Pastor and former Southern Baptist Convention president, J.D. Greear in the past has said, “Maybe the worst failure for a church is success in things that aren’t producing reproducing disciples.” I totally get that. As a professional Christian (pastor of a church) I spend a lot of time on stuff that has nothing to do with what Jesus told all of us to do (make disciples - Matthew 28:19-20).
Author and church guru Neil Cole says, “Ultimately, each church will be evaluated by only one thing - its disciples. Your church is only as good as her disciples. It does not matter how good your praise, preaching, programs or property are;if your disciples are passive, needy, consumeristic and not moving in the direction of radical obedience, your church is not good.” Whoa! Slow your roll! That hurt my feelings and it’s getting harder and harder to do that.
Right now we are all busy collecting toys for poor children. Then we will post some kind of hate speech on our social media pages. Right after that we will share our Scripture verse of the day. I spend a lot of time shaking my head. What’s the goal again, oh yes, making disciples. Sorry I have digressed into what the church (Who is the church? It’s people) does sometimes.
Right now, I know someone who is in the hospital because they are suicidal. I know a man who is dying from cancer. I am personally dealing with a sick family member who has stolen my identity, again. Another I know is confused because they wonder if God can forgive them for a sexual sin. A guy that I love a lot has the demons of addictions pursuing him all the time. He feels like he can’t win and in fact it looks like he is losing - maybe because he is.
I served as pastor of a large East Texas church once and I remember the property committee guy called me once (he was just doing his job) to tell me the plumber would be by in a week to fix the men’s urinal across the hall from a men’s Sunday School classroom. He wanted me to tell the church secretary the status of the plumbing issue. I remember thinking, that problem was not really grabbing me as important or urgent right now. Maybe it’s because I did not need the powder room at the time but... what matters is people becoming disciples. What matters is loving God, loving people. Anything else seems to be nothing more than details details I have zero interest in. Is it me?
He asked me to ask you that.
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