Have we gotten it all wrong?

Recently I've ben thinking about what we as pastors are doing in regards to the great commission. I've come to the conclusion that for the most part, we spend too much of our time working on building a local church rather than building His kingdom. Just about every email newsletter I get or conference out there is geared toward how to grow our local church. How to attract people and keep people. It seems like a growing church (in terms of numbers of people) is considered a healthy church. While we all probably know deep down that is not the case, we all still find ourselves doing those things that will attract people. (I know I did). A new building, a foyer or rest room remodel. Moving to a larger space when we get 3/4 full because people don't want to sit too close to one another. Trying to dress or act "hip" even when it isn't who we really are. Changing the music style to be more edgy or hip. These things work great if we want to draw a crowd, raise attendance and income. But what does it do for kingdom growth or believer growth?

Recently I attended a church where the building was nice, but old and nothing special. It was not in the best neighborhood. The music some would say was dated. But the people were on fire for God and totally engaged. The pure gospel message went forth and 20 people gave their lives to Jesus. Oh and the house was packed with people of all generations. A consultant might have come in there and told them they could never attract people with those things. What these people forget is the power of prayer, faithfulness, obedience and the gospel message itself.

So where am I going with all this? Well, while there are many ways to share the gospel message, the message should be the most important thing. The venue, the music, the clothes shouldn't matter. What should matter is that HIS message is preached wherever and to whoever He directs us. In a church or outside it. In a new building, old building or no building. With a new foyer or with old rest rooms.

The fact is the church should be more for discipleship (training believers), rather than evangelizing anyway. We need to spend less time and money on facilities and big outreach or programs and more time training and encouraging believers to go into all the world and preach the gospel. We have just gone through another Easter season. Many churches held egg hunts as an outreach. Many held some outrageous ones. Trying to top the year before or the church down the street in number of eggs or prizes. Thousands came and maybe heard a token gospel message and left and went back to their lives. That money and time could have been better spent. (Trust me, once you do a couple of these you get it).

So this pastor thinks maybe we have gotten it all wrong. In our quest to understand why so many are leaving the church and how we might get them back we have resorted to marketing techniques that perhaps are better suited for business building than Kingdom building. Perhaps it's time top get back to the basics. The word, worship and prayer, and follow what His spirit is saying to you for your Jerusalem.

Until next time,

Pastor Paul

God Will Provide

In Genesis 22 God told Abraham to take his only son Isaac up a mountain and sacrifice him as a burnt offering to God. Basically He was asking Abraham to give up his son, who he prayed for and loved, in praise and obedience to God.Wow! How difficult is that? Yet Abraham didn't question. Did argue. Nor did he ignore God. He got his boy, saddled up his donkey and headed up the mountain with a couple of servants. He got the wood, fire and knife. Then Isaac asked, "Father we have the wood and the fire, but where is the lamb?" He knew the process. A lamb was necessary for an offering to the Lord. What did Abraham respond? He said that God would provide the lamb, and they moved on. They got to the place where God told Abraham to go. He proceeded with the sacrifice. He arranged the wood and bound his son on top of it. Then he took out a knife to slay his son. At that moment, that last second, the angel of the Lord spoke to Abraham telling him to stop and not to harm the boy. God saw Abraham's love for and obedience to God by the fact that he would not withhold even his son from Him. Abraham was willing to give up the most precious thing in his world for God. A moment later he looks up and sees a ram caught in the brush. God had provided. Abraham got the ram and offered that ram as a burnt offering to God.

We ask God for many things. We want his provision and He wants to provide. But what he wants most from us is our devotion. He wants to know that He is our all in all. The true Lord of our lives. Yet we love to hold on. We hold on to our old life. We hold on to our stuff. We refuse to lay it all aside for the God we claim to love. We continue to try and solve our problems in our own strength and wisdom, often leaving God completely out of it. Yet if we would just realize that all we have to do is let go of EVERYTHING. Give it all to Him. He will provide what we need. Right when we need it. Often times it may mean, like Abraham, we have to walk up a mountain in blind trust not knowing when the answer or provision is, but knowing God has it for us just ahead.

Whether you need healing in your body or need a job. What ever your need or struggle. God will provide. But you need to trust him. God was testing Abraham. To see his true loyalty and love. Your struggle today may be for the same reason. It may not. It just simply may be life happening. Whatever the cause rest assured that God will provide for you when you trust and obey Him. Just keep walking forward. Don't worry or fret. It may be at that zero hour, when things really look hopeless, that you look up and see your ram.

