TO THE CHURCH
- Pastoral Newsletter - April 2024
If you've ever flown when traveling or have ever left the country, you've probably heard this phrase. Depending on who's asking, the purpose behind the question can vary. It can be used to collect data and track habits, or it can also be used as a way to assess national security threats. Regardless of why it is used, it is a very interesting question, isn't it? And as simple as it is, this questions really does strike at the heart behind why someone might be entering a country. It's either going to be for business or pleasure.
Chapter 6 in Thom Rainer's book, Autopsy of a Deceased Church, he addresses what he calls "The Great Omission." This clever pun is meant to be contrasted against the Great COMMISSION of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. | Matt. 28:18b-20
The thing about the Great Omission is that it must necessarily follow the Great Commission. If the Great Commission never exists, then there's nothing to omit. So, he uses this phrase to describe what sometimes happens to a church that, at one point in time, carried out the Great Commission. This church, gradually, shifts from one to the other. As an example of what this shift might look like, he explains:
"Some churches begin with a great heart and a great effort toward the Great Commission. But the methods used become the focus rather than the Great Commission itself. As a consequence, the Great Commission becomes the Great Omission” (p. 39).
(If you made it to the last business meeting, does that sound familiar?! Think of the methods as the top layers of the cake and the Great Commission as a supporting layer underneath it.)
Anyways, Rainer suggests the shift from the Great Commission to the Great Omission is really just a shift from obedience to disobedience. The methods of the past become enshrined, and the Great Commission heartbeat that birthed them is slowly forgotten (p. 42).
“Perhaps it would be more truthful to say these dying churches had 'Great Commission disobedience.' They chose not to remember what to do. They chose their own comfort over reaching others with the gospel” (p. 43).
What Rainer has done, here, is pit two mentalities against one another. One mentality leads to the Great Commission. One leads to the Great Omission. Those mentalities are obedience and comfort. If you'll permit the pastor in me to cheese it up a little bit... you might say that there are two "forts" we can build and defend in our minds: ef-fort and com-fort! (Look, I really can't help it... it's like telling a dad to refrain from dad jokes). The one is set against the other. In speaking of members of dying churches who were characterized by the Great Omission, Rainer says:
“They just wanted [growth] to happen. Without prayer. Without sacrifice. Without hard work. But here's the bigger issue. Even if the church began to grow on its own, the members of the dying church would only accept the growth if the new members were like them and if the church would continue to 'do church; the way they wanted it. That reality, when it is all said and done, is likely at the heart of the issue. Members of the dying churches really didn't want growth unless that growth met their preferences and allowed them to remain comfortable" (p. 44, emphasis mine).
This is exactly right! Comfort, in itself, is not necessarily the issue. Comfort isn't inherently sinful. After all, we serve and worship the "God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3). The issue is what provides the comfort. The issue is how important that comfort is compared to our other values and priorities. The more important it is, the more we will sacrifice to obtain it. The harder we will fight to serve it... to worship it. Or... to worship the thing that gives it to us. So, the question is: "What gives the comfort Rainer is talking about here?" He's talking about the comfort that comes from only liking growth or change that meets my preferences.
For this reason, Rainer actually takes a whole chapter to talk about "The Preference-Driven Church." I'll just give a few highlights before tying this all together:
"Every one of the fourteen autopsied churches had some level of this problem [of being preference-driven] before they died."
"A church cannot survive long-term where members are focused on their own preferences: My music style... my desired length and order of worship services... my desired color and design of buildings and rooms... my activities and programs... my need of ministers and staff... My, my, my..."
"Membership in the church is not county club membership. It's not about paying your dues and getting perks... Members of dying churches did not get that. For most of the members, their affiliation with the church focused around their desires and needs. And, as the church got closer to death, the intensity of their arguments and demands for their preferences grew. A church by definition is a body of believers who function for the greater good of the congregation. In essence, when church members increasingly demand their own preferences, the church is steadily not becoming the church. It is therefore neither surprising nor unexpected, at least from an observer's point of view, when the church closes its doors. The church really died before then because its members refused to be the church" (p. 47-52).
So, there it is. Let's tie this all together. There are two general mentalities. Each mentality manifests itself in a visible way, but those visible manifestations aren't the primary issue. The primary issue is the mentality that drives those manifestations.
On the one hand, there's "comfort." This is a hyper-sensitivity towards those things we like and against those things we don't like. Those are visible manifestations. They're driven by "preference."
On the other, there's "work." This is a willingness to expend energy in order to accomplish a task. In our context, it's the task of growth in the church, and it typically happens at the expense of comfort. Just like work in real life is often uncomfortable, work in the church threatens our comfort. BUT... these are just the visible manifestations. Remember... it's driven by an invisible mentality. So, in the case of "work," what's the mentality? I'll call it "mission." This is one of the roots of the word "commission." When the Great Commission grabs a hold of us, we are ready to "go... make disciples... baptizing... teaching them to obey." We are not making disciples after our likeness, but after God's likeness!
