There’s an identity crisis in the church today. We’ve forgotten who we are as pastors, and it’s trickled down to our congregations. It’s easy to let it happen. Managing our identities is hard, especially when we’re busy with ministry or under pressure. Add to it that Satan is tricky. He takes things and twists them in our mind. We get distracted. We find ourselves pursuing what God hasn’t called us to because of our egos or the influence of outside sources.
In many ways, we have become like the world. We want to be famous. We care too much about how we look and our church’s programs. We’ve made the church a corporation. We worry about getting people in the seats and being a superstar on stage. We’ve forgotten that this is not our “show.” The church is Christ’s body. These are His people, His family. The church does not belong to us.
Over the years, I’ve heard pastors say, “I want to reach the world.” It’s not that the mindset is bad, but I don’t believe any one of us is called to reach the world. That was Jesus Christ’s calling. But we’re called to reach our world and the places God puts us. We are called to be His light, His salt, His ambassador in the area He wants us to serve. Again, our calling is not about us.
I think this is where we often get off track. We start taking cues from the world and trying to compete with it and be like it to reach more people. Really, what people need is somebody who loves them, someone they can trust who will show them Jesus. That’s what they’re longing for. Unfortunately, many pastors have gotten away from that truth. They want their church to be appealing to the world. But Jesus, as the ultimate role model, just walked around doing good and living life openly. I think we’ve forgotten that.
See, when you’re driven by human knowledge and ambition, that’s where character issues start. You forget who you actually are. You forget what you’re actually called to do. And then the misdirection trickles down to your people. I don’t want my people to be committed to me. I want them to be committed to the Lord. The church is His bride. Think of it like this: You can mess with me. I’m easy going. But you mess with my wife, and there is something primal that comes up inside of me. Pastor, be careful how you treat Christ’s bride. Remember that’s who the church is. It will help you.
The church is not supposed to be a business or a social club; it’s called by God to make a spiritual impact in its community. The church is to be in unity. Unity is not agreement; it’s when everyone sees the vision and lives out Ephesians 4:13, “Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” My goodness! Ain’t no set of lights or sound system going to accomplish that!
In prayer one day, I asked the Lord, “What is the definition of a pastor?” He said, “A pastor is to see his people’s success.” That’s how I see my job as a pastor: It’s not to be personally successful; I’m only successful when my people are successful. And I’m not talking about money. I’m talking about healthy families and servant attitudes and giving their life away for the cause of Christ. This brings purpose, peace, and joy.
One day I will stand before God, and He’s not going to check how many likes I got on social media or how big my podcast was. He’s going to look at the people He gave me and assess how well I took care of them, how well I prepared them for their walks of faith. When you look at your calling like this, it will change your focus.
Do I think God calls people to bigger ministries? Yes. But that just means you have more people to take care of. The Lord spoke to me and said, “You build My kingdom; I’ll build your church.” It was His way of helping me to see that He will bring the people to me that He has called me to love and grow spiritually.
When I was younger, I thought the apostle Paul was cocky. He said, “If you want to know how to follow Jesus, watch me.” But sitting in jail (again), he said, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1-3). And then he goes right into what that looks like, “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Walking worthy of the call is not being famous. Walking worthy of the call is showing lowliness, gentleness, bearing with others, being patient and longsuffering, and taking care of the people God has given you.
God planted our church in our city. He said these people are our responsibility. How could we not offer them free medical and dental clinics and an after-school tutoring program for third graders and outreaches to our community seniors? These are our people to take care of. I cannot do that for the whole world, but I can do it for those within my reach.
I want to challenge the worldly mindset that has permeated churches today, so let me ask you: Why do churches advertise? We should never have to advertise. Never. Why are we on billboards? We shouldn’t have to be. If the Spirit of God is touching people, and people feel loved, word of mouth is going to advertise your church for you. You know, Jesus often told people not to tell anyone about what He had done for them, but they couldn’t help themselves. When the Holy Spirit changes a life, they can’t help but tell people about it. I believe that’s how we’re going to reach more people.
So, Pastor, here are a few things I want to give you to help you live your best life:
First of all, you are a child of God. Spend time with Him. Get quiet, and get your agendas from Him. Slow down and understand that God judges you.
Then, remember that Jesus simplified things. He said we are to love God and love people just as He has loved us. You can’t love like Jesus unless you take time to receive from Him. Study the Bible for your sermons. Take personal time to worship Him. That’s where that supernatural seed comes in. That’s where God gives you ideas to reach your community better.
Quit looking at what you have, and start realizing God is just asking you to give what you have. Like with the loaves and fishes, He’s the One who does the miracle. Stop trying to get people in the seats. Just try to get them in the presence of God.
Don’t take home burdens you were never meant to carry. Don’t take on the burden of being a man pleaser. Jesus said His burden is easy, and His yoke is light. Do you know why? Because He keeps it very simple. Just love God, do what He tells you to do, and He will pick up those burdens.
Don’t sacrifice your family for ministry. I don’t believe that that is godly. God created the family first and then the church. They run on similar principles.
God has called you to love and take care of His children. What would you do if you dropped your kid off at a daycare and they didn’t feed them or take care of them? What if they were only out there making commercials about their daycare? What if they were busy competing with the daycare down the street? It wouldn’t be a positive experience. If you want God to like you, like what He likes. He likes people. He loves them! God will show up and do miracles in your services when you love people too.
Pastor, keep your focus on who you are in Christ and what He’s called you to do. It’s not about you; it’s about caring for His family. And with just those two truths in mind, I believe you’re going to see greater momentum and God move in a powerful way in your church and community.
This blog was created using content from the webinar Who Are We Really? Defining the Church and Who We are to be to the World.
