I want the church to grow, but

 Have you ever wanted your church to grow — but not with certain kinds of people?

What would you do if someone with a terrible past, like Saul of Tarsus or Jeffrey Dahmer, wanted to be baptized or place membership at your congregation?

Are we more concerned with our comfort than with God’s mission for the church?

Could fear of change be keeping us from welcoming the very people God wants to save?
What happens when we let God, not us, decide who belongs in His church?

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Dark Journey, Deep Grace, by Roy Ratcliff about Jeffrey Dahmer  

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Transcript

068 I want the church to grow, but

1. Have you ever wanted your church to grow — but not with certain kinds of people?
2. What would you do if someone with a terrible past, like Saul of Tarsus or Jeffrey Dahmer, wanted to be baptized or place membership at your congregation?
3. Are we more concerned with our comfort than with God’s mission for the church?
4. Could fear of change be keeping us from welcoming the very people God wants to save?
5. What happens when we let God, not us, decide who belongs in His church?

In October 1987, Ross Jordan had just moved to Dalton, Georgia, to work with the Central church. On the first Monday, he asked to talk to Cordell Holloway and me. He had many questions as he was new to the congregation and wanted to get integrated well.

One of the questions he asked was, "Do you want the church to grow?”

Cordell answered in the affirmative. Cordell had played a crucial role in the growth of our Bible school since he and Peggy came to work with us, serving as an effective leader, training and encouraging our teachers, preaching, and taking on other responsibilities.

Ross asked, "Jerrie, how would you answer that?”

I said, “Do you want me to lie to your or tell the the truth?”

Ross said, “I prefer the truth.”

I continued, “I walk to church to grow, but I don't want any more people. I want people to be saved. I don't want anybody to be lost. But if we get more people, I'll have to work harder. And I'm already working harder now than I want to. I want people to be baptized and saved. But I hope they’ll worship in Calhoun, Ringgold, or Chattanooga. I realize that’s a bad attitude, and I promise I'll work on it.”

There’s a difference between what I know I “should” do and what I wanna to do. 

I want the church to grow because it was in God’s plan.

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days

That the mountain of the Lord’s house

Shall be established on the top of the mountains,

And shall be exalted above the hills;

And all nations shall flow to it. — Isaiah 2:2 

For the earth will be filled

With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,

As the waters cover the sea. —Habakkuk 2:14

I want the church to grow, but I may not want people that I fear. And that's not a new problem for the church. In Acts 9:26, after Saul of Tarsus had been baptized, Luke records:

And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

I understand why the Jerusalem disciples were afraid of Saul. This included the apostles: “They were all afraid of him.”

He had hurt and helped kill other Christians. Ananias didn’t wanna visit him. But the Lord told Ananias to go see Saul, and he replied, "I don't want his visitation card. Could you please give it to someone else?”

Ananias wanted the church to grow, but he didn’t like certain people. Think of the loss if Saul hadn’t been converted. I’m glad Ananias let the Lord decide who needed to be in the church instead of Him making that decision.

 What person would I want to keep out because of fear?

• A known drug or alcohol addict?
• Another staff member? 
• Someone being considered as an elder, who’s qualified, but might disagree with the way we’ve always done things?
• Jeffrey Dahmer?

Jeffrey Dahmer was serving 15 life sentences for murder in Wisconsin and one from Ohio. He had dismembered his victims, kept parts of their bodies for trophies, and ate some of them.

Curtis Booth of Crescent, Oklahoma, and Mary Mott of Arlington, Virginia, sent Bible correspondence courses to Jeffrey. After studying, he requested baptism.

Roy Ratcliff was contacted to visit Jeffrey. He initially attempted to avoid meeting Jeffrey Dahmer, but later became his friend, showing him the light of God's love, and baptized him. He wrote the book, Dark Journey, Deep Grace about his developing relationship with Jeffrey. I'll put a link in the show notes in case you're interested in the book.

When I was preparing these thoughts, I called Roy Ratcliffe and discussed his experience with Jeffery.

When I asked him how people had responded to his interaction with Jeffrey, he replied that many people had commended him to his face. But, some, behind his back, said, “If Jeffrey Dahmer goes to heaven, then I don’t wanna go.”

Others asked the question, “Do you think he was really sincere?”

That may sound very un-Christian. However, if Jeffrey han’t been killed and later pardoned, decided to move to our town, rented an apartment that would be available in two weeks, would you or I want him to use our spare bedroom while he was waiting to move in?

Would that answer change if I had two teenage boys sleeping in the bedroom across the hall?

In practice, we’d reject him altogether or set boundaries due to some people's backgrounds.

But one of the problems that many churches have is that they don’t have enough problems. If we’re evangelistic and invite everyone that Jesus asked, people will come with habits and backgrounds that may not change immediately, and they’ll present challenges in the congregation. Read 1 Corinthians.

But what if God really could and would save Saul of Tarsus and Jeffrey Dahmer? 

Paul, in 1 Timothy 1:12-17, almost seems breathless as he describes his gratitude for what God gave him.

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

The question, then, isn’t what do I want but what does God want?

Jesus wants all who are burdened with sin.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

The Holy Spirit and the church should want all who want to be saved.

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”  And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come.  Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17).

I want the church to grow, but do I want any more people?

1.     How many?

2.     What kind?

3.     Do I want more people in the church if God’ll check with me before He lets them in?