Growth = A Much Needed Wrestling Match With God



Posted: Friday, March 13, 2009

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I recently returned from a pastor's conference in Anderson, South Carolina that challenged my perspective of pastoral leadership. During a sermon about change and challenge Perry Noble, pastor of NewSpring Church, a mega church with more than 15,000 members and three church locations posed four questions to a group of 3,000 pastors and leaders that rocked the traditional mindset of pastoral leadership. Basing his sermon on Exodus 33, Moses and the Glory of the LORD, Pastor Noble challenged the pastors in attendance to wrestle with God to determine who is really with them in their walk as a leader. Pastor Noble cited "the steady decrease in believers of Christ is a direct result of a lack of commitment on behalf of the pastor." In a no-holds-bar style speech, He said, "the average pastor typically stays at a church for only twenty two months." He challenged the pastors in attendance with a gut check to determine if their church really knows the pastor is really there for the long haul. Pastor Noble cited, it not enough that God has placed a calling on your heart to lead those to Jesus Christ, but that you should question God like Moses did in Exodus 33 when he ask God, "You have been telling me, lead these people, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me." How can you lead a church to reach those far from God when the church doesn't know who the leader is? "Do you understand that leadership and ministry is to be received by the church, not achieved by the church," Pastor Noble said.

The second question for the pastors and leaders to wrestle with God was if they were really pleasing him, meaning that we should be like Moses in Exodus 33 having to question God to determine if he still found favor with him. Knowing God and pleasing God are two different things. Pastor Noble asked the very simple but profoundly complex question of, "are we as pastors and leaders placing limits on ourselves that God hasn't placed on us." As a church have we stopped reaching those far from God, because of self imposed limits that are not pleasing to God? As senior pastors and leaders are we placing these self imposed limits because of a fear of loosing our paycheck? Lifting up the skirt of church to check for dirty underwear, Pastor Noble pressed the concept of prostitution by pastoral fear of money. Are we pleasing God, and placing handcuffs on who we reach out to because we are afraid of loosing our congregation? In a hilarious yet gripping story about a homosexual hitting on him in the bathroom, Pastor Noble pushed the boundaries of traditional thoughts and fears about who we are commissioned to reach. Citing, that in an effort to abide by "the man code" and not make contact with this homosexual in the bathroom, God spoke to him about the very reason his church exists. Pressing the issue of the "great commission", we are to be courageous and reach out to these people who without knowing Jesus, will most certainly go to hell. As pastors and leaders are we categorizing who we reach out to?

The third question Pastor Noble asked was "will we see you?" As pastors and leaders has our focus shifted from seeking repentance to attendance? Are we using the church and passion God has given to us for the sake of filling up a building with people? Moses in Exodus 33 asked God that if his presence was not with him, then he didn't want to lead the people. Witnessing to attendance without a complete focus on repentance is the same as having the sheep lead the Sheppard. Our call as pastors and leaders is to focus on being the Sheppard to the people by asking for God's presence in repentance. It is not about how many seats you fill up, but rather how many lives's you change. Pastor Perry cited his church's rapid growth to "a shifting of focus away from traditional church thinking and seeking to a repositioned focus on repentance."

The last question Pastor Noble, asked us was "if we are asking God for what was next?" "God sized changes are messy," he said. Church in America has stopped growing because of compliancy. We have gotten to comfortable for change. Each period of growth Newspring Church experienced was results of a constant seek to change and experience what God had/has in store for them next. You will never get to where God wants you to be, without first changing where you are.

The Unleash 2009 pastors and leaders conference was amazing. I recommend it all pastors and leaders as a must attend for 2010. Collectively as a church we can reverse the downward trend in church belief. All it takes is a much needed wrestling match with God.

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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Teresa Ortiz
 2 years 322 days ago.
187 fans.
Hi David, very well said. It is a sad truth that so many churches are so seeker friendly, they refuse to talk about the sinful heart of man which needs repentance. The cross of Christ is cheapened more and more. I believe we need to be people who share God's message of repentance and salvation with a heart of humilty and grace. I appreciate what this pastor said about putting limits on ourselves that God did not put. Just like Moses did by doubting God and looking to his own weakness. 1st lesson for Moses and one we need to remember.
 
Thanks again for sharing about this pastors conference, sounds like a godly one for sure! Blessings. Teresa
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