There is a strange phenomenon in those churches where the pastor and the leaders actually catch fire and “get it.” They actually demonstrate that the church has a mission and that mission is to reach the world for Jesus Christ.
The strange phenomenon is that almost immediately, church members raise the question, “What about us?”
Consider Jesus as He was fighting the battle of worldviews with the Pharisees and the religious scholars in Luke 15:1-7. The issue? Mission, focus and priority. Jesus says in verse 7, “There is more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.”
So what is Jesus’ priority? What is your church’s priority? How is that demonstrated? What does Jesus mean by “rescue”?
In mission school, I learned the formula 1P+2P 3P=Making Disciples. 1P is being present, caring for the needs of people—a good thing to do. 2P is proclamation. Proclamation is when you share the Good News of Jesus Christ which is the ultimate good work you could do for anyone. 3P is perseverance. It is persevering until a person becomes a disciple of Jesus Christ, a sold-out follower. That is what it means to make disciples. Think about the stories: Luke 15:8-10, The Lost Coin. What about the story in Luke 15:11-32, The Lost Son. Isn’t it clear that 1P+2P+3P=what God wants you to do?