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Thoughts on Being the Church

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Yesterday, I once again was privileged to preach at Trailhead Church. I preached from Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1.  Paul was asking God to open the eyes of our hearts so that we would know "what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."  The central idea was this: God's glory is the most valuable thing in the universe and he has buried that glory in an unlikely field: the church.

After the sermon, I had a good conversation with one of our leaders.  He loves the church and wants to serve it more, but finds it frustrating that his life is consumed with having to make money to make a living.  He wasn't saying he wanted to work for the church - more that he would one day love to have enough money that he could be self-sufficient and devote full time service to the church.

So, I asked him what he would do if he were financially independent that right now could not do (in service to the church).  He thought for a moment and responded that he wasn't sure.  So I shared the story of a good friend of mine.

This friend once thought he wanted to go into full time ministry.  He was a dynamic young guy with obvious leadership potential.  He started fundraising in college to get the support he needed to take a position with a college ministry.  He found, though, that he was very good at raising money.  In fact, he enjoyed it.  He liked business and sales and felt like that was what he was wired for.

Through that experience, he discovered something.  God was calling him into full time ministry - but his paycheck wasn't going to come from the church.  He followed his passions and has become a successful businessman.  He is also an incredible husband and father.  He mentors younger men and faithfully serves people in the church.  He meets, gets to know, serves, and shares his faith with strangers.  He gives generously from his hard-earned income to fund ministry in his and other local churches.

I would propose that he is no less in full time ministry than I am even though he has never earned a single dime from the church.  In fact, on some days, he may be more so.  How can this be?  Because being in full-time ministry has nothing to do with who pays your check.  It has to do with what motivates your life.

My friend is living in a very simple truth.  Church to him isn't someplace to go - a building, a job, or even an institution.  He knows that the true church is made up of people who are called by God, redeemed by Jesus, and sent on mission by his Spirit.  By loving God and serving others, he simply is being what God has said he is - a real, significant, and full-time member of the body of Christ.

The reality is that this is exactly what Jesus calls everyone one of his followers to do - to be full time followers.  We are all in full-time ministry.  We may fund our ministry from different places, but we all have the same ministry.  We are to love our missionary God with all our hearts, souls, and minds.  And we are to follow our God on mission to love others even as we love ourselves.

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