Jesus Is Not Competing With Satan for Numbers (Souls)

God is not interested in numbers but in good, quality, and abiding fruit. Jesus is not competing with Satan to see who will get the most numbers. He has already told us that the majority of people will go to hell (Matthew 7:13-14). The God who says he is able to raise up children for Abraham out of stones and get the rocks to worship him, if we do not, is not interested in just numbers but quality.

“…and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” Matthew 3:9

“But He answered and said to them, ‘I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.’” Luke 19:40

We must never be discouraged by or chase numbers in ministry to validate success. Having a megachurch with 10,000 people all going to hell is not success but dismal failure. Yet having just your 2 children and wife, whom you have ensured have made it to heaven by sound discipleship, is a great success to the Lord. Whatever little God gives you, be it 10 church members, 5 Bible study members, one soul you are discipling, or 50 Facebook friends, make sure your ambition is to teach and model what will lead them to heaven. Even if they do not heed, the Lord will count you successful because you were gathering with him, not scattering.

Remember, the world hates the truth, and this includes lukewarm Christians. If you stand for the entire word of God, the masses will not stick with you. Jesus was God and perfect, and even he was abandoned by everyone when his teachings got too hard for them; they only wanted miracles. His own disciples ran away from him when he was arrested, although later they repented and remained faithful to the end. So let us not be moved by numbers; it is the Lord we are serving, and he sees our faithfulness.

“Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” John 10:19-20

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.” Matthew 10:24-26

“Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’…From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’” John 6:60, 66-67

Jesus did not chase after those who went back, soften his teachings, or beg his disciples not to leave him. Instead, he simply asked them, “Do you also want to go away?” Let us not think God is so desperate to populate heaven that he will take just anyone. God has high standards, and they won’t change for anyone. It is we who must rise to his level by obeying the Lord and his word. Let us likewise not try to soften God’s word for numbers because false teachings will produce false converts for hell.

Be it on social media, in church, in fellowships, or in evangelism, do everything with heaven in mind and with excellence and sound doctrine so you will not be disqualified on the last day for watering down God’s holy word for the sake of numbers, likeability, and fame. God is watching over his word to perform it, and it is his word that shall judge us in the last day (John 12:48).

So if all men hate us, forsake us, and call us fanatics or Beelzebub, let us remember the Lord promised this would happen to us since it happened to him and the apostles faced worse than us. Nothing is new under the sun. The masses love lies, and few shall enter the kingdom of God; it is already written so.

“Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!” Acts 26:24

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