15-5

The Genius of Wrong

So many of us have a wrong view of what the church is and should be. We see it as "a performance at a place filled with programs run by professionals. The problem, though, is the one p we have left out of the equation: the people of God." The church was never intended to be a place where you brought people so that they could be taught by professionals about God and be saved. "What if the church itself-the people of God gathered in one place-is intended to be the attraction, regardless of who is teaching or singing that day? This is enough for our brothers and sisters around the world. But is it enough for us?"

I have found myself recently doing more and more of my ministry outside of the walls of our building. I have been having church all over the city! This is not surprising because "when the church is fundamentally a gathering of committed people, the place where the church gathers hardly matters." Not that there is necessarily anything wrong with having a building, but it is worth noting that "there's nothing in the New Testament that says we should construct church buildings. So whenever we plant a church or whenever a church starts to grow, why is the first thing we think, 'we need to spend masses of our resources on a building?' Why would we spend an inordinate amount of our resources on something that is never prescribed or even encouraged in the New Testament?" Just a thought. When Jesus died, He made it possible for us to come before the throne of God anywhere. So where should the house of worship be? Inside you! You are now the temple of God!

This has massive implications on how we live our lives and how we do ministry. What would happen if we took the time we spend inside this building doing ministry related things and allowed that ministry to happen outside this building, in the streets and homes of our neighbors and unchristian friends? "Who can fathom the potential of the church when we stop programming ministry for people and start propelling people into ministry?"

You see the ministry of making disciples was not just intended for professional 'pastors' and leaders. It was intended for everyone who calls themselves Christians. "All men and women who have placed their faith in Christ have the Spirit in them so they might be witnesses for Christ to the ends of the earth."

"Let us not, then, be so foolish as to confine the work of the Spirit to one professional, speaking in one place, at one time of the week. Let us not be so unwise as to bank the spread of the gospel on a certain person at a certain place when all week long the Spirit of God is living in every single man and woman of God, empowering each of us to advance the kingdom of God for His glory." Yes God has called leaders to lead the church. But the job of leaders within the church is not to save your friends. The job of leaders in the church is to prepare God's people for ministry and works of service in the Kingdom! "If we want to multiply the gospel from our faith family to all the families of the earth, it will require not just a pastor or church staff but the entire body of Christ built up in love 'as each part does its work.'"

Before Jesus went to heaven, He gave a simple command. Make disciples. "Do with others what I have done with you, Jesus had said. Don't sit in a classroom; share your lives. This is the simple command that was to drive the church. And this is the simple command that is to drive each of our lives."

"Regardless of your place in the church, remember that you are not intended to be sidelined in the Kingdom of God. You may at times feel like the wrong person, thinking you are not gifted enough, smart enough, talented enough, or qualified enough to engage in effective ministry. This is simply not true. You have the Word of God before you, the Spirit of God in you, and the command of God to you: make disciples of all nations. So whether you are a businessman or a businesswoman, a lawyer or a doctor, on-the-go professional or an on-the-go stay-at-home mom, I implore you to ask God to make your life count where you live for the spread of the gospel and the declaration of His glory to the ends of the earth."

"We will never have enough resources, staff, buildings, events, or activities to reach all the people in our community, much less all the peoples in the world. But we will always have enough people. Even if they seem like the wrong people." The plan of God is not meant for a select few professionals. "The plan of God is for every person among the people of God to count for the advancement of the Kingdom of God."

Enjoy the Journey