Ingredients of a Great Church
By Curtis Hutson
Preacher
The preacher is the most important ingredient. Dr. Roberson always said, “Everything rises or falls on leadership.”
You don’t attract what you want, you attract what you are
God doesn’t bless a ministry, God blesses a man. God’s blessings were not upon Metropolitan Tabernacle, they were on Charles Spurgeon
Jack Hyles said, if you expect your people to jump an inch, you must jump six feet
You don’t limit God to a location. It is not WHERE you are, but WHOSE you are and WHAT you are that determine whether or not you succeed in the ministry
Dr. Bob Jones Sr., said, “The test of a man’s character is what it takes to stop him.”
Unlikely people, but people who were sold out to God. It is not WHO you are but WHOSE you are that makes the difference.
Purpose
One man said, blessed is the man who aims at nothing for he shall hit it every time – a lot of preachers are like this, they do not know where they are going
You ought to find out where you are going before you get started
Purpose in your heart that you can and will do it. A man once said to Spurgeon, “Mr. Spurgeon, I am really concerned about my ministry. Not many people are being saved.” Spurgeon said, “Do you expect people to be saved every time you preach?” The man reaplied, “Well, no.” And Spurgeon said, “Then that is the reason they are not being saved every time”
You need some goals, some purpose, as to what you want to do
Plan
Not only purpose but plan. Plan. Plan. Plan
Publicize
Run spot announcements on the radio
Everything you do at your church should go out with the churches name on it
Let everyone in your city know that you are there
Bumper stickers
There is nothing wrong with publicizing
Perspiration
W-O-R-K – that is it!
If the average business man worked no harder at making his business a success than the average preacher works at making his church a success, every business in town would be bankrupt in a matter of weeks. You can not sleep until 10 in the morning, go to the store with your wife, rest in the afternoon, etc and expect something to happen on Sunday. You go the pulpit about half prepared, your message is not burning in your heart, and you are not really excited about preaching. You cannot build a church like that.
Do you know what will help you? Read the Journal of John Wesley. “Up at 5:00 o’clock this morning; preached several times before 10:00 in the morning.”
Read about John Welch who kept his old coat by his bed and got up in the middle of the night to go out into the yard to pray. His wife would ask, “For what are you praying?” His answer was, “O woman, I have three thousands souls to my charge, and I know not how it is with many of them!”
Edison said, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” WORK!
Patience
Boy! You’re going to need patience to build a great church
If you don’t have patience, you won’t be able to take it
If you don’t have some patience, you will quit. Little things are bound to happen that will require patience.
Persistence
You have to keep going on
The fellow who keeps on and keeps on is the one who gets the job done
You are never going to do anything until you decide to drive your stakes somewhere and invest your life in something instead of skipping all over the country. Every time you have problems, you run from them. You are going to meet the same Devil somewhere else. Make us your mind that you are going to stay put and fight the devil and build a church.”
Keep on keeping on. Don’t quit!
Preaching
Preachers build a church. You say, “Folks won’t come.” Yes they will. If you have something to tell them, they will come.
Make up your mind that you are not going to the pulpit with a blank
Make up your mind that you are going to have a solid, Scripture-packed sermon when I go to the pulpit.
One man said if I had a little sermon and a big sermon, I would preach the little sermon to the little congregation and save the big sermon for a big congregation. The wise pastor said, “then you probably aren’t going to have any big congregations.” He was right. Preaching will build a congregation. There is no substitute for preaching!
Praise
Of course praise the Lord, but I’m talking about praising the people in church. If people do special things in your church, give them special recognition. Praise your people. “Folks did you hear Mr. and Mrs. Bagley got 128 riders on the 66 passenger bus – can we have the Bagley’s stand. God bless you! You are doing a wonderful job.”
Everyone likes praise. We all enjoy it.
Promptness
Do it now. Do not wait.
Billy Sunday had a saying, “Get right with God and do it NOW.”
A kid said to his dad, “there were 3 frogs on a log and one decided to jump, how many were left”. The dad said “2”. The kid said, “no 3”. The dad questioned how it was possible if one decided to jump, how was 3 still there. The kid answered, “That’s right. One decided, but he never did.” And there are a lot of frogs in the church sitting decided but have never moved.
The wise man’s day is today and the fool’s day is tomorrow.
Yesterday is a canceled check; Tomorrow is a promissory note; Today is the only cash you have, so spend it wisely.