The irony in all of this is that we are often driven towards a preference-centered view of the church because we just want to be happy. However, it isn't until we are willing to sacrifice our happiness on the altar of obedience to God's commands that we realize there is something better than happiness to be had! Joy!!! We are truly happier when we are serving the Lord's will, and that only comes by being willing to be un-happy!
What a paradox, but this is the truth of the gospel! It isn't until we give up our lives that we truly find them! It isn't until we give up our satisfaction in the world that we gain a greater satisfaction in the otherworldly! It isn't until we we give up our self-centered happiness that we gain a God-centered joy!
"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” | Matthew 10:39
"Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and nomothetic destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” | Luke 12:33-34
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” | Galatians 5:16-17
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” | Romans 14:17-19
Application as a Church
What are your preferences? What are those things you don't prefer? What do you think others do or don't prefer?
Like comfort, having preferences isn't inherently wrong. Everyone has preferences. Also, having one's preferences met isn't inherently wrong, either. With every decision that is made, some will like it while others won't. That's simply the nature of assemblies of different people. The point is to be aware of our own preferences and the preferences of others, so that they don't prevent us from growing! For example, when we have company over to the house, our kids and our company's kids always want to go play together. Well, eventually, a disagreement will arise. Some kids want to do this, while others want to do that. Well, we make sure to talk to our kids ahead of time about how we need to cater to our guests. We want to develop relationships with them. If they aren't Christians, we want to hopefully help lead them to Christ one day. If they are Christians, we want to serve them and help them grow in the faith. Therefore, we want to go out of our way to make sure they are deterred or uncomfortable. Without this "pre-meeting," our kids simply aren't mindful about how their own insistence upon their own preferences might, either: a) come across to our guests as selfishness lack of care about other people; or b) make the guests uncomfortable for the sake of our own comfort. However, once they're aware and mindful, they're equipped with the knowledge they need to sacrificially serve our guests. The question of whether or not they actually do so is another issue entirely, but it starts with awareness, which then leads to intentionality.
As a church, this means we have to be aware of the different types of people that will be entering the church, especially on Sunday mornings. Mature, immature, young, old, churched, unchurched, saved, unsaved, dedicated, nominal, families, singles... We shouldn't just cater to their preferences. That's not quite the point. Rather, we should be asking, "How can I better reach and or serve a particular group, for their good?" This might mean catering to their preferences, but it is really more about giving them what they need, which might require for us to make sacrifices.
Personal Application
Business or pleasure?
Which are you here for? Are you entering into Christ's kingdom for business or pleasure? Are you a part of your church for business or pleasure? To serve or to be served? To sacrifice or to take? While the church is not a business, we do have work to do. We have a Great Commission from our Lord Jesus Christ. We have a mission, and when we realize and give ourselves to this mission, pleasure will follow.
How might we look at change and preferences differently?
What are some practical ways to work on developing a missional mindset? Well, as an exercise, try this. Think about those things within the church that you don't prefer, whether it's musical style, song selection, Bible Study topics, events/activities/programs, etc. Ask yourself: why does this exist? Then, ask yourself how it might possibly help others. You may not like it, but it might be serving a purpose for someone else. The point is to train yourself to see things in a new light. We are so trained to ask, first and foremost: "Do I like that? Do I like that change? Will I like that once it gets going? Will I miss that once it's gone?" This is a very "I-centered" approach. We want to train ourselves to see change in a "others-centered" mentality. "Who benefits from this change? Is there a way to increase the benefit to others in our events or services?"
As I close, I'm reminded of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians…
"For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them... I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” | 1 Corinthians 9:19, 22b-23
Jesus is the perfect example of discomfort for the sake of others. He left His heavenly abode for the sake of others. He came down to dwell among sinful people for the sake of others. He suffered for the sake of others. He bled and died for the sake of others. He even prayed, before His sacrificial death in our place, for God to remove this cup from Him, if possible. Put simply, Jesus wasn't about to go through with what He was about to go through for the fun of it. It was for the sake of others. Jesus' priority wasn't comfort, but obedience. Obedience to the Father's will. Obedience that would secure salvation for all who turn to Him in faith and repentance. Jesus was on a mission, and He wasn't going to let comfort or preferences get in His way.
This is the gospel! May we continue to grow to love the self-sacrifice that marks Jesus and His followers, may we live that sacrifice out in intentional ways, and through that self-sacrifice, may we give to others what will help them come to know Christ and grow in the most holy faith. In these ways, we will: Love the Gospel, Live the Gospel, and Give the Gospel.