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