Archive for March, 2009
Pride In Numbers
This post is actually the first post in a two part series. I was originally writing a post entitled “Looking beyond the tent” when this thought process came through my mind and burdened me. There seems to be a lot on my heart in regards to the “Pride in Numbers” and “Looking Beyond the Tent” right now so please bare with me.
The first thing I want to talk to you about is something that I have talked about before and is something that is slowly becoming a pet peeve of mine in ministry. Over the last month or so I have seen a lot of people talking about “The 10 largest churches in America” or “The 10 fastest growing churches in America”. Don’t get me wrong, this is great information however why are we basing it on numbers.
I have attended many mega churches in the past and churches that aren’t mega churches now but have a dream and a desire to be mega churches. What discourages me and actually kind of angers me is when I see the church press to get people to the service and get people to give their lives to Christ and then they set them on the side line.
This bothers me because they then become just a number. “Oh, we had 326 people accept Christ into their lives in March”. YAY for you but how many of those people are still sitting in your church? How many of those people are growing in the Word? Out of those that gave their lives to Christ, how many of them have a changed lifestyle?
We have to understand that people who give their lives to Christ need support. They need to learn how to develop a prayer life, they need to develop a life in the Word of God, and they need Christian friends and influence.
Many of the people in our churches today struggle with things today (smoking, drinking, etc) because they don’t have any “godly” people to chill with and help them grow. It’s about relationships people!!
I know hundreds of people that get “saved” and sign up as a member of a church as a religious duty but never change. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not all the churches fault. The person that has decided to give their life to Christ has to make effort to but right now I am talking about churches (or ministers) that get people to accept Christ into their lives and then bench them. Forget about them. Stop talking to them. Remove themselves from the relationship.
I am not telling anyone how to pastor their church or how to be a minister. That’s not what I am trying to do here. I am simply sharing something that I seen in churches across the country that is really starting to bother me. No wonder there is so much “church hurt” in our country. It’s because people aren’t seeing the true love of Christ. The true love of Christ is never-ending. It’s not temporal. We show the love of Christ in our actions.
Are you showing the love of Christ? It’s not about the number of souls … it’s about the impact in souls.
Move
Last week Monday I posted an entry called “Pride In Numbers” which was more of a rant (if I can call it that) about churches in our country bragging on numbers. This week I am bringing you part two of that message. I am entitling this part “Move”. I know I had stated that Part 2 would be called “Beyond the Tent” but I believe that that is going to actually be Part 3 as I really feel something else stirring inside me right now.
God has really been giving me some revelation in regards to the life of Abraham due to the season I am in right now.
We all know that Abraham was used in a mighty way and was a great man of God. Although he had his issues with obedience one thing that he didn’t have a problem in is being a follower. Many of us look at Abraham as a leader but he was also a great follower.
Did you know that nearly one-fourth of the book of Genesis is devoted to this man’s life. Over 40 Old Testament references are made to Abraham. Did you also know that Islam holds Abram second in importance to Mohammad, with the Koran referring to Abraham 188 times. Dude is serious!!
Anyways … Abraham was a great man of God. A man who walked in faith. A man who left a legacy. He was also a great follower. In a lot of ways Abraham is someone I look up to. Yeah he had his problems … we all do but he never stopped following. To be a great leader you have to be a great follower.
The bible says in Hebrews 11:8-10
(The Message) By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God.
When God said “Move” Abraham moved! It didn’t matter how hard the move was. How much work it took to tear down his tent and pack everything up. It didn’t matter if he was in an area that met all his needs. It didn’t matter if he enjoyed the climate. He moved and he moved by faith. Not knowing what was before him.
This is how we should be. We should be able to hear to voice of God and believe in God’s provision in such a way that we step out in faith. We follow the vision given to us. It shouldn’t matter about our current “possessions” or “location” or even “how we feel”. Do you really think Abraham wanted to keep packing up that tent. You know how it feels to move. It can be a huge pain!! LOL
We should live our lives in the same manner and I charge you to do that. I am not saying you should move physically … but is God moving you in a different direction in your ministry … are you so set in your own “thoughts” and “ideas” that you feel it would be too much work to move … are you so bound by those around you that you can’t make the decision to move? If God is saying “Move” or “Go Do It” then do it! Step out on faith even if you don’t know how it’s going to work or what is going to come of it!
I am not just saying this to be “preachy”. This is something I am dealing with in my own life. Back in November God told me (exact words) “Your season in Milwaukee is ending and a new season is beginning in the Fox Valley”. This scared the life out of me. I love Milwaukee … I love my job as an employee of World Outreach & Bible Training Center… I have a great place to live … I have great friends and a great surrounding … but God is requiring more. So I must “GO”.
Once I heard what God said I really struggled for a couple days. I really didn’t like what I had heard as a matter of fact I started to doubt that it was God. Why would God have me leave this land that He has given me? I fasted and not only heard God say it again but also received three (now four) more confirmations.
I then went to my leaders (my Pastors) and explain to them what I felt God had told me and they confirmed it to me as well and knew that it was truly God having me make a step. With that said I started to step out on faith. Now, April 4th I am moving back to a city that I never thought I would ever live in again. I am moving back to support my family and to partner with a new plant work. I am moving back without a job and without my own place to live. I moving in faith.
I am not saying any of this to brag on myself or to put the spotlight on me but I am saying this to show you … I am in the same spot you are in. It’s not always easy to make a move but I promise you … if you make a move … if you take a step in faith … God will always provide. When I started to take steps God’s provision started to show up. I had brand new furniture given to me, my moving expenses are being paid by someone else, I will have a place to call home for the first month or two until I find employment and my own place, God has shown me where I am to serve and where I will grow. Provision can’t come unless you make a step. That’s why the Word says “Faith without works is dead”. It’s coo to have faith … but you have to move.
One last thing … Abraham never took his altar. He always left his altar and built a new altar at his new residence. The altar was permanent. The altar was a place of remembrance. It was where Abraham gave thanks for what he had been through and the lessons that he learned. The altar represented a place of thanksgiving and worship to God. He built an altar everywhere he pitched his tent. In my mind he was committing himself to learn new things and going on new adventures. He was putting the past behind him and looking forward to new and better things. It was him submitting himself to God so that he could continue to follow his voice and continue to grow in knowledge and wisdom. Our experiences and even relationships always teach us something if we are willing to learn from them. We must commit ourselves to grow and learn new things. Don’t move thinking you know it all. Continue to build new altars.
Whew … What is God telling you to do?