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As someone whose first pastorate was of a church of just over 100 members, I know what it’s like to feel irrelevant— even a failure—in comparison to larger churches with ample resources and big-name pastors.
The reminders of our church’s lack of “success” are ever before us: the young family that leaves for a larger, programmatic church; the pastors’ conference that fills its plenaries with “famed” pastors; the denomination or network that rewards the “successful” churches at its annual gathering; or the Christian publisher who will only ever consider publishing books by celebrity pastors or authors with platforms.
It’s so easy to equate apparent “success” in ministry with God’s blessing—which means that we “normal” pastors and “regular” Christians can become dejected by the seeming lack of success of our church. We interpret our apparent failure in ministry to mean God’s hand is not upon us. We easily grow bitter and start grumbling. We find ourselves seeing other churches as rivals, not as gospel partners. If we’re a church member, we might begin to wish we had a different pastor or move to a different church with more to offer. If we’re a church leader, we may even become so discouraged that we’re tempted to leave the ministry, abandon our church, or worse yet, doubt our own standing before God. That’s the danger of self-doubt. And that’s the same danger that faced the church in Philadelphia, addressed by Jesus himself in Revelation 3 v 7-13. The church in Philadelphia had “but little power.” They were small, weak, and powerless. They had little influence in their world.
If you’ve trusted in Christ, he has opened the door of the kingdom to you; no one can shut you out.
So, where are we to turn when we’re despondent and filled with self-doubt—about our church, our ministry, or even our standing before God? There’s only one place worth looking: to the risen Christ.
This is so important to remember when we’re tempted to doubt our standing before God or question the purpose of our ministry. If you have embraced Jesus as the One who saves his people, he has opened the door of the kingdom to you. No one may shut it.
The first-century Philadelphian Christians were coming under pressure from Jews in the local synagogue who said that it was they, not the Christians, who were the true people of God. Sadly, too many professing Christians today try to shut the door of the kingdom to other followers of Christ in a similar way.
Perhaps you’re a new Christian, and someone tells you that you cannot be a true Christian unless you experience a “second blessing” or “baptism in the Spirit.” Maybe you’re a young church and a group of believers joins you and they start saying that you cannot be a true Christian unless you homeschool your children. These “superior” Christians may offer any number of things that you must do or believe to be a “real” Christian: a specific view of the age of the earth, the spiritual gifts, the five points of Calvinism, the five points of Arminianism, or particular convictions on alcohol or tattoos or smoking or entertainment or the Sabbath or the Lord’s Day… Essentially, what they are doing is “shutting” the door of the kingdom to those who differ from them in their beliefs. Don’t listen to them! Jesus plus anything equals heresy. We can’t add anything to the work that Jesus has done on our behalf. If you’ve trusted in Christ, he has opened the door of the kingdom to you; no one can shut you out.
We need to hear the message to the church in Philadelphia because it reminds us that our status as Christians is firm with Jesus, and that he is pleased with faithfulness, not outward “success.” Jesus is the one who can open and shut the door, so he’s the one who is responsible for the church’s growth. We are called to be faithful—only Jesus can make us fruitful. In some seasons he does and in some seasons he doesn’t; but both seasons call for humble confidence in Christ.
“How long until we start to see some growth?” “How long before God raises up the leaders we need?” “Will this ever get any easier?” “Am I just not cut out for this?” If you’re asking these kinds of questions, you’re in good company. What you need to hear is the same thing the church in Philadelphia needed to hear.
The church in Philadelphia looks weak in the world’s eyes. They aren’t going to win any awards any time soon. But Jesus says that they already have a prize that is immeasurably better: a crown (v 11). This image would remind the Philadelphians of the award victorious athletes would receive. It’s an award that we don’t need to strive to win for ourselves, because Jesus has won it for us. When God looks at us, he is pleased with us. He doesn’t see our sin or our weaknesses or our failures—he sees Christ’s victory on our behalf.
All we have to do is to cling on to Jesus. He reminds us to “hold fast what you have”—that is Christ and the gospel— “so that no one may seize your crown” (v 11). Jesus reminds us that what pleases him is faithfulness: holding fast—not the size of our church, not the reputation of our church, and most definitely not the fame of our pastor. So while the world is busy giving away awards and recognition, remember that Jesus is coming soon and is bringing a better prize—a crown of victory that no one can take away from us.
This article is taken from chapter 6 of Seven Dangers Facing Your Church by Juan Sanchez which is available now.
