By Jeff Schapiro , Christian Post Reporter
October 23, 2012|5:27 pm
Matt Chandler addressed pastors during the Creature of the Word Simulcast on Tuesday and warned them that harboring a sense of entitlement can kill a church.
There are times in ministry, Chandler confessed, when he feels he is owed something. He sometimes wants to tell others, "Just do what I say ... Why are you asking me questions? Just do what I tell you to do."Pastors can sometimes get caught up in their position, he said, and fail to obey Jesus Christ's teaching in Matthew 20:26, which says, "whoever would be great among you must be your servant." But they are supposed to model servitude for their congregations, and failing to do so could be to their church's detriment.
"You walk in entitlement, you will simply empower entitlement underneath you. You want to talk trickle-down effect? You got an entitled pastor, you'll have an entitled staff. That then leads to an entitled laity, that leads to the death of a church," he said.
Chandler shared a story of a friend who came to pray with him before he delivered a sermon several years ago. The friend, Josh, put dirt in Chandler's hands, poured water on the dirt and told him to rub his hands together. "Kingdom hands are dirty hands," he told Chandler.
"You want to serve the Lord, you're always going to have dirty hands," said Chandler. "You don't get to a place, you don't get to a size where your hands are clean, your heart is free from the heartbreak, loss, the celebration, the need for prayer, the desperation that comes from leading and walking with God's people."
READ MORE
No comments:
Post a Comment