A Pattern for "church"
"So Moses said to the Lord, "Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me?" Nu 11:11-12 NKJV
This is not a burden Moses desired to reject, or to even really complain about. It was not his desire to shirk his responsibility, but the true burden was his desire to see the people totally fulfilled by following the desires of the Lord. He cared so much for the people that he was willing to bargain his own eternity for their lives.
"Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin — but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written." Ex 32:31-32 NKJV
This doesn't sound like a leader desiring to throw his congregation away because of their lack of following the Lord, but one who desires to intercede on their behalf. I truly believe most pastors feel the same way. I know their desire is to care for their congregation and to reach the lost and bring them into the sheepfold. But the pressure continues; placed on the pastors by themselves and the congregation. If there is a decline in the congregation, the credit will go onto the "leader", but if there is an increase, many are ready to accept the credit. But as a leader, I do find myself taking more credit for decline than for increase. Many leaders will take the blame for decline and most give God the credit for the increase, when, in all reality, if the leaders are truly following the Lord, the Lord is sovereign over both.
Craig Groeschel once said, "We must be careful not to blame ourselves for the decrease or we might be tempted to take credit for the increase."
The temptation is, and always has been, for churches to gravitate to new and fresh programs and ideas in order to maintain numbers or reach others. I don't believe this comes from desperation but from a sincere desire to grow the Kingdom. The problem we have now is that so much of what we do is only attracting Christians or at the very least, other church's members. This is not adding to the pot, it is only stirring the pot. It seems we are spending much of our resources on the church in the name of "making disciples." Why is it that Jesus only spent three years making disciples and we are taking 20, 30, 40, even 50 years to make a disciple that may not even share the Gospel with another person! This frustration is seen when the apostle Paul accused the church of being milk babies that were unable to eat solid food.
The greatest action for the church today is not to be “cool” or “un-cool”, traditional or modern, but the greatest action for the church is to be authentic! If the church is created to be the Body of Christ, then BE the Body of Christ!
