Who's Driving This Thing?!?

So, today might be for a pastor... or perhaps it is for a church planter... or maybe it's even for the very people I will be describing who need a fresh perspective on this!

Breakthrough has been blessed this past year to experience some phenomenal growth both spiritually and numerically. However, in the midst of that I have had to fight some fairly significant battles with people over "where this thing is headed".

• In ministry, especially church planting, there will ALWAYS be people who thing they know more about the Bible than you - and sometimes they will.

• There will always be people who believe they are "more spiritual" than you - and sometimes they are.

• And THEN there will be people who believe that God has given them the best vision for the church -and they are wrong!

Now, before someone gets mad and writes me to call me arrogant - let me explain. Pastor - God has called YOU to lead that church/ministry. Church planter he called YOU to plant the church. Which means that within you He has deposited a divine purpose and vision for that ministry. At some point someone is going to come along and tell you you are doing it all wrong - and if it hasn't happened yet you really need to deal with this question! WHO IS DRIVING THIS THING?

Let me give you an example on one extreme end - If God has called you to Pastor a rural church in the mountains of Appalachia and he has given you a vision that entails verse-by-verse exegesis of the scripture with some country flair and verses 1,2 and 4 of every hymn you sing and that's reaching people (please don't miss that). Then DO IT and don't let someone else come in and tell you other wise! God gave YOU the vision and people are coming to know Christ and are growing in knowledge of and relationship with Him!

Or, let's say you have a vision for teaching topically with a lot of application and illustration in order to speak to and invest in a culture that desperately needs to hear that Jesus cares about THIS LIFE just as much as He does the AFTERLIFE. You teach people that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control are the true evidence of the Spirit of God in your life and that's reaching people. They are coming to know Christ weekly and are growing in knowledge of and relationship with Him! And then someone wants to know why you aren't more "charismatic". Ask yourself WHO IS DRIVING THE BUS?!

I know, I know many of you reading this, ESPECIALLY church planters with young churches desperate to keep everyone who walks in, are asking "What if they leave?". My answer is simple - LET THEM!! If they came to the church God laid on your heart to invest in and grow then they will either live by Hebrews 13:17 or they will leave and find somewhere that they can. It's not that they are wrong or bad it's just that they are in the wrong place. If they don't believe in your vision (God given of course) and are there seeking only to change it then they are in the wrong place and for you to try and keep them there will only frustrate BOTH OF YOU.

Pastors, Leaders Get in the seat and drive!!

~PN