The following is taken from our last Pastors Roundtable held at Good Shepherd Baptist in Cleveland on March 6, 2010.
 

Are You Ministering to the Right Congregation? 

"Organizations, including churches tend to pass through three stages: they begin as risk takers, then develop to caretakers and finally become undertakers.

The early days are characterized by a willingness to try anything that might advance the cause. After a season of success there is a tendency to protect the fruit of earlier victories. This cautious mode leads towards decline and eventual death. It happens in business and churches because growth requires a certain level of risk" (faith-rw). Dr. Bob Cox Univ. Texas-Tyler 

Sometimes we are working hard to hold on to the wrong congregation, while the right congregation is being neglected outside the church doors.

-Moses did not enter Canaan with the same congregation that left Egypt
-Only a fraction of Gideon's army was fit for the victory God provided over the Midianites. 

Where does the local church come from anyway, how is it formed? Contrary to practices that are popular today, the church is formed by evangelism, by the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Paul and Barnabas illustrate our principle in their evangelism of Pisidian Antioch in Acts 13.

 Acts 13.44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us:  

'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.'" 48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. NKJV 

Paul and Barnabas first preached the good news to the Jews, using the OT scriptures to convey the truth regarding Jesus and eternal life. Some Jews responded but most rejected the message and went to lengths to oppose both it and the messengers. In response, Paul and Barnabas did not settle down to a decade long campaign to please the Jews, instead they took the gospel to those who might receive it and there, God saved those who would form a local church there in Antioch.

In fact, God did not bring the harvest of believers until Paul made the decision to turn away from the people who rejected the message (vs. 46-48)! God blessed their teaching when they showed spiritual discernment regarding their audience. Paul did not change his message to suit the Jews. Paul did not try to persuade the Jews to embrace a message to which they were hostile. Paul took the gospel to the gentiles because it was his job to win the lost, not to placate those who rejected the gospel, nor to build the local church on a foundation of grumbling religious people. 

There were two responses to the preaching of Paul and Barnabas, one positive, the other negative. Paul and Barnabas moved towards those who were being saved and away from those who opposed the gospel. Today we see churches trying to make happy those who oppose evangelism and who are against disciple making. They are basing the church upon a model of "holding on to everybody". Unfortunately, some churches are trying to make the church more comfortable for those who oppose the very activity that the church is commanded to perform. 

Matt 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. NKJV 

There are several types of churches today that demonstrate this principle of "the wrong congregation": 

Family Churches

One or more families control the life of the church and determine its direction 

Denominationalism

Not a bad thing necessarily, unless traditions and programs choke out the evangelistic efforts of local churches 

Old Ageism

Churches that are too old and tired to make disciples and who have lost concern for the future of the community or the church 

Programism

Churches dominated by the appearance of spiritual activity without a concern for seeing the lost come to Christ 

Memberism

An emphasis on gaining and keeping members (and their offerings) rather than an emphasis upon winning the lost and making disciples 

Inherited Congregations

Congregations that hire the Pastor and then dictate the terms of ministry to him (see Family Churches)

If you want the right congregation, the church that has actually called you to, then you must release those who oppose evangelism and discipleship: you must take all of the energy that was used to hold on to them and use it to win the lost and make disciples.