Is there anything wrong with numbers and desiring to reach large numbers of people

I read a blog the other day espousing that God was 'all about the numbers' (of people coming into church and getting saved), therefore churches should be all about the numbers. While I will keep the bloggers name anonymous, he represents a segment of pastors and ministry leaders who make similar statements. And they argue that God: wrote a book called "Numbers", lists numbers of genealogies, and keeps up with how many were saved throughout the book of Acts.

From the blog, the pastor writes, "Apparently God is all about the numbers. So I want to be, too. And so should you. It's unacceptable to me as a pastor that we would stop growing when the Lord wants to add to our number daily those who are being saved. And in order for that to happen, we need to track every scrap of statistical data at our disposal. We've got to make sure we're measuring ministry numbers to measure our effectiveness and enlarge the Kingdom of God. I don't want to waste a single dollar or second on a program, piece of equipment, or ministry position that isn't the best option for reaching the most people."

While I agree with the fact that God loves (unconditionally) every individual, and that the angels rejoice over one sinner who was found and repents, and that Abraham's offspring will be as numerous as the sands of the seashore, the emphasis is never on the number, but on God, his glory, and what he will accomplish. In the book of Acts where 3,000 and 5,000 were saved, the apostles never approached that day or Peter, the sermon, and desired to see scores of people come to Christ. They approached that day desiring to be faithful witnesses to God, and God blessed the fruits of their labor, and multiplied and gave increase. The other fact that biblicist must remember when reading the book of Acts is that anytime something good or miraculous happens in the church, it is not the result of the apostles or believers, but the result of the Spirit living and flowing through them.

The problem that I have with statements that teach "God is all about the numbers, therefore churches should be all about the numbers" is the simple fact that numbers can creep in a pastor's or ministry life and become an idol. If numbers is what God is about and that's what we are about, everything we do from service, to ministry, to graphics, to outreach is at the root motive about the amount of people we can reach. The object then of ministry, service, graphics, outreach, and special events become numbers/people, not the glory of God and sound orthodoxy. While I love scores of people (and would be humbled at the fact that God would allow the ministry I lead to reach many) and believe that scores amount of people will be in heaven, this is not what motivates me in the ministry--God, his love, and his calling in my life motivates me to be faithful to him in proclamation of the gospel, living out the gospel, and being an excellent kingdom citizen that lives for his glory and fame, not mine.

I do not think there is anything wrong with tracking numbers, but there are times where numbers do not measure success. Just look at Jesus in John 8. There were large crowds following him until he went all cannibal (or so they thought) on them. After his teaching, large crowds departed him leaving only the disciples. Was Jesus successful? Was he a failure? At the end of Paul's life in 2 Timothy we read a letter from a lonely man, who has been deserted by many of those who had once followed him. Was Paul unsuccessful because he had one person with him in prison? Finally, the vehicle by which Jesus would bring redemption is not the greatest avenue by which to reach scores and scores of people. If Jesus wanted to reach the most people in a humanly effective way, it would not have been through the cross. He would have chosen another way. He even prays to the Father to take this cup from him. Paul says the cross is foolishness to those who do not believe.

What does this teach us about numbers? It teaches us, the church, believers, to be faithful to the calling and commands of God and allow him to draw and reach people. He will build his church, he will build his kingdom. All throughout the Bible God's ways have never been avenues that masses would follow (and I could give example after example). Again, I am not against tracking numbers or desiring to reach a great number of people. But this doesn't determine my status and my success in God's eyes, nor is it the overarching theme that drives my ministry.

Let me just caveat all this by saying that the opposite of numbers is true as well. Many approach ministry, not with a drive and passion to reach people, therefore they have a small vision, a small church, and a dismal affect on the community. I think people and churches such as these are consumed with mediocrity, laziness, and use God as a crutch as to why they are not reaching people.

Let us not be consumed with the numbers of people, but be consumed with the glory of God. Let us love God first and have an affinity for him first and then a love and affinity for people and numbers.