We have written upon hearts now, Elim Grace, that we are growing not a big church, but a big people — a people big in Christ. Big in His mercy and grace, love and truth, power and humility, wisdom and generosity, courage and compassion. 

Today “growth,” whether as applied to individual potential or organizational success, is many times understood as being without limit. But under the sun and within creation, there is nothing that grows without limit. All things have their limit, beyond which is many times a breaking point or a breaking down.

How many push past their human capacity and limits in the name of “resilience”? How many organizations and corporations push past their capacity and limits in the pursuit of success? The story is tried and true: growth, all growth, has a limit.

If we understand growth Biblically, we understand that there is both an “end” as in a finishing point and full stop, and an “end” as in purpose and fulfillment. So each of us will come to an ”end” in this life in our death, yet we can arrive at that end having fulfilled our “telos” or purpose in God. 

I say all this so that we won’t forget but will keep before us something of great importance to our growth as a big people in Christ: we will grow only as we stay within the limits of the ministry assigned to us by our Lord, Jesus. 

Paul wrote this in his second letter to the Corinthians :

But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s area of influence. “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. (10:13-18)

Paul is very clear that there is an “area of influence” God has assigned to him and an “area of influence” God has assigned to others. And so Paul is being very careful to not overextend himself beyond those limits put on him by Jesus. These limits are both for his good and for the good of the ones he’s called to serve. 

Here are three limits to be aware of as we grow a big people in Christ.

TIME

Paul’s ability to travel was severely limited. While much had improved in the world of Paul’s day, it was in no way comparable to our ability to travel long distances in very short amounts of time. As such, time was limited or precious as a resource in Paul’s eyes. He had to make the most of it, and he did. He did so by preaching the gospel, establishing churches, and leaving instructions to those churches. 

But here’s what we need to also remember: Paul had enough time to do everything God called him to. Nothing more, nothing less.

God has called us as Elim Grace to do some very specific things within our area of influence. These things will be unique to us and these are the things we must give our time to. Some of these things, like preaching the gospel, are the same across lines of influence given to others churches in our area. But some of these things are different or unique to us: Touch Down, starting new ministries and organizations, giving away offerings, Alpha Courses, Fall Fest, and more. 

The tendency when things grow bigger in terms of money and people and resources is to do more. But more is not always better, if it’s an overreach or an overextension beyond the area of influence God has called us to. And this includes our personal lives, too. Nothing steals our time more than good things. Nothing robs our energy more than good works. Nothing depletes our focus more than good opportunities.

BODY

Paul’s ability to minister was limited by his body. By all accounts Paul had many severe sufferings that paid a physical toll on him. Yet, Paul could also say that even within those limits God gave him grace and energy to “work harder than all the rest”. Whatever that meant with regards to Paul’s coworkers and enemies, it meant that he gave all he could but never more than that. 

That may seems obvious. “Of course he couldn’t give more than what he had, Jonathan.” But too many times in the light of success we appear to ourselves stronger and faster and wiser than we actually are. We again overextend ourselves and leave ourselves buried in exhaustion or anger or disappointment. But the truth is, we are all limited by a finite amount of energy and strength and wisdom. 

The body of Christ in the practical is no different. All things are possible in Christ within the limits He assigns to us, not beyond the limits He’s assigned to us. The body of Christ at Elim Grace is limited in energy and strength and wisdom. But if we keep pace with the Spirit in doing the things we are called and equipped to do, then our energy and strength and wisdom will be abundant. In fact, the power of the Holy Spirit is authorization to do not whatever we want but whatever Christ wants and has authorized us to do as a unique expression of His body on earth in Oswego, New York. Make no mistake, the power of Christ in the Spirit is boundless, yet operates within the limits of our faithfulness to Jesus in keeping with the things pertaining to our area of influence. 

GRACE

It might seem strange or even contradictory to say there’s a limit on grace. And on the one hand that’s true. There is no limit to God’s saving grace in Christ Jesus. But on the other hand, Paul said God’s grace was “sufficient,” that is “enough,” for what God had called Paul to accomplish within his areas of ministry. As long as Paul stayed within the boundaries and didn’t boast as if he was without boundaries, then God’s grace would be poured out abundantly. 

Grace upon grace is upon us and, therefore, available to us as a church and to you as disciples, as long as we accept the limits of our time and body. Our calling is always “bounded,” but as long as we submit to and cling to Jesus, we are cut off from nothing we need to grow big in Him. Remember, grace is our full and free access through Jesus to all of the treasures found in God.

Are you a husband or wife? There is grace to live up to your “telos” as a husband or wife in Jesus. The same applies in your family. In your work. In your ministry. In your play. In your rest. In your suffering. In all things. In every season. There is always abundant and sufficient grace to live by, in order to fulfill God’s glorious purpose for you in this life. 

TRUE KINGDOM GROWTH

Here’s what I find, perhaps, most interesting about this passage. Paul actually does say, and sees, his area of influence being “enlarged”. But how? Through the people who make up his area of influence. He’s not leaping from field to field, comparing himself to others, assuming he’s called to everyone, hoping every church in town admires him. He cares deeply that those entrusted to him, as a “first order of business,” are growing in Christ. Their growth Paul considers to be the only influence he cares about. It’s the measure of the field and the assignment of work he was called to. Yet, as the local believers in Paul’s church grow in Christ, their growth is enlarging the area of Paul’s influence. Not into other churches or other established areas of Christian work or ministry, but into new areas unreached by Christ. In other words, to Paul, big growth in the kingdom is growth that happens in people as they are transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ and as a result bear witness to Jesus Christ in and through their lives. The goal is never to be bigger than or better than other churches. Furthermore, there’s no Biblical version of a single local church taking over an entire city. But each has their own measure of the field.

Dear Elim Grace, I said above that the story is tried and true: growth, all growth, has a limit. But that’s not the full truth. 

• Our growth in Christ has no limit, for one day we will become like Him and our joy will know no end. In the meantime, we suffer “this light momentary affliction…preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17) and beyond all measure. 
• The growth of God’s kingdom has no limit, for one day the new heaven and earth will come and there will be no end to our life together with God. 
• There is no limit to the authority and power of Jesus. He has promised, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” (Matthew 16:18) even as Paul reminds us “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” (4:8-10) 

Bounded by time and by body, but confident in God’s grace and Spirit, let’s stay the course and run our race. Let’s stay in the ring and fight our fight. Let’s stay in the field and work our harvest. Our limits are given to us for our good. Let’s receive them with thanksgiving and within them abound with joy to the glory of Jesus Christ.