The Cost

As a pastor, one of your great hopes is that when you get any opportunity to teach God's word, that there's significant carryover effect and the words you teach continue to speak to people for an extended period of time. Often you think about that in the context of the lives of your hearers, but rarely do we consider (or maybe want to consider) the carryover effect in our own lives. When we don't, it may be an indicator of a couple of things. One, that we're not teaching out of our own struggles, out of our own journey, for whatever reason, or two, that our own pride will not allow us to be open to areas where we need to grow.

Well here's an acknowledgement. I'm still stuck on the verse from 2 weeks ago in Matthew 16 where Jesus says, if any one of you wants to be my disciple, you must deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. When we were at the churchplanters.com conference, I heard Rick Warren remind us that the way of Jesus transitions from come and see to come and die. The way of Jesus goes from the way of salvation to the way of sacrifice and suffering.

I've come to realize that there are some barriers in my life. Some strongholds that if I want to see break through in them, it's going to cost me more than I've wanted to pay before. I feel like Jesus is asking me to take on some disciplines, both personal and spiritual, that if I don't, my life and ministry will stall out where they are. I'm satisfied with neither of those options. A stalled life or a stalled ministry. I know that some of these things are personality deficiencies that I need God to work out. I know that some of these things involve other people and other people's free will. And honestly, some are issues where I personally struggle with some recurring sinful attitudes/actions. I believe Jesus is saying, if you want more from me, want more for this church I've given you opportunity to lead, there's a way of sacrifice to be walked. This is not a salvation issue, it's a favor issue. I don't believe that we earn salvation, but I strongly believe that our obedience impacts the fullness of God demonstrating Himself in our lives.

There's gonna be cost. I can already feel it. It's gonna be some discipline I need but don't have. So let's see what the next days and weeks hold for me and for my family and for Catalyst. Who's to say what God may be up to?