Welcome to our program today. We're in a series on fighting discouragement. Today, we want to talk about fighting discouragement, especially in a small church. You know that 99% of our churches are small. Stay tuned for our program. One percent of the people who will attend church this coming Sunday will be in a large church. A recent survey released by the Barna Research Group of Venture California reported that the average church attendance in the USA five years ago was 90 people. His survey revealed that black churches put the average up as they averaged 100 people, while white congregations averaged 85. He reported that in the USA fundamental churches averaged about 75 people on any given Sunday. Obviously, fundamental churches in Canada would average far less than those in the United States. In spite of this fact, the focus is always on the 1% of large churches. If the survey is accurate, it means as God looks down on our world next Sunday, He will see 99% of the people attending church in Canada will be in a small church. It has been my experience as I traveled this country from coast to coast for many years, that our churches are maintained by small groups of sincere Christians who must sacrifice to pay their pastor's salary and keep the church going. These faithful Christians do not have the financial resources that larger churches have, However, unlike most large churches, the same faithful people return for the evening service and the weekly prayer meeting. God does not consider those churches to be failures. Smaller churches have less available leadership to help, and therefore they have much more difficulties in attracting people. However, according to the Barna Group report, small or mid-sized churches have the largest number of born-again believers. The number of people sitting in a meeting may be a gauge of success for us on this earth. However, as God looks at our so-called megachurches, he knows how many are goats and how many are sheep that are sitting there in the service. What do goats eat? There are 32 noxious plants found in the state of Montana, and goats eat all of them. Goats are used to control weeds because they eat the weeds and leave the grass. Sheep will eat the weeds if that's all that is available for them. However, once sheep eat weeds, it is difficult to get them to eat grass again. If they are going to keep the goats coming to their meetings, they will need to give them food that satisfies their cravings. Therefore, the sheep will have to learn to be satisfied with the weeds. The watchword for the megachurch might be found in Job 31, 40, where we read, let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle, or weeds, instead of barley. Barna questioned the value of growth for its own sake. He said Jesus did not die on the cross to fill up church auditoriums. He died so that people might know God personally. and be transformed in all dimensions of their life through their ongoing relationship with Him. He continued, the goal of every church should not be a numerical goal, but spiritual, healthy vitality. God does have some large congregations. As Thomas said in Psalm 42 and verse number four, I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with a voice of joy and praise with a multitude that kept holy days. 1 Corinthians 3, 7 says, God giveth the increase. Sometimes God increases the size of a church. However, the majority of God's congregations are small. In Psalm 119, verse 141, the psalmist said, I am small and despised, yet do not I forget thy precepts. It is great to have a multitude in church if the increase is of God. However, that increase that is acquired and maintained by compromise is not a successful church. Proverbs 15 verse 16 says, Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith. Proverbs 16 and 8 says, Better is little with righteousness than great revenues without right. A successful church cannot be measured by size. A church that has hundreds of people sitting in a building getting their weekly fix of religion while remaining spiritual pygmies is not a successful church in God's eyes. God wants people who are capable of holding fast the faithful word, as he has been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. Titus 1 verse number 9. We have the false impression that a church that has a fleet of buses in the parking lot must be a successful church. I have spent hundreds of hours working on bus routes and have nothing but the highest respect for those who work on buses. Someday, those faithful folks will receive their reward. However, what about the 95% of those who call themselves Christians who wouldn't dream of serving God by working on a bus? If every Christian who shows up for church next Sunday would pick up three people in their car on the way to church, they could save millions of dollars spent on maintaining buses across North America, then that money could be sent to missionaries. Bus ministries have become a necessity so that the majority of Christians in our local churches can sleep in a little longer, spend a little more time getting ready for church, and save their new cars from getting all messed up by kids getting in there with their dirty shoes. Does this sound like a successful church in God's definition of the term? The one church of the seven listed in the book of Revelation that received no rebuke from the Savior was the church at Philadelphia, and the Lord highly commended them. He said in Revelation 3 and 8, I know thy works, behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it, for thou hast a little strength, and has kept my word, and has not denied my name. The church that received the sharpest rebuke was the church of the Laodiceans, where Jesus said in Revelation 3 verse number 17 that they were rich and increased. They had a crowd, but where was Christ? We read in Revelation 3 and number 20, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man will hear my voice and open the door, I will come to him and will sup with him, and he with me." That door in the Laodicean church was opened, a mixture of sheep and goats, but it was closed to the Savior. And the sad part was they thought they were very successful. They said, we have need of nothing. There's a big difference between swelling and growth. You can smack your thumb with a hammer and you'll have swelling. However, swelling and growth are two different things. There's much swelling in the ranks of many of our churches today. That may be impressing people, but it's not impressing God.