Until next time,

Pastor Paul

Objects in the rearview mirror are closer than they appear

Several years ago I did a sermon with this title. It's a good word as we enter another new year. The text for this was Philippians 3:13b-14 which says this:

But I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Looking back can be a good thing. There are many precious memories we want to hold dear and not forget. Looking back can also be a bad thing. Unpleasant memories can rob us of our peace and joy. Holding on too much to either is not good. It will bind us to our past and keep us from moving ahead, growing and experiencing so much more of what God has for us. I know too many people that think there was a time in there life that was as good as it gets and they hold on to it and relive it over and over. Too many people think that high school was the best times and can't seem to move on from it. Others let the hurts of their past ruin what could be a good future. Dwelling on the past rather than looking ahead can really be destructive. Just ask Lot's wife. She looked back and became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26) She was destroyed. The old ballplayer Satchel Page said, "Don't look back, something might be gaining on you". He might be right.

Paul had the right focus. Looking ahead. Looking at what was in front of him rather than behind. If you drive you know it's much easier to go forward rather than in reverse. I think that holds true for life as well. The future can be uncertain. The future can be scary. But living in or dwelling on the past might be deadly. Those objects in the rearview mirror are much closer than they appear....if you let them.

As we enter this new year, lets purpose to be like Paul look ahead letting God light and lead the way. Press on and press through. When you do remember there is a prize waiting for you at the end.

Make it a great year friends!

Until next time,

Pastor Paul

Do We Really Need to Plant More Churches?

Planting churches, or church multiplication as some call it, seems to be the popular church growth tool for all denominations these days. New churches of all kinds are popping up faster than new McDonalds did in the 60s and 70s. You can find one on almost every corner. While church planting has been around forever, over the last 5 years or so it's popularity has really ramped up. But do we really need more churches? Some would argue that a new church plant will see more people come to Christ in the first 7 years than an existing work. I'm not sure that is really true. While there are new converts most of the new church's growth occurs via transfer. People like something new and fresh so they hop over there. If that doesn't happen what is the long term viability of these churches? Many don't make it after 3 years. It seems we are planting churches more for the sake of planting churches rather than strategically. We place a church in a community already saturated with good bible believing churches thinking they need one more from a different denomination. Denominations will put similar churches within miles of each other. Unless a community is rapidly growing, this really is not a recipe for success. If the "pie" isn't getting any bigger we are only slicing it into more pieces. In other words these new churches aren't reaching the lost but just providing more choice for the local believer. With the average evangelical church running about 100 people, wouldn't it make more sense to put some of the time, money and other resources into helping these existing churches thrive and grow, rather than put another "just around the corner"? Occasionally we hear of a church plant that explodes from the get go and every church planter thinks that will be them. But that is the exception rather than the rule. Church planting is a long hard road of faithfulness and obedience and many ups and downs along the way. It is not for everyone. While assessments have gotten better as to who should plant we still see many who go in really unprepared for what lies ahead. For many this is the first time they have pastored on any level.

So should we plant more churches? Absolutely! But we need to be more strategic about it. We need to ask, is the community really growing? How many other good bible based churches already exist there? Are the fields really "ripe" for harvest? Is this really the right man for the job? I don't claim to know it all but what I see happening is these new works are mostly going into middle to upper middle class suburbs already saturated with good churches, with a few in the inner city. I have yet to hear of one going into a rural community or small town. I wonder why that is?

For the record, I LOVE church planting and church planters. I am one. I just think we need to do it more strategically in the future. This way the lost will be reached, communities in need will be impacted and these churches will have a greater chance for long term success.

Until next time,

Pastor Paul

Moses or Joshua

Moses or Joshua? Who was more successful? Moses faithfully led the Israelites without ever getting to the promised land. God showed it to him but he never got there before he died. Joshua it seems reaped all the benefits of Moses long time of faithfulness and obedience to God. That's not to say Joshua was not just as faithful or obedient because he was. He was doing what God had for HIM to do. He was the one chosen to bring the people into the promised land.

