Call this a rant, call it being _______ , whatever. But it’s my blog…so it’s my thoughts!
I am really wrestling with some thoughts right now and they may just hurt feelings. And perhaps that’s the reason that I am wrestling with them so much because hurting feelings just isnt in my programming (at least to do it intentionally). Anyway, here goes:
As a pastor/leader, am I:
- playing to the crowd?
- playing it safe?
- leading people to where God have us go?
Recently I sat down and had a mental argument with myself about this. I find that in our transition as a church, we are wanting to do number 3, but we are really leaning on doing 1 and 2.
Danger in playing to the crowd:
First off…how’d that work out for Jesus? Playing to the crowd led him to the cross. Playing to the crowd made the golden calf and was one of the many reasons that God left an entire people group dwell in the desert for 40 years. And playing to the crowd will destroy churches (new ones and existing ones). And why is that? Because MOST TIMES, the crowd doesn’t know what’s best…they just know what’s best for themselves!
Danger in playing it safe:
There’s no creativity in playing it safe. Doing what you’ve always done is borderline insanity. After all, the 8 last words of a dying church, “We have never done it that way before!” Safety is great when driving a car, building a building, or cooking dinner, but safe when it comes to God is displaying a lack of faith. Being in the middle of God’s will is a dangerous place that will cause you naturally to do things that are unsafe by world standards, like:
- selling your building with nothing to go to
- stop certain ministries that are popular, but not effective
- be willing to make changes to worship that will bring people in and make existing members uncomfortable
- not know where the next paycheck is coming from
- not know how much longer the church will last
Guess we better make everyday count. And the longer God’s in it, the longer we’re in it!
Lead, follow, or get out of the way!
You and I have three choices in front of us…LEAD, FOLLOW, GET OUT OF THE WAY. If you are called to lead, then LEAD! Dont play to the crowds or play it safe…just lead. Because when you lead faithfully the way God wants you to…then we’ll experience something so powerful…we’ll know it was straight from God’s playbook for us!
If you’re not a leader, cannot lead, or should not lead – STOP LEADING. Try following. There have been a number of times where I need to follow. We all need to be followers of Christ. But being a follower of Christ still means we are activity (and when necessary, forceably) advancing God’s Kingdom! Stop thinking too much about yourself. You like the power, not the position. You like the status, not the responsibility. You like the paycheck, not the opportunity to do something new and creative!
And if you just can’t lead or follow…then GET OUT OF THE WAY. There are people ready to follow Christ without fail. And if you are in the way, then you are holding yourselves more important than Christ, and thus…you are setting yourself up for judgment. No good. Get out of the way of the movement that God wants to start. Open your place in leadership, your pew, your chair, even your church for people that want to advance God, not self. The longer that you are in the way of people pursuing what God has for them, you are increasing the number of people that will not be going to heaven…because you cannot get over yourself.
We are getting ready to enter the promised land it feels…and I hope that when we do…leaders will lead, followers will follow, and the rest…wave at us as we move on down the road!
12 Comments
May 30, 2009 at 9:40 am
Very well put! Keep on listening to God – He’s leading you in the right direction! Thank you for all you do for our students and our church as you lead.
May 30, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Thanks Fanchon…hopefully this train of thought will lead to action and action to rejuvenation of the church!
May 30, 2009 at 9:59 am
Hey Scott, your preachin’ RIGHT ON!!! There are so many dead horses, we have been tryin’ to ride for a number of years, just because we’ve always had the horse to ride! We also are afraid to try another model, because if comes from another group. Actually we have lost our FIRST LOVE. We are not called to build buildings, but to make disciples. Disciples will build churches either with brick and morter, or with people sitting under trees! Actually that is one of the challenges I have with our denomination, though Baptist I will always be. I am impressed with the direction of the SBT and am disappointed with the other side.
We are spending far too much time on “stuff” and need to be leading folks to Jesus!…Guess we are both venters to an extent! God Bless you bro!!
May 30, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Good to hear from you Harry! Thanks for the comments. Losing our ‘first love’ just doesnt seem as big of a deal as it should be! These are times I wish Memaw was here, I would love to pick her brain on this issue!
May 30, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Good Thoughts.
The church has frogotten the “safest” decison is to step out in Faith. The only position that is pleasing to God is for the believe to walk by faith and not by sight. The only life changing decision is to walk by faith. The most disgusting position to God is for the believe is to walk by sight.
May 30, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I struggle with that last part myself. I like to see what’s coming before I take the leap of faith.
May 31, 2009 at 6:18 am
Matthew 5:13-16:
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? … You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
May 31, 2009 at 7:20 am
Such a good scripture for me today. Thanks David. Missed seeing you at church recently!
June 2, 2009 at 9:24 am
I was actually about to write some more thoughts that day but I ran out of time so I just posted the verse, but I totally agree with your post. For some reason that verse came to mind
June 2, 2009 at 10:21 am
Well it was a good thought! I enjoyed it!
July 1, 2009 at 8:37 am
“We have never done it that way before!”
Yes, and how many times did God use a different method to communicate with people? To Moses it was a burning bush, and to Elijah it was a whisper at a cave. He used probably about as many ways as He had people in the Bible (I’m sure some scholar with too much time could give me an exact number), but however He communicated, it was always through some relevant way and about what they could comprehend. I mean Jesus didn’t just keep referring to the past but spoke about what His contemporaries understood and could relate.
Actually a church that’s willing to grow can use those words, provided they’re followed by something such as, “but let’s give it a try.” Remember that the world was flooded once; fleece was wet/dry while the surrounding ground was the opposite way once; the sun stood still once; a wall was written on by a hand without a body once. We’ve never done it that way before, but God performs some miracles once and does not give repeat performances.
August 27, 2009 at 8:46 am
There was something else I’d been meaning to say about leadership and following but kept forgetting. It’s really based on some personal thoughts I wrote down late last year, though it might seem to be an incomplete/idle thought.
There are three types of people. “There are those who lead, those who follow, and those who support. Each role is important, none more than the others. Leaders provide direction; followers provide purpose; supporters provide confidence. Followers can become leaders, but leaders need followers. Not all medical professionals are doctors: Some are nurses, and some are suppliers of equipment.
Of course, support types still have to make their own choices, failures, and successes. If a leader is wrong, support needs to point it out, and they must decide if what they are supporting is truly right or wrong, based on truth, not feelings.”