A lesson from the American worker?

The American worker is the most productive worker on the planet!

And once again, productivity rose 2.3 percent (see the story here http://cjky.it/vdsJp8 ) during the third quarter of 2011. The productivity of the American worker is the key to our nation’s economy being the largest in the world.

Americans know how to get things done!

Except in the church.

How’s the productivity of your local church these days?

Now before you start with the statements that the church isn’t a business and doesn’t produce goods and services for a resale market — which I agree with — the church is a body that is expected to produce.

In the case of the church, God does have expectations for us, and if you look at the Commission given to the church, you can see with specificity what the church is expected to produce:

“19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” Matthew 18:19-20.

Rarely do you hear someone teaching biblical truth that, while salvation is indeed by grace, God still has expectations of us. Just read Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-29 and you’ll come away with a clear insight that Jesus wants us to be productive with the talents He gives us. Continuing in that same chapter, through verse 31 to the end of the chapter, and you’ll get a glimpse of how Christ will evaluate what we’ve accomplished for Him when He returns and takes account of our “productivity.”

No, the church isn’t some kind of spiritual manufacturing plant pumping out spiritual goods. It is the family of God, who is expected to take all that He’s given us and put it to use for His glory, and the growth of His kingdom.

And to be specific, the church is responsible for producing disciples.

So … how is the productivity of your local church? What are you contributing directly to its “productivity”?

Scotty