Jesus’ Passion Should Be Our Passion

Pastor Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Church tells the following story. “A few years ago I went back to the church where I grew up. I looked around at the church and realized how little things had changed and yet how many things had changed. The service was still going on the same time each Sunday. The music was the same hymnal that had been used for years. In other words, I’m sure the choir had bought new robes and there had been many preachers since I was a kid, but little seemed to have changed. But then, I began to look around. Yes, some things had changed. The attendance had stayed steady but the church had not grown. All around the church over 10,000 people had moved to the area and yet for some reason, this particular congregation had failed to make a significant impact.” Hybels goes on to say, “many people in the pews want to make an impact, they just don’t know what to do… so they do nothing. They sit in their comfortable pews and watch a line of pastors go in and out of the door and wait for them to bring in the people, and it never happens.” (Hybels, Courageous Leadership 66-67)
Maybe you can relate to this story. Maybe you have sat in those pews and waited. Maybe you waited to be led. Stop waiting! Be a leader. It is not just pastors who are called to lead the Church, you are a leader as well. Let me remind you of a scripture, Hebrews 13:7 “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” God has placed leadership skills within many of you. You can lead people in many ways such as service, witness, evangelistic outreach, and education. You have been given leadership gifts to some degree, even if it only to speak to the unchurched in an effort to spread the news that Christ loves them and accepts them.
What is at stake if you lead? I agree with Bill Hybels when he says, “it is the world itself!” We often hear of a jury giving a large settlement to someone over the loss of life, so how much is a life worth? According to our court system human life is worth millions of dollars. Can a price be put on introducing Christ to someone? That is priceless! What does it cost us? Maybe someone will be offended, maybe we will be laughed at, maybe worse, but no matter the cost, Jesus asks us to speak up for our faith. You can lead people into relationship with Jesus. You can make a difference in the lives of those in the Church and those outside of the Church. Was Jesus passionate about this? Absolutely! Jesus was never laissez-faire about the immediacy of getting up and following Him. He loved the lost and wanted to reach people so much so that it took Him to the cross. I don’t think Jesus has changed one bit! And yes, devoting your life to God will come at a price. Why would we think we are any different from Jesus? But, if that’s all that’s holding you back then know this, it is better to live for Jesus and inherit eternal salvation, than to live for something else and inherit death. Luke 9:25 says, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”