in heaven who gets the greatest rewards. Most of us will not know them! They will be the unknown, unsung heroes of the faith whom nobody knew.
LikeLike
Great article Stuart! Thank you for your insight. Did the man in the lobby come to a place of understanding? Most don’t – so sad. Highly recommend John Bevere’s book Driven by Eternity.
LikeLike
so true
LikeLike