LIVING ON THE EDGE

When it comes to church leadership too many pastors and church leaders seem to look for the right formula or the next big movement or the next cool buzz word to come around so they can jump on the band wagon to kick start their church and getting it growing again or use it as a launching pad for a new work. All sounds good but it always seems to lack the “IT” factor.

What is “IT”? Is “IT” real? Is “IT” attainable? Is “IT” what we desire for our ministries? Or for that matter our own life.

I pastor a church that is on the decline. Much of which is my fault and lack of understanding “IT”. So I decided to find out what that “IT” is.

Over the past year I have done a lot of soul searching and personal evaluation of my life, my ministry and my future in “IT”. I have asked other pastors and church leaders what they think the “IT” is and I got a lot of great ideas and even some deep theological answers. I even asked my wife what she thought “IT” is. (Her answer was the best)

During this journey I rediscovered a passage of scripture that God used on me many years ago to transform my personal worship and my corporate leading. Many of you reading this already know this passage but when God led me to it again it just jumped all over me and helped me understand what “IT” is.
Read it and let it penetrate your very core.

Exodus 33:12-17 (NIV) Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

The “IT” factor is simple and yet very profound. Not every church has it and not every church leader has it. The “IT” factor is given by God for God and He alone decides who, the what, the when and the where. This does not however eliminate our responsibility to do whatever it takes for us USHER in the presence of God in our life and in our churches. Are we pleasing to HIM? Are we humble? Are we obeying what HE says in HIS word? All these help usher in the “IT” factor but it does not guarantee “IT”. God is sovereign. GOD IS IN CONTROL. NOT ME. NOT YOU.

So after a long and sometimes tumultuous journey I have decided to take the advise of a very wise leader and say to God “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

That’s “IT”.

For the past five weeks, I have had our church in TRAINING CAMP focusing on the fundamentals and the strategy we have implemented so we can win our SUPER BOWL on SUNDAY. Our SBS is every week as we strive to reach as many people for Christ as we can before God pulls the plug on the game.

As I was prepping for the series, I began thinking about how ALL NFL teams start every season with training camp. Their focus is the same: FUNDAMENTALS AND STRATEGY. These two components are essential if the team has any chance at all at making it to the SB let alone win it.

The same is true for the church. If we ever want to win on SB SUNDAY, reaching people for Christ, we need to practice the fundamentals and know, understand, buy in and live the strategy that God has laid out for His church.

These are my thoughts on what that looks like.

Understand your playbook-1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.” Every NFL player sleeps with his playbook because they are expected to know it and implement it on the field. Every follower of Christ must do then same. It’s our playbook for the game we’re in. Read it, study it, memorize it and meditate on it. But above all DO IT on the field of life.

Learn how to connect with the coach -Phil. 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Prayer is the key to staying connected and hearing from God. How in the world do we ever expect to get the plays if we don’t know the coach who is calling them? Look to sidelines for the next call. We need to hear from Him daily for direction, encouragement and our next assignment.

There is no “I” in team- Ro. 12:5 “So in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Every Christ follower needs a team. There are no Lone Ranger Christians. God desires for us to be in a group and this is where we can thrive and grow. We need to join the team and commit to making it a winner. I have never seen a player from another NFL team one day decide he wants to play QB for the Cowboys. Walks on the field Sunday and says “Hey, coach put me in”. Duh. Never happen. But we do that in churches every week never knowing the person. People need to commit to the team first then start playing.

Leave it all on the field- Matthew 25:14-30- I will never forget Emmitt Smith’s heroics in 1993-while playing the NY Giants for NFC Championship game, he separated his shoulder early in the game. That did not stop him from finishing the game and leading the team to the eventually game winning field goal. Emmitt could have taken himself out but he chose to play-not for Emmitt but for the team. He wanted the Cowboys in the SB and to win it.
God is looking for ordinary people who will be willing to stay in the game even though it gets a little rough. I think God wants people who will do whatever it takes to make God’s team a winner, those who will not take themselves out when they get offended or someone hurts their feelings or they get a little tired, people who have the Kingdom in mind first not their own needs or agenda. And one day when they stand before the owner He will say to them “Well done-good job. Come on in and enjoy the party”.

When churches choose to focus on the fundamentals and the strategy instead of focusing on denominations or their own agenda, then I believe God is going to make sure we win our SUPER BOWL on SUNDAY.

Over the past several months I have been reevaluating and taking a hard look at how we do church. “WE” meaning me. This has proven to be very difficult and very revealing. What I have discovered is church is not very relevant and does not speak to the real needs of the community.

As a church planter, I was totally stoked about birthing a new church and poured my life into making this church a relevant addition to our community.

Over the years, once the newness wore off and the excitement died down, I fell into the trap of mediocrity. Doing church the way every other church does it. Not that this is bad, it’s just not what God told me to do.

While doing this reval on our church, and myself I came across a video, a parable that whipped my butt. As I watched it I started out laughing but then found myself getting angry. “How dare them make fun of the church like this”? I got mad. But as I stopped to ponder this video, I realized I was mad because this is who I am. From that moment on, I decided to look at every area of our ministry and see if we are doing church the way God intends. To reach those who need to the message more than the method. To reach those who need Jesus more than they need a cup of coffee.

If our church is not doing that then we need to close the doors and do something else. Something that is more meaningful and life changing.

Watch the video and then ask yourself, if you’re a church leader, are you doing church the way God has told you to do church or are you trapped in a method that is out dated and not relevant. This not for everyone. Only those who have a real desire to see a move of God like never before.

It is never too late to change.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_dZTrjw9I