What If Jesus Said No?

What if Jesus said NO to the Father's plan. What if He didn't go to the cross and take our place? What if He chose not to come and redeem us? What if He decided not to give grace freely? What if He decided not to love us?

God doesn't know how to abandon His people. It goes against His very nature. God is love and God is a giving, gracious God.

And all He expects in return is for us to replicate that in our lives, in a daily way of living. So what do we do?

Many have chosen to do exactly the opposite of what God calls us, His children and His body, to do when faced with adversity:

• When things don't go our way, we quit serving, we quit giving, we quit attending.

• When we get uncomfortable we leave, we push back and some even come out swinging.

• When we get offended we go to other people and complain about it and wonder why it won't get better or get resolved. (God calls this gossip)
  

Do I always agree with the way things are being done? NO! And I go talk to the people who are involved and we come to some kind of agreement/understanding SO THAT the message of the Gospel of my God will NOT be hindered. But some have chosen to make excuses and leave the body holding a very full bag. And the appearance is, from my standpoint, that those folks don't care about the impact it has on those still trying to stand in the gap and fight.

Here's some cold, hard facts about the wake left when people quit on God and leave:

• Ministry still has to continue. That means that the remaining servants are stretched thin. This could lead to burn-out on many levels.
• If we don't have the people to do the ministry, we CAN'T do the ministry so we'll have no choice but to kill certain things until such time as we have the people.
  
• The overall impact on the community is minimized with every person that leaves. That means less hands and feet to go into the community and share the gospel.
• A sense of abandonment is left hanging around when people won't attempt to walk through their concerns.
  
• The 'buzz' in the church no longer is what God is up to, but it becomes what has happened to God's church?
• When you leave the body, it's much like amputation. Not only does the body suffer from not having the limb, but the one who is now detached is 'cut off' from the feeding, the healing, the nurturing and caring of the rest of the body.
  

Yeah, I'm pretty frustrated - actually really ticked off! (The words I'd like to use will get me in more trouble than this post will, so I'll clean up my language!)

Like it or not, if you are someone who is 'stepping away' from ministry, you're playing right into Satan's hands. He's loving it. And God is weeping.

Yes, I get that things aren't the same here. Bill is gone and lots of things are different.
But, did you ever stop to think that your leaving also adds to the problem?

I challenge you to spend time in focused prayer for the next few days. Ask God if He really intends you to abandon the body of Christ. Ask God if amputation is part of His plan. And I challenge you to join us on Wednesday, December 15th in the Worship Center as we, as a body, continue to seek God's will in prayer.

Ask God if your time of serving Him in this body is actually, completely over. I don't want to hear anyone tell me again, "I'll just wait until the next pastor gets here and then I'll come back." WOW! Way to doubt that God can still work here...

How about we just get over our little pity party and get back in the will of God?