Being a Christian can be hard work. The bar is raised quite a bit when you commit to live your life for Jesus. The Bible is full of stories of men and women that sacrificed everything to show their undying dedication to God. It should come as no surprise to any us. Jesus warns us of the expectations that come with salvation:
"Lk 14:25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
31 "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. " Luke 14:25-33
It seems pretty obvious to me- give everything to receive even more.
Just last night, a friend of mine posted to Facebook. He is a Christian, and more importantly for this discussion, he is a pastor. The man is on fire for The Lord and out on the front line, working to spread his message and share the Love of God. But last night, my friend Rick was venting his frustration over the very inconsistent application of faith that many demonstrate in their daily lives. He lamented the fact that most would rather fit in than stand out, blend in instead of proclaiming their faith to everyone they meet. But I'd like to focus on one particular statement he made:
"Some of us go to church on Sunday and then it's back to our normal routines during the week….being like everybody else."
When I read his post, I quietly agreed to myself with everything he said. I responded with the verses I posted at the top of this blog. I met his frustration with my own fear- a fear that the Church has been trivialized to the point of being completely ineffective. Little did I know that his words would ring so true.
Over the last week, I have started writing a Bible Study that focuses on the elements of Discipleship. It is intended as an in-depth look at the biblical definition and requirements of true Christian Discipleship. I've been reading and studying and praying all week long for this study, and God had blessed me with a very clear vision of the approach I should take. Yesterday, I put the finishing touches on the first session. I went through it a few times in my office at home yesterday afternoon and a couple of more times after that in my office at the church. Bible verses to explore, discussion questions to go even more in-depth, a nice Powerpoint presentation for folks to follow along with- I spared no effort. And I couldn't wait to start.
I got to church much earlier than normal. As soon as Choir practice was over, I came in and set up the computer and projector. I started up some specially selected music to play in the background as folks arrived. Everything was ready to go. All that was left for me to do was wait for folks to show up. So I waited.
And I waited…
And I waited…
And I waited…
All of the folks that had been there for Choir practice left immediately after practice concluded. At the appointed start time of the study, one of the other church leaders came in and turned my awkward solitude into a duet. We talked for a while and at one point, I considered just packing up and calling it a night. Finally, after about thirty minutes we were joined by four women who had been in the kitchen working on something. I finally had my group for the weekly Sunday Evening Church Bible Study. Five folks. Roughly 7% of the regular worshiping body of the church. How ironic that the study exploring how we become better disciples of Christ was attended by a group the size of my family. I took it all in stride, even asking myself, "If a man goes into the forest and conducts a Bible Study, does anyone hear the message?"
Don't get me wrong, there are great things going on at our church. We are reaching the community in ways that we never would have imagined two years ago. Our outreach ministries are growing exponentially, thanks to the efforts of some very dedicated workers. We have about a 70% attendance rate in our Sunday School Ministry, which is incredibly high for most churches. Most of those folks go right from Sunday School to our Worship Service. However, once the service is over they go home, never to be seen again until the following Sunday morning. The "reasons" for this are plentiful and familiar to anyone who has attended church any time in the last ten years:
- I don't like to drive after dark
- I have to get up for work tomorrow
- I need to spend time with my family
- We made plans for the day
- I'm just so tired after such a long week
News Alert, folks! I don't mind driving after dark and would be glad to pick you up and take you home if you want me to, as would others in the church. Many of us have to get up for work tomorrow and I am pretty sure that I'm doing it much earlier than you (4:30). If you are waiting until Sunday to spend time with your family, you are in greater need of what the church has to offer than you realize. I make plans for the day as well- I plan to spend Sunday worshiping and studying my Lord and Savior. Last time I checked, anything you can plan to do outside of the church on a Sunday can be done just about any other day of the week. Why is Sunday the only day you can find to do these things? And a long week? I spend at least 60 hours of my week either driving to work or doing my job. I get a few hours in the evening to spend with whoever in my family is looking for some "dad time." And I (like many others) do all of this and still find the time to be involved with the church on Wednesday evenings, Sunday mornings and Sunday Evenings.
The purpose of that rant was not to highlight how "great" a Christian I am (because I have a long way to go to even be a "good" Christian). Rather, it was intended to show how easy the excuses can flow when true discipleship is not important. To many, church has become nothing more than an item to be completed on the weekly checklist of life. The trend is alarming and as a church, we have to react to this in a way that is horribly uncomfortable to most- we must start holding each other accountable for our actions and be willing to call each other out when we are exhibiting behavior that does nothing to glorify God.
I know- much easier said than done. For some, it is a very daunting task. And I'll admit that in dealing with some, it is a daunting task. How do you approach one of the top "givers" to let them know that their absence from many church events is noticed? How do you tell your most dedicated workers that all the service in the world cannot make up for the training they are choosing not to participate in? Who am I to tell a church leader that their lack of commitment could be harming the church body? After all, if I am holding others accountable for their actions, they will do the same to me.
The answer is one of the most brutally honest of the Christian faith. We tell them because the actions of a single person often affect others. We tell them because we are all responsible for national sin. To not say anything is to silently approve of the very behaviors that disconnect them from God, which makes us just as responsible for their wandering as they are. Most importantly, we tell them because one day they will be judged on their actions.
"So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God." Matthew 14:12
How are their "reasons" for being a Sunday Morning Christian going to be received by God? How would our own silence be seen as a good thing in the eyes of The Lord? Are you willing to take the chance? Are you willing to admit that you need as much feedback as "they" do? So many questions with one answer- be bold enough and strong enough in the Lord to bring everyone closer to Him, even the most intimidating people in your church.
And to my buddy Rick- I guess I share your frustration after all. Thanks for allowing me to recognize it. Thanks for being a part of the 7%.
No comments:
Post a Comment