In the church we have pastors who are Moses and those who are Joshuas. The Moses pastors plant and plow, sometimes for years never really realizing the harvest. Then a Joshua comes in an "Boom!" We have a tendency in the church culture to celebrate the Joshuas as highly successful and the Moses as failures. Why? Because of how we gauge success. That being how many people are in a church, that is, "church growth". The pastor who plants and faithfully plows in obdeince but never gets those high attendence numbers is deemed a failure. Yet he is just as successful because of his faithfulness and obedience, something that God wants from all of us regardless of visible results.

As pastors we may have seasons during our ministry. There may be times when God asks us to be a Moses and others when we will be privileged to be a Joshua. This could happen in one place or in multiple places as God leads.  Whatever role God has you in embrace it and do what he tells you. Don't listen to the naysayers or so called experts. And when God tells you to move, move. Don't stay somewhere because you want to. Because you are achieving "success". Remember pastoring is a calling not a career path (or at least that's what it should be). As such we need to be sensitive to the Spirit. Sometimes that means we need to embrace our role and sometimes that means we need to move. Again, whatever it is be faithful and obedient and you will never go wrong.

And to all of you who are not pastors, stop judging ministries and pastors based on church size or other numbers. Take a good look at the man. What is his heart? Is He faithful and obedient regardless of our measure of success? Or is he out to build a career?

Until next time,

Pastor Paul

What Do You See?

Over the last couple of years we have seen an increase of panhandlers in our area. They sit on the corners of our shopping and restaurant district, usually at a stoplight. They hold a sign to let us know they are homeless and have a family to feed. Many will wave to you as you drive by. For a long time I thought things like, "Great there goes our town" or "Why don't you just go get a job". Several months ago the local paper did a piece on these men and woman. It gave them a chance to share their story. These are not criminals. They are not lazy people. They are people with families, some who used to hold good jobs but are victims of this economy, and some have made some bad choices in the past. That started to change my view, but slowly. Then recently I felt the Holy Spirit compel me to not only give a little something, but to also talk to them. It took several weeks but this week I finally did it. What I found was exactly what was reported in the paper. These are good people going through hard times trying to get by until something changes for the better. I was glad I stopped and could make a small contribution. It was well worth it.

What do you see when you see people like this? Do you judge them? Are you skeptical? I realize some of you might think I was stupid or a sucker to be roped in by these "con men", but that's ok because I don't.

Jesus said this:

Matthew 25:34-46 New International Version (NIV)

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you  did for me.’⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ ⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

We are to take care of the those in need. Feed them and clothe them. What has always amazed me is that people will travel thousands of mies around the world to do this for people in another country, but take a harsh attitude towards those in a similar situation right there in their own neighborhood. 

Friends we are to reflect Jesus and everyday, everywhere and every time we are given an opportunity to do that, but we need to obey. We need to respond to the prompting of the spirit.

So when you see someone like this what do you see? A lazy beggar or Jesus?

Until next time,

Pastor Paul

The Future of Church

Recently I read an article that said something to the effect that 50% of all church goers attend Mega churches. Wow! That got me to thinking. Is the church headed in the same direction as healthcare? Let me explain. In most cities that have multiple hospitals you will find that just about all of the smaller ones are aligned with one or two larger ones that have formed a "Network" or "System" In the Cleveland market (which is near where I live) A hospital is either a part of the Cleveland Clinic or University Hospitals network. Those who are not are really struggling or have closed. The same is probably true in your city. It's been the trend that began about 25 years ago.

Now look at the church. The Mega Churches are setting up satellites or other "campuses" all the time and in more and more cases they are taking over smaller churches struggling to make it on their own. Could the day be coming where there are less and less churches and if a church is not part of a larger church that church will cease to exist simply because the smaller cannot compete? With the consumer mentality of both the current church attender and the one who is searching this could be a real possibility. People come looking for the best programs, the best worship, the best light show and dare I say, the best bathrooms. Smaller churches do not have the funds or human resources to measure up. What they excel at, strong relationships family atmosphere, knowing your leaders, is become less and less important. People come and like what that see but crave the assets of the larger church.

I really don't know if this is good or bad but I do think this is coming. As long as the truth is being taught, the people are growing, being cared for and going out to share the gospel the structure of the church doesn't matter. Personally I prefer a smaller church. However it is getting harder and harder for the small church to survive. Just like it is for the small hospital. My hope and prayer is that rather than our churches wind up like healthcare with take overs and closures, the church would rise up and simply help each other by sharing resources so that all can not just survive, but thrive, ministering and meeting the needs of not just their congregations but their communities.

Until next time,

Pastor Paul