“Waaaaa. I’m Not Getting Fed” (Part 7)
I think this is the last post in this insanely long series on the issue of people saying, “I’m not getting fed at this church.” Last time I talked about how I think it’s the church’s role to equip people to feed themselves, and if we’re not doing that, I need to take some blame for a person in our church who isn’t being fed. However, if our church IS equipping people to feed themselves and a person still says, “I’m not getting fed,” – what would I say?
“Let me show you the door.”
Yes, I suggest that they find a different church. I don’t know about you, but I’ve reached a point where I suggest that they find a different church. That may not be the most compassionate or pastoral thing to do, but I’ve got a bunch of people who want to experience intimacy with God, and want to obey Him, and want to serve people and change the world, and I need to spend some time with them, not with a lazy baby who wants me to help them succeed in bible trivia.
I hope I don’t sound too self-righteous, but it’s kind of like Nehemiah, when people were complaining about what he was doing and asking him to give them time and he said, “‘I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?’ Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.” (Nehemiah 6:3-4)
I’m sure some people thought, “That’s not very Christ-like,” (yes, I know that there was no such thing as “Christ-like” back then) but Nehemiah was a man on a mission, and you weren’t on the mission you were off his radar.
Jesus told people that if they wanted to follow Him they had to carry a cross. We tell people that if they want to run with us, they have to feed themselves. Will that turn away some Christians? Definitely. Do we want to turn away Christians? Definitely.
I want to have a church full of two types of people: the lost, and missionaries to the lost. When someone goes to a foreign country to be a missionary, they aren’t going over there to get fed. They are going on a mission, and realize that they’ll have to feed themselves. If you’re gonna be a part of Forefront, you’re going on a mission and must realize that you’ll have to feed yourself. And if that ain’t you – don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.
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