Why isn't this more popular? From Not I but Christ by Jason Hendersen
I remember sitting in a mostly empty auditorium and hearing somebody preach the true message of the cross for the first time. I had attended many Christian conferences over the years and this one was by far the smallest. At the time, my eyes were just beginning to open and the reality of the cross was striking my heart with incredible force. I remember sitting there, among only fifteen or twenty other people, wondering why crowds of Christians were not banging down the doors and climbing in the windows to hear what I was hearing.
The unfortunate truth is that religion has always been more popular than the gospel of life. Religion offers so much to the natural man, whereas the true gospel offers him a cross. Man loves religion because it allows him to stay right where he wants to be—in the center of his own universe, using God as a means to his own end and glory. In our many and varied religious ideas (inside and outside of the church,) we create and worship a concept of God that is beneficial to the flesh.
Some use religion for comfort and security while others use it for power, influence, and personal greatness. Some find in religion a way to gain respect from others, to be considered wise and revered as spiritual. Others simply want to feel good about themselves, to alleviate guilt, to feel like a moral, upstanding citizen. Religion is very useful for the adamic man, but not so the true gospel of the cross.
The cross has always been an offense and a stumbling block to the natural man because “when Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” When you look through the history of the Lord's dealings with man, there has always been a relatively small number who walk with God by faith.
Two or three million Israelites came out of Egypt and walked through the Red Sea. Only Joshua and Caleb, however, wanted to see the greatness of their Salvation. In the days of King Jehoshaphat, four hundred prophets of God were gathered together to prophesy before the king, but only Micaiah had the word of the Lord.87 Stories like these abound in the Old Testament, and in them are examples of what Jesus said to the Jews:
13. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.14. “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Matthew 7:13-14
When it comes to churches and ministries, the number of people involved is not a telltale sign of anything. And just as large crowds are never a sure sign of God's approval, neither are small gatherings or home groups an indication of the Lord's activity. There are both enormous and tiny religious organizations that have little or nothing to do with God's revelation of Christ. But there is no doubt in my mind that there have always been, at every time and in every generation, those who have come to the end of themselves and turned to see the Life that God offers mankind in His Son.