Jesus said He would build His Church (Mat. 16:18). His declaration is the driving force behind the Christian story.  The Church belongs to Jesus.  He calls the shots, sets the direction, instills the focus, and exercises authority.  He is the head of the outfit, and those who would compete for the position need not bother.  

           

Once upon a time in Jesus of Nazareth, God revealed to the world that He had a dream. He gave to the world a church, His Church, and told that Church to live in the world faithful to Him. He commissioned Her to be present in the world to do some things – to love, to teach the truth about God, and to raise the banner of God’s ways and means in cultures distracted from God-things.  The Father's dream was that in Jesus Christ the Church would be a people in whom forgiveness found expression, in whom hope lived, and in whom and through whom, grace and mercy would be lavished on a needy world.  She was to be a worshipping community of Christ-centered people who lived and moved and had their being in God (See Acts 17:28).

           

Through Isaiah God said, "I am God.  Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it" (Isaiah 43: 12-13).  The Church is secure in the hands of our Sovereign God today.  Therefore, let Christians everywhere double their efforts in prayer and service, extend the right hand of fellowship to everyone they meet, and trust the integrity of Jesus to keep His Word.  Let them continue to be faithful to God, leaving the results of their faithfulness to Him. 

Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).  There you have it.  Don't worry about the fruit.  Instead, focus on abiding in Jesus.  He will take care of the results as we live our lives in Him.