I Want Others to Have IT!

Chapter nine of the book IT by Craig Groeschel is by far one of my favorites. That chapter really hits it out of the park and makes the book! But it's also a very hard reality chapter to face... our attitudes towards people outside our church.

I can barely read this chapter without stress, worry, frustration, anger, and a dozen other emotions as I think on how is the North American church continuing the mission of Jesus. One chapter in particular I want to put on a plaque on my wall:
"If your ministry has become focused on the already-convinced, I'll bet that
your ministry doesn't have it. You're not likely seeing many, if any,
conversions. Baptisms are few and far between. Membership classes
are tiny. You're not experiencing great works of the Spirit of God.
New people aren't coming and staying. Long time members aren't growing."

OUCH! I've only been in ministry for two years, but I can clearly see how it's SOOOO easy to be concerned with the already-convinced. Most (if not all) meetings that I'm involved with have to do with building up believers and dealing with issues that believers within the church have. Sure, there's a concern for those who don't know Jesus... and a strong desire to do something about it... but how much of our time in ministry is really involved in this? 50%? 25%? 1%??? Whatever it is, IT'S NOT ENOUGH!

This chapter really makes me take a long hard look at myself. Craig says "If you're a leader of your ministry, you need to recognize that, for better or for worse, your ministry reflects you. If you don't care about Christless lives, the people you lead aren't likely to care." I'm forcing myself to ask some hard questions... am I willing to upset Christians for the sake of those who don't know Jesus? Am I doing everything that I can in my ministry to reach the lost? Is my ministry just about creating comfort or do we confront enough (remember Scripture is for teaching AND rebuking!)??

I don't want to be the type of leader that is just doing the church thing to make church people happy! I just can't be that guy! People's lives are just too precious to me...

So how about you? Do you really want others to have it as well? Willing to get a little messy to do it?

Comments

Seanchai said…
Count me in, oh yeah and AMEN brother

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