The Failure of Success
As we learned in our earlier study of John 15, the ultimate purpose of bearing fruit is so that God might be glorified. This goes against our natural tendency. Left to ourselves, we inevitably begin to glorify the fruit--both in our own lives and in how we view the lives and ministries of others. Churches everywhere are mesmerized by the most recent attendance figures, as if God is awarding frequent flyer miles for each new member. We measure the "success" of a ministry by how many people have been saved or baptized in a year; we measure the "health" of a ministry by the amount of money that has been given year-to-date. Awash in statistics and the latest ideas on building successful ministries, we find lost in all our tireless effort any sign of real fruit. We have fallen prey to the failure of success.
It's not hard to see how this has happened. In our zeal to be successful fruit-bearers, we have failed to notice a subtle redefinition of the criteria by which we evaluate ourselves. When the dust of all our furious activity is finally allowed to subside we discover that there is no difference between the criteria we use to evaluate our success and the criteria the world uses to evaluate its success. Having redefined success, we inevitably lose sight of what it means to be truly successful.
This is not to say that churches should not track attendance, create budgets or monitor the amount of giving. The point is that true success cannot be measured by any of these things. We must be careful not to define "success" by anything other than the extent to which we have endeavored to glorify God. Churches that are run like a business will only be able to measure their success in terms of a business. But churches that operate with a vision of loving and glorifying God in all they do will develop a radically different understanding of success. An understanding that will change the hearts and lives of all who encounter it.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul wrote to the church in Corinth to educate them on the matter of spiritual gifts. In doing so, he compared the body of believers in Christ to a human body--each with its own unique purpose and function. While some parts might appear small or insignificant, each part is critically--and equally--important to the body. Nevertheless, Paul recognized the natural human desire to be gifted by God in a manner that would bring worldly fame and attention:
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues ? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:27-31a)
To those who might otherwise mistake the best way to bear fruit Paul writes:
And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:7)
Here again, we see the inseparable link between love and bearing fruit. Just as Jesus instructed His disciples (John 15:9-17), Paul now writes to believers encouraging them to seek after the greatest of gifts:
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:8-13)
To the believers at Corinth, the most visible of spiritual gifts were those of prophesy, speaking in tongues, and knowledge. Those who possessed such gifts were no doubt at the center of attention. It is easy to see why many of the believers would eagerly desire such gifts, but Paul reminds them that the need for love will never disappear--even after the need for prophecies, tongues and knowledge has. The greatest of what remains, says Paul, is love.
Why is love so important? God loved us first and it is our love for Him that motivates us to obey (John 15:9-10, cf. Romans 5:8). Paul indicates that love is the key ingredient that separates fruitfulness from fruitlessness. The Bible is clear that actions are weighed by motives (Proverbs 16:2, 1 Corinthians 4:5). For Paul, fruit is only fruit if it was motivated by love.
Today, the modern-day church and many in it have eagerly sought to be fruitful in ministry. But what is motivating that desire? A love for God, or a love for fruit? We strive for perfection in our ministries and so church has become a performance for many. And in a sense, it is a performance. The problem is, we've lost track of who the audience is. I have been in many churches where an inordinate amount of time is spent on perfecting every aspect of the presentation to the audience. Those who attend church are treated as a good business treats a customer--every aspect of the experience must be perfect. Everything must be "consumer friendly." Every possible service and amenity must be provided. But have we missed the point? The "audience" does not consist of those who attend; our audience is an audience of one--God and God alone. We fail in our ministry when we mistake our audience. And to the extent that we turn our focus away from glorifying God, we fail in our "success."
It's not that we shouldn't work hard or try our best. The problem is not necessarily in our actions, it is in our motivation. What is the motivation for trying to perfect every aspect of our church service or ministry? Is it to draw in more outsiders? To make visitors feel more comfortable? To be more "relevant?" To deliver a message more effectively, in a manner that will be better understood by all? Again, we must ask the question, "Who is the audience?"
Our motives are kept pure by remaining intently focused on loving and glorifying God. For when we focus our attention elsewhere, a subtle but inevitable transition begins. Sooner than we think, we, like the Pharisees before us, begin to love the praise of men more than the praise of God (cf. John 12:42-43).
It's worthwhile to ponder whether or not is God glorified in a church where everything is performed perfectly. Is God impressed by our modern innovations and efficiencies? Is His name glorified by the fact that church attendance is on the rise? Or that giving is up over last year? Indeed, God can be glorified when His people prosper; but so too can we. Critical to the "success" of our ministry is remembering who is the vine and who are the branches:
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
Ultimately, we can know success in our ministry--success not as defined by the world's standard but by God's standard. Though our ministry may appear less than successful, the only question that matters is whether or not our ministry is a success in God's eyes. We must not be fooled into measuring our success using the world's criteria.
For therein we find the failure of "success."
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Copyright © 1998-2000 Tim A. Krell. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV), Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.