Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing
We just finished our short series of messages on Shelby Crossings' five core values, in conjunction with our church's 25th anniversary. Hopefully, these messages are a good reminder of why we do what we do. And as I said in several messages, I hope you "own" those values yourself, and live them out week to week.
Because those values have value only when they are aligned with our mission. That mission was defined by Jesus Himself--through what we commonly call His Great Co-Mission--and that is to "make disciples." (Matthew 28:18-20) Everything we do should be measured by how we are living out that mission.
As someone once said, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. So how do we do that? How do we live our lives in such a way so that we intentionally reach out to our community with the gospel and disciple them to Christian maturity? Every church asks those questions, or at least they should. But the answers we come up with are not always the same.
I read about a church in Georgia that was having "revival" services and as part of their outreach was giving away a raffle ticket to every person who attended one of their Sunday-to-Wednesday services. Each attendee was entered in a drawing for two $500 gas cards. It got results. The church ended up having to put in a new phone line and hire a receptionist just to answer the calls about the giveaway.
Bless their hearts. But in case you are wondering, we won't be using that kind of gimmick to draw people to a church service any time soon. I don't think that's what Jesus meant when He called us to make disciples.
The key to making disciples is...disciples being disciples, and thus being disciple-makers. And that "every member ministry" includes all of us. The key to reaching people is...people, like you and me, who live among our neighbors, love on them in the name of Jesus, and share a life-changing message they desperately need to hear.
In his book, Leading Beyond the Walls, pastor Adam Hamilton says that every church will flounder if it does not wrestle with and answer these three questions:
Why do people need Jesus Christ?
Why do people need the church?
Why do people need this church?
The answers to those questions are not that complex, really. People need Jesus Christ because only in Him can be found the answers to the most serious problems that we all face--ultimately salvation from sin's curse, and the gift of eternal life with the Father. People need the church because God created us to live in community and fellowship with other Christ-followers and to be the "body of Christ" to one another. We are born with a need to belong.
Why do people need The Church at Shelby Crossings? Well, I'll let you answer that. And when you determine the answer, be sure to share it with an unchurched friend.
I am so grateful to be a part of such a Christ-honoring church, and I look forward to seeing you again this Sunday as we gather together to worship.
--Pastor Ken
