One of our deacons, Fred Kelso, has a funeral escorting business that requires him to drive an awesome Harley Davidson motorcycle! This past Sunday, I interviewed him on the dangers of his job.
He said, when he comes to an intersection he keeps his motorcycle in first gear. He has to be able to move quickly. If he were to keep the motorcycle in neutral, he'd be powerless in the event of an emergency.
- The place of neutral is a place where you're neither for or against.
- The place of neutral is a place where you're half-way between worshiping in Spirit & truth and selfish living.
- The place of neutral is a place where you're stuck half-way between humility & pride.
- The place of neutral is a place where you're stuck half-way between faithfulness & unfaithfulness.
Satan doesn't mind you going to church or working for the Lord...just as long as he can rock you asleep in INDIFFERENCE. (The place where you're not fully decided) It's not the devil that defeats the church...it's the slumber of indifference, indecision and neutrality.
The longer we remain INDIFFERENT...the more we remain IMPOTENT! (powerless)
- As your pastor, I refuse to sit by and watch you or your family settle for the spirit of impotence!
- I'm going to keep PROVOKING you to good works!
- I'm going to keep PREACHING the truth in boldness!
- I'm going to keep getting in your face and DECLARING a higher level of living!
- If I hold my mouth for fear of offending you...then I'm not worthy to be called your pastor!
- If I lose my desire to see souls saved...then take me out back and shoot me!
- If our church becomes SELFISH and CONCERNED only with having CUTE SERVICES on Sunday that cater to the flesh and never require FAITHFULNESS, FRUITFULNESS or SOLD OUT LIVING...then we need to go out of business!
We cannot afford to stay in NEUTRAL!
How do we get in gear?
#1 Start praying for BOLDNESS instead of safety! (Acts 4:29-31)
- When we are faced with criticism, danger and persecution we must HIT OUR KNEES in prayer!
- We are not called to hide in a cave and wait for the rapture of the church.
- We are called to be on the front lines, waging war!
#2 Remember where we CAME from! (Matthew 9:10-13)
- Jesus didn't come to keep us comfy, cute and callous! He came to call THE OUTSIDERS...not the INSIDERS! More and more, we must remember where we came from so we don't lose our perspective of why the church exists!
- WE DO NOT EXIST...
- So Sister Hoopendiddle can sing her "special" every week.
- So Hurricane Henry can bully the pastor and congregation with his financial influence.
- So Sister Bucketmouth can get offended because no one called to check on her.
- So we can have another "penny march"
- Who came up with that and where is the faith in that? God doesn't fund His church through spaghetti suppers, fish fry's and pancake feeds! He funds it through obedient TITHERS and GIVERS!
- We EXIST to be FISHERS OF MEN...not keepers of the aquarium!
- Friend, if you're saved...then understand something...CHURCH IS NO LONGER ABOUT YOU! We're not here to burp you, pamper you or pacify you! We are here to WORSHIP the one who called us out of darkness, be DISCIPLED and REACH someone else with the same message! If church becomes about YOUR LIKES and DISLIKES then you're here for the wrong reason.
- I don't know about you...but I think the church should be willing to do anything, SHORT OF SIN, to save people!
#3 Allow God to do a work IN us so He can do a work THROUGH us! (Hebrews 12:1-2)
- Most every saved person I know has asked the Lord to use them. But the real question is are we willing to let God BREAK us so He can BUILD us?
- God has to work with our weaknesses, faults and failures.
- He's not looking for a group of copy-cat, mindless zombies who are trying to keep legalistic rules that were passed down to us by someone who is more interested in appearance than purity.
- He's simply looking for surrendered hearts who realize what it means to be a "work in progress."
#4 Be willing to CHALLENGE believers! (Luke 9:57-62)
- We cannot be afraid to ASK people to do what they should already be doing!
- We must ask people to step up to the plate and...
- Pray fervently
- Serve selflessly
- Give generously
- Love extravagantly
- If we don't ask our people to STEP UP we are actually INSULTING THEM and DISCOUNTING the redemptive potential God has placed in them.
- It is our JOB to call the BEST out of people!
#5 Remember Jesus' PROMISE! (Matthew 16:13-18)
- The church doesn't belong to me. It's HIS! He said, "I will build my church!"
- It's my job to follow Jesus and trust the work He is already doing in the life of the church.
- He said, "the powers of Hell would not be able to stop it!"
- We are an unstoppable people!
- Why should we be afraid?
