John 12:10-11
But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
The miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead caused concern to the Pharisees because so many people were leaving them to follow Jesus. It was the miracle that caught the eyes of the people to want to follow Jesus. It is interesting that the teaching of Jesus did not cause these people to follow Him, but the miracle He performed is what caused them to follow Him. Certainly, the teaching of Jesus kept these people close to Jesus after they followed Him, but what drew these people to Christ was the fact that they saw the miracles He performed.
Our churches will not grow if people do not see God doing the miraculous in them. Nobody wants to be part of something that is dead, a place where nothing is happening. However, many will want to be part of something where God is showing His power in that place. A church where God is doing the miraculous is sure to grow. Is there anything wrong with wanting your church to grow? Absolutely not! Only a pharisee would say that is a wrong motive.
Why would we want our church to grow? The reason we want it to grow is so that more souls can be saved, and so that more lives can find freedom from the grips of sin. There are three types of miracles that cause people to come.
First, the miracle of souls saved regularly causes people to come and the church to grow. Don't get me wrong; we go soul winning so that people will get saved and not to build the church, but soul winning and people getting saved in the services will result in growth. Your church is sure not to grow if you are not seeing people saved regularly through soul winning and in the services. This means if a church wants to grow, they must be actively reaching the lost and inviting them to come if they want God to do the miraculous to save these souls.
Second, the miracle of the extraordinary causes people to come and the church to grow. There is nothing that motivates people to come to your church if you are like every other dead church. People need to come and see something at your church that they don't see in any other church. A church regularly needs to attempt to have big days. There is something about big days that causes people to want to be a part of them. Also, if your church sees people saved and baptized every week, that itself will set you apart from any other church. People will come to see if what you say is happening is truly happening.
Third, the miracle of growth causes people to come and the church to grow. People desire to be part of something that is growing and not something that is dying. Success breeds success, and growth produces growth. Growth brings an excitement that nothing can artificially replicate. You will be surprised how your church will start to grow more if you keep your church growing.
My friend, you must attempt the miraculous for the miraculous to happen. What is the purpose of the miraculous? The purpose is for more souls to be saved. Let me challenge you to help your church grow by attempting the miraculous. Be a soul winner and invite people to come, for every member doing this will help the church to grow.
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