The principle of capacity teaches us that believers have varying levels of spiritual capacity, and our role as leaders is to recognize and nurture that capacity, not to expect everyone to reach the same level of fruitfulness. By understanding this principle, we can avoid disillusionment and find joy in the growth of each believer, no matter their level of fruitfulness.

I first heard Darrell Champlin preach in 1987 at our a little home church in Atkinson, New Hampshire. He and his wife Louise were supported by Pentucket Baptist Church, where we were members, pastored at the time by Dan Sherman.

Darrell was the guest speaker our annual missions conference – I listened to his one-hour-fifteen minute expositional sermons filled with references to the glory, sovereignty and majesty of the “God of Heaven”, and illustrations of a God who works to save the lost in hard places, on the edge of my seat!

One of the sermons I heard Darrell preach was, The Principle of Capacity. I have taken great liberty to edit his sermon in this post, because the lesson contained here has been one that has been of great help to me through the years of service to Christ in Africa.

A Needed Ministry Principle

As missionaries and pastors, we often struggle with two areas related to capacity. The first is our hearers’ response to evangelism, and the second, perhaps more challenging, is their response to discipleship and the spiritual growth of new converts.

When it comes to evangelism we recognize the hardness of the human heart and the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit required for a lost sinner’s salvation. While we long for the salvation of the lost and invest much effort and prayer toward that end, we don’t necessarily expect all or even a majority to turn to Christ as Savior. We rejoice when some come to God, understanding the challenges inherent in evangelism, and the sovereignty of God in drawing men to repentance and faith.

Capacity in Discipleship

However, the matter of discipleship is a different story. Countless pastors and missionaries have become discouraged and disillusioned due to the perceived failure of converts to demonstrate growth and obedience to the Word of God. Much of this disillusionment could have been avoided if they had understood the principle of capacity.

The Parable of the Sower

In Matthew 13:23, Jesus describes what He calls “good ground” – hearts where the gospel takes root and bears fruit.

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