Follow the Leader

All life is made up of a series of moments and these moments create the circumstances of our daily lives. When we try to live life on our own we base everything we do on self-interest – doing what we want to do when we want to do it. We go through life making our own plans. This is foolish because we never know what’s going to happen from one moment to the next. We are here today and gone tomorrow. Our plans are constantly interrupted by unexpected circumstances and situations that hinder, frustrate, and disappoint us.

It is a totally different story for those who are following Jesus. They are led by the Holy Spirit and follow God’s plans for their lives. Followers of Jesus are able to live moment by moment. Every decision they make under the guidance of the Holy Spirit produces God-desired results. This is what obedience is all about. Obedience always places followers exactly where they are supposed to be. They move through life God-centered rather than self-centered. They always look to see what God is doing in every given circumstance. As a result followers know when they are on the right path. Now this by no means implies that the path is easy or trouble free. All along the road there will be sorrow, pain and struggles, as well as joy, hope and opportunities. The key is that followers of Jesus always look to God and what He is doing in their circumstances rather than dwelling on the circumstances themselves. There is always something Jesus wants His followers to see and learn. Following His lead keeps Christ followers heading in the right direction. You will never go wrong as long as you follow the Leader.

The Hard Lesson of 9/11

Eight years ago, terrorists flew highjacked commercial airplanes into the twin towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. In the days and weeks following the attack people from all over the country flocked to local churches searching for answers. However, within a short period of time they left again as things returned to normal. What happened? These people came to our churches looking for God and couldn’t find Him there!

The events of 9/11 and its aftermath should be a huge wake-up call for all the churches in our country. We need to understand that it doesn’t matter what style of worship we have. It doesn’t matter how hip we are, how multi-sensory we are, how big our buildings are or how many programs we have to offer. Without the manifest Presence of God in the church, everything we do is worthless. Without the manifest Presence of God the church has nothing to offer.

All or Nothing

I came across an article the other day written by one of the top church growth consultants in the country. In the article he said that, “the number one reason why churches don’t grow is due to inadequate staffing.” I was astounded by this outrageous comment. Nothing could be further from the truth. The number one reason why churches don’t grow is the same reason why churches decline and eventually close: The people are not following Jesus. This may sound harsh and disturbing to some, but it is the truth nonetheless. Instead of loving and following Jesus, churches have adopted a consumeristic mindset – doing whatever it takes to meet the wants and desires of their people and those they wish to attract. Leaders tell their congregations how much Jesus loves them, cares about them, and desires for them to be happy, healthy, and blessed.

Jesus has been replaced as the centerpiece of the church by the god of “self”. Congregations all across this country are concerned with “self” – self-interest, self-esteem, self-worth, self-image, self-affirmation, self-righteousness, self-indulgence, self-pity, self-preservation, self-sufficiency, self-love, self-confidence, self-assurance, and any other “self” you can imagine. Messages are being preached week after week on how to improve your “self”. “Self” filled churches become “self”-ish churches and are not the true church of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways…” (Matt. 16:24, NLT). This is the answer to the church’s dilemma – to say “yes” to Jesus and “no” to “self”. In other words, churches who follow Jesus live in a constant state of “self”-denial. He is the Lord and the love of their lives. They love what He loves and hate what He hates. His wants are their wants. His desires are their desires. Churches who follow Jesus passionately worship, honor, adore, and praise Him. They devote their entire lives to pleasing Him. They are consumed by His love and hunger for His touch. For the true church of Jesus Christ, it’s all about Him or it’s about nothing at all.

“Easy” Church

Staples, a national office supply chain, runs television commercials stressing that shopping for the right office supplies should not be stressful or frustrating. They say that shopping at Staples is like having an “easy” button at your disposal. In other words, you should be able to find whatever you are looking for in their store. The point is illustrated by a customer pushing the “easy” button and saying with a smile of satisfaction, “Hey, that was easy!”

The “easy” button is a great metaphor to demonstrate what is wrong with so many churches in our society today. Hang out around any local church and you will soon discover than being a Christian is easy. All that’s required is to say you believe in Jesus, attend church on a somewhat regular basis, put money in the plate now and then, and get involved in some form of ministry. What could be easier than that? Christianity is always easy whenever you take following Jesus out of the equation. And this is exactly what has happened. “Easy” church people have no problem professing that Jesus is their Savior – but it is another thing entirely to profess that Jesus is their Lord. Oh, they may say that “Jesus is Lord,” but their everyday lives betray their words. On Sundays they lift their voices to the Lord, but as soon as the service is over, they put all their thoughts and energy back onto themselves. They do whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it and how they want to do it. It is clear that they are the Lord of their lives not Jesus. As a result, “easy” church becomes nothing more than a religious activity that people attend.

“Easy” church always caters to the desires of its congregation. The services center around how living life can be easy when they believe in Jesus. The messages talk about how Jesus can mend their marriages, improve their finances, heighten their self-esteen and fulfill their dreams. “Easy” church never challenges or places demands on its people. It makes sure they are never incovenienced or made to feel uncomfortable. The purpose of “easy” church is to make people feel good about themselves.

“Easy” church always reaps what it sows: a group of arrogant, apathetic, judgemental, self-centered religious people who care only about their own desires, wants, and needs. They do not have a relationship with God and have no idea who Jesus really is.

The only hope for “easy” church is revival – a time when God comes down to restore His people into a right relationship with Himself. Without this Divine visitation, the final outcome of “easy” church is predictable – it is going to die.

The Church in Crisis

Eighty-five percent of the churches in America today are either stagnant or in decline. Look closely and you’ll discover they are all asking the same questions: “Why are we in decline? Why aren’t we growing?” Pastors and congregations try to answer these questions based on sociological observations. “Culture has changed,” they say. “We are living in post-modern times. The church needs to change with the times in order to be relevant.” So the church begins to look like, sound like, and act like the culture surrounding her.

What’s actually happening here is the church is catering to the culture in order to be acceptable. This is an unbiblical concept. The truth is the church is called to stand out in stark contrast to the culture at large. She doesn’t need to resort to fads or gimmicks in order to interest people in attending. All that is required is the presence of God and authentically changed lives. The sad truth of the matter is when guests do come to church they experience neither. What they see is a group of people who do not appear to be interested in God or each other. In fact, for many of them, attending a church service is no different than going to a movie or watching a play. The “audience” listens to live music, watches videos or maybe a live drama and hears a speaker talking about how Jesus is supposed to make a difference in their lives.

Guests observe that regular attendees arrive late and many of them leave before the service is over. They notice that people sitting around them seem bored and unmoved by what they are witnessing. After the service is over everyone makes a beeline for the parking lot. Nothing has happened. Lives have not been touched. No one is changed. The guests leave wondering, “Is this what Christianity is all about? What an incredible waste of time. Thanks, but no thanks. This is not for me!”

You see, our culture is not the problem. The church is the problem. Instead of asking how to make the church grow, the question that begs for an answer is this: “What’s wrong with the people who ARE attending church?” In other words, why aren’t THEY excited about worshiping God? Why are they so lethargic, half-hearted and uncommitted? Why aren’t they tithing and serving others? Why aren’t their lives and lifestyles any different from those who don’t know God?

The answer is as simple as it is painful. The people in our churches today do not hunger or thirst for God. They are not seeking God. They are not looking for God. They are caught up in a system of “religious” beliefs and doctrines that stress conduct and moral behavior rather than an ever deepening relationship with Jesus Christ. Their lives remain unchanged because they do not follow the One they profess to know. There is only one answer to the crisis facing American churches today. THERE MUST BE REVIVAL!!