You Lose Some, then You Win Some

“And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?” (Ex 5:22 AV)

Been there, done that.  The man of God is susceptible to the sin of immediate positive results.  If something adverse happens, then there must be something wrong.  The result of Moses’ first encounter with Pharaoh was to make the situation with Israel worse than it was.  Moses’ natural response was why.  Why did God send him to Pharaoh if the demand upon his nation would only increase?  Is God sure that Moses was the man?  Is God sure this is the plan?  If so, why on earth did things go south? Why aren’t things going swimmingly well?

Currently, I am in my second full-time senior pastorate for which I did not grow into the position.  Technically, the first senior pastorate I served in, it started out as an associate pastorate.  I was warned by seasoned men that when one takes a pastorate, expect to lose a few people before you gain some people.  The figure of twenty percent is often thrown around.  I don’t know how accurate that percentage is, but is it typically the case that a new pastor will lose some people before he gains new sheep.  The reasons why are as various as the people who leave.  The first pastorate, I took this more personally than I should have.  If God had sent me to a church, then why are we loosing ground?  Shouldn’t we be gaining?  After almost a decade of service, that church had completely changed its personality by the newer people that arrived.  Don’t get me wrong, it hurts pretty deeply when people leave.  It truly does.  Often, they do not believe the pastor is hurt, but he is.  He feels that somehow, he has failed them.  He feels responsible.  But, the man of God must be resigned to lose some ground before he gains some ground.

The sin of immediate results plagues our churches.  We are pragmatists.  We do not serve from the foundation of truth and principle.  We serve from the foundation of results.  This is not what the prophet or the church has been called to do.  Our job is to be ambassadors for the LORD Jesus Christ and declare His truth regardless of the results.  Just because Israel’s circumstances temporarily got worse does not mean that Moses was a failure.  Just the opposite.  Just because the pastor may temporarily lose some ground does not mean he is a failure.  It could be all part of God’s wonderful plan to revive a work and bring a new a refreshing direction.