I found this quote by Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, the other day on Ben Arment's blog, "When you're failing, it's easy to understand the need for self-renewal. The status quo is not working, and only radical change can fix it. But we're seldom motivated to seek self-renewal when we're successful... Why change a winning formula?... Because the world is changing... Counting on the status quo can only lead to grief."
I think that there is a danger when a church gets larger; you tend to become more focused on maintaining than being missional. It is easy to slip into, "Let's not rock the boat, let's just maintain, keep people happy, make sure the 'steeple people' and 'stained glass saints' are satisfied..." But satisfying the masses was never Jesus' intention, His mission was to seek and to save that which was lost. He would gladly leave the 99 to find the 1 that was lost.
Our goal at FFC is to see life change occur in people. The mission is never about being satisfied with where we are at and making sure that the saints remain sanctified and petrified. We have neighbors and friends who are lost and going to hell and we will do anything short of sin to lead them to Jesus Christ. Maintenance will never lead to mission.
Anything short of sin? That sounds like a plan. Maybe if more people, more churches, thought that way the world would be a better place. So many people get used to the comfortable routine that it becomes easy to neglect those who are lost,
ReplyDeletewhy rock the boat when what you got is going so good? BECASUE you have to. Not everyone can be reached the same way. Anything short of sin? Sign me up!!!!!
keym... good to hear you've enlisted! if everyone in our church were excited about the mission Christ left us with, we'd see change in a lot of lives.
ReplyDeleteit starts with me... i need to let it sink in... to think critically about it... am i really willing to do anything short of sin in order to see souls saved? in my mind, when i'm in my comfort zone, i say, "yes! i'll do anything!" somehow i've got to take that mindset out into the world. i've gotta put some hands and feet on this thought.
please pray that God gives us all the boldness to move.