Years ago Amy Grant recorded a song called: Fat Baby. In a humorous poke at many Christian’s reality, she makes the point that too many Christians learn lots but don’t exercise their faith enough.
The challenge that many churches find themselves faced with comes from the very people in the church pews already. It’s a subtle mindset that is often expressed in comments like, “I love this church/pastor because I really get fed every Sunday.” Now, a church/pastor should feed those who attend on Sunday, however, the church/pastor has a higher responsibility.
The church/pastor has to teach the people to feed themselves. Well, duh. We’ve heard the saying: ‘Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.’ Challenging Christ-followers to feed themselves and not rely on the once a week predigested meal on Sunday morning is critical to the health of the church.
If Christ-followers begin to take responsibility for them spiritual diet and feed themselves, I wonder: What (or Who) could the church/pastor focus on Sunday morning?
Good point john, but I have to ask, what is church service for? I think to many times Christ followers think church is for them….ehhhhh…. wrong answer. Church service is the tool we need to use, to spark a fire for non believers we are inviting and witnessing to. Church service is not about “US” it is about them.
The church is like an airport…. if your not on the plane then you have arrived, the plane (aka life) has gotten you to the aiport, (AKA church) now it is up to the employees (christ followers) to provide the directions needed to find their way.(Bible teaching) But then it is time to get ready again for the next plane as new people will now arrive!!
People need to not just feed themselves, but they also have to exersize too. Otherwise we end up fat and bloated from just eating, and then die.
James 2: 20 – 24
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[e] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
It is time for people to feed themselves and then excersize. If we excersize then the church will be full and grow and the process will continue in a healthy circle. The process is simple, but if we just eat and nothing else, then we are missing the point. Jesus told all of us
Matthew 28:19 (19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Jesus was speaking to all of us, not just pastors or ministry leaders, or whatever you can think of. But he was talking to all. We need to remember we are already saved, so we have arrived, now to need to plan and get excitited for the next arrivals,,, as this is the Christ followers oppertunity to show not church but CHRIST!