"Success has made failures of many men." Cindy Adams

"Success has made failures of many men." Cindy Adams

During the latter quarter of 2012—as I do the latter quarter of every year, I started reflecting on my wins and loses for that year. The things I did really well, not so well and the things I just totally flunked in.

Now, since I spend much of my time either preaching, or in sermon preparation, and for the last two years, sermon series planning, and promoting, I naturally started grading myself in these areas. I gave myself an "A" in Sermon Preparation and Delivery, an "C+" in Series Planning and Promoting(that was up from a "D" the previous year). Felling good about my grades, I sat back with a smile on my face, and Just when I was feeling really good about my success, the The Holy Spirit began to deal with me concerning my over all grade in discipleship.

It didn't take but a couple of minutes for me to sit up in my chair and hang my head low, because I realized that I had flunked discipleship! I had allowed myself to define my success by the Sunday morning delivery (and everything that I did in preparation for it), rather than my daily efforts to make disciples.

I repented and ask God to show me some men that I could start pouring my life into more directly. He did and I did. The attention to the details of discipleship have revived me. It has helped me to clarify the success of my pastorate and the success and future of the church I lead, by the glow on the faces and the growth of the men I am discipling.

Jesus looked into the faces of his disciples and said, "greater works shall you do." This was a major part of how He defined His success. Getting those twelve men ready for his departure was a three year strategic plan. These men turned the world upside down because they had all of Him in all of them. This strategy was so important that Christ didn't return to heaven until his disciples totally understood that they were to do for others what He had done for them; "Make disciples."

When I look back on the grades that I gave myself in preaching, sermon series preparation and promoting, the words of Cindy Adams rush in like a flood: "Success has made failures of many men."

My role as a leader is not defined or determined by the sermons I preach, but by the servants I develop. Delivering powerful messages without deliberately developing powerful messengers is a waste of time. The bravado of a sermon in and of itself, is not enough to build disciples.

So, are you passing or flunking discipleship. If you are Flunking, let me be the first to say to you, "There is a 'Rising From The Dust' to a better grade."




Anthony