Jesus the Rude Dinner Guest at the Pastor's Party

What Jesus said in Luke 14:12-14 has to qualify for one of the rudest things ever said at a party, and it has some very challenging things for pastors in it. Evidently Jesus was at a party where the host had invited a lot of his society's movers and shakers. Jesus said:

12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.

When a church grows, the pastor and church's leaders usually benefit from that growth... e.g. giving to their church increases, their reputation increases, etc. In other words, growing a church can be entirely in a pastor's own self-interest. Everyone that comes to his "party" literally can "pay him back."

I am haunted by this, for in all the work we are doing in growing our church, self-interest can drive me. It can be hard for me to distinguish between "thy kingdom come" and "my kingdom come."

But real discipleship, Jesus says, is only found in giving yourself away for people who can never pay you back. How do you this as a pastor who wants to grow a church by reaching lots of new people and getting them involved?

Obviously, it's all about the motives in your heart. And only God can know the heart. So, for the all the blogging pajamahadeen out there who want to judge every megachurch pastor in America, you might want to pay attention to your own sick heart before you appoint yourself judge of everyone else's.

However, my pastor brothers, God does indeed know our hearts. How can we not approach this question with fear and trembling? On "that day" it will be determined what was "gold and silver" and what was "wood, hay and stubble." On that day, all the accolades of the magazines and the conferences fade into oblivion as we confront the only One whose opinion actually matters.

I would think, however, that our passion for Jesus' Kingdom rather than our own would also seen in how much our church does for people "who can't pay it back." If a church spends almost all of its money on things that attract people who can come, increase audience size, and give, and not ministering to the poor of the city, or not sending people out, then that's probably a good indicator that that church only throws parties for those "who can pay it back." Obviously, most people that we reach will come and give (this is, of course, part of their discipleship!), but it seems to me that if all our money is strategically allocated for self-growth, and not for reaching the poor and sending out church planters, then we might consider if our work is really done for Jesus' Kingdom and not for ourselves.

Of course, a lot of churches that serve the poor can do so so that other people praise them, which is in itself a way of getting "paid back."

I also think that we show that it is Jesus' kingdom, not our own, that we pursue in how much we rejoice in the success of other churches.

Summit, this was what we reflected on this past Sunday in the message "Who we are and where we are going" from Luke 14:25-35. Here's the whole thing if you missed it (it was kind of a "state of the union" address).

Pray for our motives.

Comments

[Susan Hindman]

You are a man with a Godly Vision, JD!

[David Nash]

JD I enjoyed the article. The truth of the matter is we should not judge other churches but should focus on what we ourselves are doing for the kingdom. Alvin Reed is right when he says people want to be involved in a church that is doing something for the Kingdom and pastors should look at what they are doing for Christ not dewelling on the numbers. The truth be know they only talk about these megaChurches because of jelousy. David

[Phil Winn]

JD,
As outreach pastor of a 'megachurch' I would like to say that the great majority of my time is spent resourcing initiatives that serve the needy in our community. My entire focus is (as you said on 9/09/09) to magnify God's love which is the real gospel. Good stuff!

[Duane]

This is a wonderful essay. I appreciate the honesty and the focus on Jesus Christ and his Kingdom.

It has made me think about my motives and why I am sometimes jealous when I see the success of another. If they are fruitful and I am only concerned about the kingdom, then I should be encouraged by their fruit...oh jealous heart, be gone!