A friend’s church is seeking to develop a vision statement and, as many churches have done, they are considering framing this in a way that will involve setting a numerical target. My friend asked me whether it was right for churches to do this, given that in 2 Samuel 24 David was punished for conducting a census.
The first point to make, of course, is that a census involves numbering what is already there, not setting a numerical target for the future.
Secondly, it is crucial to see that this story of the census is the prelude to the climactic event of 1-2 Samuel, namely the preparation of the temple site. For after David has been rebuked by Gad the prophet and while God’s judgment is in sway, David, at Gad’s God-relayed instruction, buys the threshing floor of Araunah “in order to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be averted from the people” (2 Sam 24:21). The temple, when it is later built, will be the palace where God’s throne is situated and from which God will rule the nations. But already in 2 Samuel 24, by the very way God responds to David’s sin, the point is being made ever so graphically that the protection of Israel is in God’s hands and reliant on God’s might, not David’s military might. Even Joab, for all his own wickedness, recognises that David’s command to conduct a census is repugnant and later, though too late, David himself senses the evil of his actions. Clearly, the evil consists in the fact that instead of trusting in God to protect the nation David is looking to his army to do so.
It would be wrong, therefore, to conclude from David’s census that it is always wrong to conduct a census. Indeed, there are a number of occasions in the Old Testament where God himself commands that a census be taken and even where censuses are taken without any evident prior divine authorisation, though without recrimination. In Numbers 1 God commands Moses to take a census of all males eligible to fight. But in Ezra 2 we also read of returning exiles being numbered witout any prior divine command.
It is also important to recognise that in the book of Acts numbers of converts are regularly reported by way of demonstrating the power of the gospel. See, for example, Acts 2:41; 4:4 (cf. 5:14; 6:7). Indeed, the numbering of the initial group at 120 (Acts 1:15) is at least partly by way of indicating how spectacular was the growth in numbers of the early body of disciples, following Pentecost.
Of course, as we all know, there are particular mission contexts in which the gospel may be faithfully communicated with meagre numerical results. However, it is precisely the understanding of those contexts which enables gospel workers to have reasonable expectations, while never wanting to limit what God can do, and thereby modify numerical estimates. Further, in most contexts it may reasonably be expected that if the gospel is being communicated clearly and powerfully then there will be converts. In most contexts if a church claims to be ‘preaching the gospel’ and there are very few converts then it can indeed be concluded that there is something seriously wrong.
For example, we might think of some churches which are orthodox in their theology yet ineffective in reaching people for Christ. One can attend such a church and hear a sermon that avoids heresy and might speak of Christ’s lordship, death and resurrection. However, it may be that there is very minimal interface between the church and its community and very little communication of the gospel by church members to non-Christian relatives, acquaintances, work colleagues, etc. Some might say the gospel is being preached, though there may still be questions about this since orthdox preaching is not necessarily synonymous with faithful gospel preaching, but if this gospel is not actually being communicated to unbelievers, but only to insiders, then clearly something is very seriously wrong.
I see no problem in setting numerical targets provided they are set with much prayer and dependence on the Lord. Indeed, examples such as David’s census should not discourage us from setting numerical targets but should spur us in setting such targets to ensure all the more that we are not depending on our own abilities and resources. The important thing, of course, in setting numerical targets is to be SMART, that is, to set a target that is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-framed. Some would go further, encouraging SMARTER goals, with the need for targets to also be energising and reviewed also built in.
Of course, in all of this, since we are looking to the Lord for his will to be done and relying on him, we fully appreciate that: “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). We set numerical targets ready to accept the fact that the Lord may decide to do something entirely different to what we had envisaged, though Proverbs 16:9 doesn’t actually say this, as many have wrongly supposed. In fact, Proverbs 16:9 endorses the appropriateness of human planning, while adding the caution that only the Lord’s blessing and enabling will enable those plans, if endorsed by the Lord, to be realised (cf. James 4:13-17, which clearly does not prohibit saying “we will live and do this or that”, provided it is said with non-arrogant dependence on the Lord’s will).
There are those Christians who charge those who set numerical targets with getting their priorities all wrong and not seeing that all that matters is being faithful to the Lord. But there are some Christians who emphasise the all-importance of being faithful and disparage any talk of numbers who, in so doing, betray their complete lack of confidence in the power of God’s Word to transform lives. What hypocrisy!
www.facetofaceintercultural.com.au
Posted November 26, 2009
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