What is the most important thing?
“Well, that all depends” is generally the answer.
If you sell cars, I imagine the most important thing is to sell a lot of them at a big price to make a great commission for yourself and the dealership.
If you have a daycare business, I imagine the most important thing is to provide a safe place where people can drop off their kids and you can charge a good price for your services.
If you’re a businessman, I imagine the most important thing is to make more money which enables you to do even greater things.
If you are a college football player, I imagine the most important thing is to get good grades and graduate — wait, scratch that — the most important thing is to win games and get to the National Championship Game and win that!
If you’re a professional football player, I imagine the most important thing is to win games, win the Super Bowl while achieving all the incentives in your contract.
What is the most important thing for the church? Seems like a simple question, yet throughout the centuries there have been many different answers depending on who’s answering the question. If you were to ask this question of your leadership team, what would there answer be? What about the people who “regularly” attend your church? What about newer folks? What about guests?
I believe Jesus gives us the answer for what the most important thing is for the church! We see it in Luke 19 where we read about Jesus encounter with Zaccheus the tax collector. You can read the whole story in Luke 19:1-9, where Zaccheus becomes a follower of Christ — moving from darkness to light! In v. 10 Jesus says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” That’s pretty clear. This does not require a lot of nuance to figure it out. Interestingly, when Jesus had risen from the grave and instituted the church, He told His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
It would appear that reaching people for Christ (salvation) is the big thing for we who are leading churches to be about! We follow in the footsteps of the Lord Himself — and He has provided His power to accomplish this great task! Where this is happening there is usually life and forward Kingdom movement taking place. Where this is not happening, there is often time stagnation, in-fighting and a spiritual malaise that overshadows the work. When people are regularly coming to Christ discipleship can take place! Growth can happen! Attitudes, priorities, beliefs, actions can all be aligned with Christ and His ways!
I am committed to assisting you to raise the evangelistic temperature of your church! Sometimes it is good, to have another voice share things with your people. It is also nice, when someone else can come alongside so that another burden doesn’t have to fully fall on you, as the pastor. I am happy to come to your church and lead a Friday night and Saturday Contagious Faith Conference. Based on brand new material from Mark Mittelberg, the cost to your people is $10 plus whatever you want to charge to cover a lunch on Saturday and any other associated costs. The $10 simply covers a participants guide. If you truly cannot afford that, I will gladly work with you. At the Contagious Faith Conference, your people will learn about five different faith sharing styles; discern their particular faith sharing style and be encouraged to go and share Jesus with their unsaved friends, associates, relatives and neighbors. Contact me at jwiggins@rmdcma.com or (406) 698.9431to chat about engaging the most important thing in our church ministries!
— Jonathan