A Novel Ministry Concept

We live amid a constant barrage of marketing concepts. There seems to be a new gimmick ever day. The best sale ever is going on this week and next week a better one is coming. I told someone recently if the sales keep getting better pretty soon they will be giving us the stuff. But in all reality it is not so. Rather, only another gimmick to transfer your money to their pocket.

The church and ministry is not exempt from such things. We all want revival. We all want to grow. We want bigger and better facilities. We want to make sure no visitors slip through our fingers. We want our website to be a little slicker than the church across town. Therefore we seek out the best means and methods to make our churches just a little bit better.

At 48 years old I am a web sort of guy. I get the ether world. Blog sites, forums, online communities, Facebook, Twitter and who knows what is next. I see the way our culture is moving via the web and technologies. I can also remember a different time when truth was truth and absolutes were just that. I can remember being confused with the term post-modern and now the church is afflicted with it.

It seems that today Pentecostal ministry concepts are gleaned from non Pentecostal sources more so than the Word of God. Golf courses have replaced the prayer rooms. Ministerial values are assumed from associates rather than an altar. Ministerial concept books are consumed while dust gathers on leather bound bibles. Laptops, projectors, stools and music stands have replaced reference bibles, battle scarred pulpits and tear stained altars. Casual has replaced the careful dress of yesteryear. Grace replaced conviction. Sin is now called spiritual liberties. Morality in the pulpit is being challenged.

How did we get here?

What did Jesus say?

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Matt 16:24

Jesus indicated three distinct things should be found in those that were to lead his church. Self denial, cross bearing, and following Him.

Self Denial seems to be a thing of the past in ministerial circles. Churches are blessed and young men are able to live above the levels of their fathers. Financial blessings are handed over instead of sacrificed for.

Along with these blessings we see ministers who do not deny any liberty to their flocks. Nor do they deny anything to their families. Wife and children are carnal because their minister daddy or husband denies them nothing. The church duplicates the pastor’s home and the things he allows, the members take further. A sad cycle begins that spins out of control quickly.

Pastor denies no liberties to his church because he denies no liberties to his family because he has never denied liberties to himself.

Jesus told the carriers of his gospel to first deny themselves and then to take up their cross….

Cross bearing is not fun. It is not cool. It is not sexy nor is it socially desirable. But then cross bearing was never intended to be so.

When a minister carries a cross he cannot go some places and do some things. He cannot carry it alone so his family helps him. A cross bearing parsonage will result in a cross bearing congregation.

Some doors are not accessible to one who carries his cross. The cross prevents access to some places. The minister who checks his cross at the door, and then tries to pick it up on the way out finds the cross overly burdensome. Therefore instead of carrying it to the door he just leaves it at home and his cross bearing is for personal conviction rather than public view. Soon the cross seldom leaves the parsonage and often can only be found stored away with the stuff from yesteryear.

But Jesus said if you are going to propagate my gospel you must deny yourself and take up you cross and follow. This might be where some of the real issue is found.

For nearly a generation we in the ministry have been consumed with leadership and ceased followership.

A few years ago I found myself without organizational leadership or inclusion in any way. I felt forgotten and unappreciated. Then I decided to do my leading from the pew of whatever meeting I attended. Instead of leadership books I began looking for books about following. I found far fewer followership books than leadership. Jesus seemed to think that following him was much more important than anyone following us.

Heed this word of caution my good preacher friend. Following him never disallows self denial and cross bearing. Post modern emergent concepts claim the Grace of Christ without repentence or self denial. Walking in grace does not create a license to partake in sins of the flesh. Jesus had this figured out long before any of these modern scruffy looking shirt tail flapping ministers were conceived.

What a Novel Ministry Concept!

Self denial, cross bearing and following HIM.

rks